In January 1726, a British East India Company ship named James and Mary landed on Ascension Island. While exploring the island, the crew stumbled upon a tent containing belongings that suggested the presence of a castaway who had likely survived on the island for some time. Although no body or skeleton was found, the crew speculated that the man had perished due to thirst.
Inside the tent, the sailors made an intriguing discovery— a diary belonging to the castaway, which explained how the castaway had found himself on the island. The diary revealed that he was a Dutch sailor who had been found guilty of sodomy and was marooned on the island as punishment. That same year, the translated diary was published under the title Sodomy Punish'd , of which only a single copy exist in the British Library today. This unique journal offers a rare and firsthand account of the challenges and experiences endured by a gay man during a period when same-sex relationships were punishable by death.
“Marooned” by Howard Pyle.
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