industry, won for himself a fortune worth £150,000, but his Scotch
partner, Morrison, being a frugal soul, had in the meantime saved an even
larger sum. Eventually their ship was wrecked in a fog on a small barren
island near Prince Edward Island, and Morrison and most of the crew were
drowned, but Nelson and a few others were saved. At last he reached New
York, where he lived the rest of his life in peaceful happiness with his
wife and family.
NICHOLLS, THOMAS, _alias_ NICHOLAS.
Of London.
One of Major Stede Bonnet's crew in the _Royal James_. Tried for piracy at
Charleston on November 8th, 1718, and found "not guilty."
NONDRE, PEDRO.
Hanged at Kingston, Jamaica, in February, 1823. At the time of execution
it was observed that he was covered with the marks of deep wounds. On the
scaffold he wept bitterly. An immensely heavy man, he broke the rope, and
had to be hanged a second time.
NORMAN, CAPTAIN. Buccaneer.
Served under Morgan in 1670, and after the fall of Chagres Fort, Norman
was left in charge with 500 men to hold it, while Morgan crossed the
isthmus to attack Panama. Norman soon "sent forth to sea two boats to
exercise piracy." These hoisted Spanish colours and met a big Spanish
merchant ship on the same day. They chased the ship, which fled for safety
into the Chagres River, only to be caught there by Norman. She proved a
valuable prize, being loaded with all kinds of provisions, of which the
garrison was in sore need.
NORTH, CAPTAIN NATHANIEL.
Born in Bermuda, and by profession a lawyer, Captain North was a man of
remarkable ability, and in his later calling of piracy he gained great
notoriety, and was a born leader of men. His history has been written
fully, and is well worth reading. He had many ups and downs in his early
seafaring life in the West Indies; being no less than three times taken by
the pressgang, each time escaping. He served in Dutch and Spanish
privateers, and eventually rose to being a pirate captain, making his
headquarters in Madagascar. From here he sailed out to the East Indies,
and preyed on the ships of the East India Company. Several times he was
wrecked, once he was the only survivor, and swam ashore at Madagascar
stark naked. The unusual sight of a naked Englishman spread terror amongst
the natives who were on the beach, and they all fled into the jungle
except one, a woman, who from previous personal experience knew that this
was but a human being and not a sea devil. She supplied him with clothes,
of a sort, and led him to the nearest pirate settlement, some six miles
away. On another occasion when the pirates were having a jollification
ashore, having left their Moorish prisoners on the ship at anchor, North
gave the prisoners a hint to clear off in the night with the ship,
otherwise they would all be made slaves. This friendly hint was acted
upon, and in the morning both ship and prisoners had vanished. The pirates
having lost their ship took to the peaceful and harmless life of planters,
with North as their ruler. He won the confidence of the natives, who
abided by his decision in all quarrels and misunderstandings. Occasionally
North and his men would join forces with a neighbouring friendly tribe and
go to war, North leading the combined army, and victory always resulted.
The call of piracy was too strong in his bones to resist, and after three
years planting he was back to sea and the Jolly Roger once more. On one
occasion he seized the opportunity, when in the neighbourhood of the
Mascarenhas Islands, to go ashore and visit the Catholic priest and
confess, and at the same time made suitable arrangements for his children
to be educated by the Church. North evidently truly repented his former
sins, for he returned to resume his simple life on his plantation. On
arriving home he found the settlement in an uproar. He soon settled all
the disputes, appeased the natives, and before long had this garden-city
of pirates back in its previous peaceful and happy state. Beyond an
occasional little voyage, taking a ship or two, or burning an Arab
village, North's career as a pirate may be considered to have terminated,
as, indeed, his life was shortly afterwards, being murdered in his bed by
a treacherous native. North's friends the pirates, shocked at this
cold-blooded murder, waged a ruthless war on the natives for seven years:
thus in their simple way thinking to revenge the loss of this estimable
man, who had always been the natives' best friend.
