[1] Like a number of other pirates of the Golden Age, he was a Jacobite who professed support for England's ousted Catholic King James II over his Protestant successors.

[4] Russell was Edward Low's quartermaster in June 1722 when they captured a series of vessels off Shelburne, Nova Scotia, near Cape Sable.

[5] A few days later Low permitted two boys to take a small boat ashore to retrieve his dog; the boys ran away and an infuriated Russell accused Ashton of complicity in their escape, nearly killing Ashton several times:[6] I was forced to tell him, I knew not of their design; and indeed I did not, tho' I had good reason to suspect what would be the event of their going.

… The Quarter-Master upon this, in the utmost fury, drew his Cutlash, and fell upon me with it, but I leap'd down into the Hold, and got among a Crowd that was there, and so escaped the further effects of his madness and rage.

[3] Other pirate officers smuggled a few provisions to Roberts (who made it to land and endured many adventures before returning home) and warned Russell not to abuse his position: "Ay, said the Gunner, and take Care, Russell … you have got the Company's Assent in this, I cannot tell how, and therefore I shall say no more, only that I, as I believe most of the Company, came here to get Money, but not to kill, except in Fight, and not in cold Blood or for private Revenge.

"[1] Ashton escaped Russell and Low in March 1723 when they stopped near Roatan, where he was marooned for over a year.