NORTON, GEORGE.
One of Captain John Quelch's crew. Tried for piracy in June, 1704, at the
Star Tavern at Boston.
NUTT, JOHN.
One of Captain John Phillip's original crew of five pirates in the
_Revenge_ in 1723. Nutt was made master or navigator.
OCHALI. Barbary renegade.
In 1511 he sailed from Algiers with a fleet of twenty-two vessels and
1,700 men to raid Majorca. The Moors landed at Soller and pillaged it.
Before they could get back to their ship, the pirates were attacked by the
Majorcans, headed by Miguel Angelats, and completely routed, 500 of them
being killed.
ODELL, SAMUEL.
Taken prisoner by the pirate Captain Teach on November 21st, 1718, and on
the very next day retaken by Lieutenant Maynard. Odell received no less
than seventy wounds in the fight, but recovered, and was carried to
Virginia to stand his trial for piracy, and was acquitted.
OUGHTERLAUNEY, THOMAS.
Acted as pilot in the _Royal Fortune_. Took an active part in taking and
plundering the _King Solomon_ on the West Coast of Africa in 1721.
Was tried for piracy with the rest of Roberts's crew, when one witness,
Captain Trahern, deposed that the prisoner dressed himself up in the
captain's best suit of clothes, his new tye wig, and called loudly for a
bottle of wine, and then, very arrogantly, gave orders as to the steering
of the captured ship.
Hanged at Cape Coast Castle in 1722.
PAIN, CAPTAIN.
A Bahaman privateer who in 1683 turned pirate and attacked St. Augustine
in Florida under French colours. Being driven off by the Spaniards, he had
to content himself with looting some neighbouring settlements. On
returning to New Providence, the Governor attempted, but without success,
to arrest Pain and his crew. Pain afterwards appeared in Rhode Island, and
when the authorities tried to seize him and his ship, he got off by
exhibiting an old commission to hunt for pirates given him a long while
before by Sir Thomas Lynch. When the West Indies became too hot for him,
Pain made the coast of Carolina his headquarters.
PAINE, CAPTAIN PETER, _alias_ LE PAIN. A French buccaneer.
He brought into Port Royal in 1684 a merchant ship, _La Trompeuse_.
Pretending to be the owner, he sold both ship and cargo, which brought
about great trouble afterwards between the French and English Governments,
because he had stolen the ship on the high seas. He was sent from Jamaica
under arrest to France the same year, to answer for his crimes.
PAINTER, PETER.
This Carolina pirate retired and lived at Charleston. In August, 1710, he
was recommended for the position of public powder-receiver, but was
rejected by the Upper House. "Mr. Painter Having committed Piracy, and
not having his Majesties Pardon for the same, Its resolved he is not fit
for that Trust." Which only goes to show how hard it was for a man to live
down a thing like piracy.
PARDAL, CAPTAIN MANUEL RIVERO.
Known to the Jamaicans as "the vapouring admiral of St. Jago," because in
July, 1670, he had nailed a piece of canvas to a tree on the Jamaican
coast with this curious challenge written both in English and Spanish:
"I, Captain Manuel Rivero Pardal, to the chief of the squadron of
privateers in Jamaica. I am he who this year have done that which follows.
I went on shore at Caimanos, and burnt 20 houses and fought with Captain
Ary, and took from him a catch laden with provisions and a canoe. And I am
he who took Captain Baines and did carry the prize to Cartagena, and now
am arrived to this coast, and have burnt it. And I come to seek General
Morgan, with 2 ships of 20 guns, and having seen this, I crave he would
come out upon the coast and seek me, that he might see the valour of the
Spaniards. And because I had no time I did not come to the mouth of Port
Royal to speak by word of mouth in the name of my king, whom God preserve.
Dated the 5th of July, 1670."
PARKER, CAPTAIN WILLIAM. Buccaneer.
Just after the city of Porto Bello had been made, as the Spanish thought,
impregnable, by the building of the massive stone fort of San Jerome, the
daring Parker, with but 200 English desperadoes, took the place by storm,
burning part of the town and getting quickly and safely away with a huge
amount of booty.
PARKINS, BENJAMIN.
One of Captain John Quelch's crew in the brigantine _Charles_. Tried at
Boston for piracy in 1704.
PARROT, JAMES.
One of Quelch's crew, who turned King's evidence at the trial at Boston in
1704, and thus escaped hanging.
PATTERSON, NEAL.
Of Aberdeen.
One of Major Stede Bonnet's crew in the _Royal James_. Hanged at
Charleston, South Carolina, on November 8th, 1718, and buried in the
marsh.
PATTISON, JAMES.
Tried for piracy at Boston in 1704.
PEASE, CAPTAIN.
A low down, latter-day South Sea pirate. Arrived in an armed ship with a
Malay crew at Apia in Samoa in June, 1870, and rescued the pirate Bully
Hayes, who was under arrest of the English Consul. He pleased the British
inhabitants of the island by his display of loyalty to Queen Victoria by
firing a salute of twenty-one guns on her Majesty's birthday.
PELL, IGNATIUS.
Boatswain of the _Royal James_, Major Stede Bonnet's ship. Turned King's
evidence at trial of Bonnet and his crew at Charleston, Carolina, in 1718.
PENNER, MAJOR.
We have been able to find out nothing of this pirate except that he was at
New Providence Island in 1718 and took the King's pardon for pirates. He
seems to have returned to the old life and was killed soon after, though
how this came about is not recorded.
PERKINS, BENJAMIN.
One of Quelch's crew. Captured at Marblehead in 1704.
PERRY, DANIEL.
Of Guernsey.
Tried for piracy in 1718 at Charleston, South Carolina, and found guilty.
Hanged on November 8th at White Point. Buried in the marsh below low-water
mark.
PETERSON, CAPTAIN.
Of Newport, Rhode Island.
In 1688 he arrived at Newport in a "barkalonga" armed with ten guns and
seventy men. The Governor prosecuted him for piracy, but the grand jury,
which consisted of friends and neighbours of Peterson, threw out the bill.
Among other charges, Peterson was accused of selling some hides and
elephants' teeth to a Boston merchant for £57, being part of the booty he
had previously taken out of prizes in the West Indies.
PETERSON, ERASMUS.
Tried for piracy with the rest of Captain Quelch's crew at Boston. Was
hanged there on June 30th, 1704. When standing on the gallows "He cryed of
injustice done him and said, 'It is very hard for so many lives to be
taken away for a little Gold.' He said his peace was made with God, yet he
found it extremely hard to forgive those who had wronged him. He told the
Executioner 'he was a strong man and Prayed to be put out of his misery
as soon as possible.'"
PETERSON, JOHN.
A Swedish pirate, one of Gow's crew. He was hanged at Wapping in June,
1725.
PETIT, CAPTAIN. French filibuster.
Of San Domingo.
In 1634 was in command of _Le Ruze_, crew of forty men and four guns.
PETTY, WILLIAM.
Born at Deptford.
A sailmaker in Captain Roberts's _Royal Fortune_ when the _King Solomon_
was taken and plundered in West Africa. Petty, as sailmaker, had to see
that all the sails and canvas aboard the prizes were removed to the pirate
ship. Hanged at the age of 30.
PHELIPP, CAPTAIN WILLIAM.
In 1533 a Portuguese merchant, Peter Alves, engaged Phelipp to pilot his
ship, the _Santa Maria Desaie_, from Tenby to Bastabill Haven. Off the
Welsh coast the ship was attacked by a pirate vessel called the
_Furtuskewys_, with a crew of thirty-five pirates. Alves was put ashore on
the Welsh coast, and the two ships then sailed to Cork, where the ship and
her cargo were sold to the mayor for 1,524 crowns.
Alves complained to the King of England, and orders were sent to the Mayor
of Cork, Richard Gowllys, to give up the ship, which he refused to do, but
by way of excusing his actions he explained that he thought the ship was a
Scotch one and not a Portuguese.
PHILLIPS, CAPTAIN.
In 1723 this noted pirate took a sloop, the _Dolphin_, of Cape Ann, on the
Banks of Newfoundland. The crew of the _Dolphin_ were compelled by
Phillips to join the pirates. Amongst the prisoners was a fisherman, John
Fillmore. Finding no opportunity to escape, Fillmore with another sailor,
Edward Cheesman, and an Indian, suddenly seized and killed Phillips and
the two other chief pirates. The rest of the crew agreeing, the ship was
taken to Boston.
PHILIPS, JAMES.
Of the Island of Antigua.
Formerly of the _Revenge_, and afterwards in the _Royal Fortune_ (Captain
Roberts). When the _Royal Fortune_ surrendered in 1722 to H.M.S.
_Swallow_, Philips seized a lighted match and attempted to blow up the
ship, swearing he would "send them all to Hell together," but was
prevented by the master, Glasby. Hanged at the age of 35.
PHILLIPS, JOHN.
A carpenter by trade, he sailed from the West Country for Newfoundland in
a ship that was captured by the pirate Anstis in the _Good Fortune_.
Phillips soon became reconciled to the life of a pirate, and, being a
brisk fellow, he was appointed carpenter to the ship. Returning to England
he soon found it necessary to quit the country again, and he shipped
himself on board a vessel at Topsham for Newfoundland. On arriving at
Peter Harbour he ran away, and hired himself as a splitter to the
Newfoundland cod fishery.
On the night of August 29th, 1723, with four others, he stole a vessel in
the harbour and sailed away. Phillips was chosen captain. Articles were
now drawn up and were sworn to upon a hatchet, because no Bible could be
found on board. Amongst other laws was the punishment of "40 stripes
lacking one, known as Moses's law, to be afflicted for striking a
fellow-pirate." The last law of the nine casts a curious light on these
murderers; it runs: "If at any time you meet with a prudent Woman, that
Man that offers to meddle with her, without her Consent, shall suffer
present Death." The pirates, fortified by these laws, met with instant
success, taking several fishing vessels, from which they augmented their
small crew by the addition of several likely and brisk seamen. Amongst
these they had the good fortune to take prisoner an old pirate called John
Rose Archer, who had served his pirate apprenticeship under the able
tuition of the famous Blackbeard, and who they at once promoted to be
quartermaster. This quick promotion caused trouble afterwards, for some of
the original crew, particularly carpenter Fern, resented it. The pirates
next sailed to Barbadoes, that happy hunting ground, but for three months
never a sail did they meet with, so that they were almost starving for
want of provisions, being reduced to a pound of dried meat a day amongst
ten of them.
At last they met with a French vessel, a Martinico ship, of twelve guns,
and hunger drove them to attack even so big a ship as this, but the sight
of the Black flag so terrified the French crew that they surrendered
without firing a shot. After this, they took several vessels, and matters
began to look much brighter. Phillips quickly developed into a most
accomplished and bloody pirate, butchering his prisoners on very little or
on no provocation whatever. But even this desperate pirate had an
occasional "qualm of conscience come athwart his stomach," for when he
captured a Newfoundland vessel and was about to scuttle her, he found out
that she was the property of a Mr. Minors of that island, from whom they
stole the original vessel in which they went a-pirating, so Phillips,
telling his companions "We have done him enough injury already," ordered
the vessel to be repaired and returned to the owner. On another occasion,
they took a ship, the master of which was a "Saint" of New England, by
name Dependance Ellery, who gave them a pretty chase before being
overhauled, and so, as a punishment, the "Saint" was compelled to dance
the deck until he fell down exhausted.
This pirate's career ended with a mutiny of his unruly crew, Phillips
being tripped up and then thrown overboard to drown off Newfoundland in
April, 1724.
During the nine months of Phillips's command as a pirate captain, he
accounted for more than thirty ships.
PHILLIPS, JOSEPH.
One of Teach's crew. Hanged in Virginia in 1718.
PHILLIPS, WILLIAM.
Born at Lower Shadwell.
Boatswain in the _King Solomon_, a Guinea merchant ship. This ship, while
lying at anchor in January, 1721, was attacked by a boatful of pirates
from Bartholomew Roberts's ship, the _Royal Fortune_. The captain of the
_King Solomon_ fired a musket at the approaching boat, and called upon his
crew to do the same, but Phillips called for quarter and persuaded the
rest of the crew to lay down their arms and surrender the ship. Phillips
eagerly joined the pirates and signed the articles, and was "very forward
and brisk" in helping to rob his own ship of provisions and stores.
At his trial at Cape Coast Castle, he pleaded, as nearly all the prisoners
did, that he was compelled to sign the pirates' articles, which were
offered to him on a dish, on which lay a loaded pistol beside the copy of
the articles.
Found guilty and hanged in April, 1722, within the flood marks at Cape
Coast Castle, in his 29th year.
PHIPS, RICHARD.
An English soldier who deserted from Fort Loyal, Falmouth, Maine, in 1689.
Wounded by a bullet in the head at Tarpaulin Cove. Taken to Boston Prison,
where he died.
PICKERING, CAPTAIN CHARLES.
Commanded the _Cinque Ports_ galley, sixteen guns, crew of sixty-three
men, and accompanied Dampier on his voyage in 1703. Died off the coast of
Brazil in the same year.
PIERSE, GEORGE.
Tried for piracy along with the rest of the crew of the brigantine
_Charles_, at Boston, in 1704.
PITMAN, JOHN.
One of Captain Quelch's crew. Tried for piracy at Boston in 1704.
POLEAS, PEDRO. Spanish pirate.
Co-commander with Captain Johnson of a pirate sloop, the _Two Brothers_.
In March, 1731, took a ship, the _John and Jane_ (Edward Burt, master),
south of Jamaica, on board of which was a passenger, John Cockburn, who
afterwards wrote a book relating his adventures on a journey on foot of
240 miles on the mainland of America.
PORTER, CAPTAIN.
A West Indian pirate, who commanded a sloop, and, in company with a
Captain Tuckerman in another sloop, came one day into Bennet's Key in
Hispaniola. The two captains were but beginners at piracy, and finding
the great Bartholomew Roberts in the bay, paid him a polite visit, hoping
to pick up a few wrinkles from the "master." This scene is described by
Captain Johnson, in his "Lives of the Pirates," when Porter and his friend
"addressed the Pyrate, as the Queen of Sheba did Solomon, to wit, That
having heard of his Fame and Achievements, they had put in there to learn
his Art and Wisdom in the Business of pyrating, being Vessels on the same
honourable Design with himself; and hoped with the Communication of his
Knowledge, they should also receive his Charity, being in want of
Necessaries for such Adventures. Roberts was won upon by the Peculiarity
and Bluntness of these two Men and gave them Powder, Arms, and what ever
else they had Occasion for, spent two or three merry Nights with them, and
at parting, said, he hoped the L---- would Prosper their handy Works."
POUND, CAPTAIN THOMAS.
On August 8th, 1689, this pirate, with five men and a boy, sailed out of
Boston Harbour as passengers in a small vessel. When off Lovell's Island,
five other armed men joined them. Pound now seized the craft and took
command, and declared his intention of going on a piratical cruise. The
first vessel they met with they decided to take. It was a fishing boat.
Pound ran his craft alongside, but at the last moment his heart failed
him, and he merely bought eight penn'o'th of mackerel from the surprised
fishermen.
He then sailed to Falmouth, Maine, where the corporal and soldiers of the
guard at the fort deserted in the night and sailed off with Pound and his
crew. Fortified by this addition to his crew, the pirate attacked a sloop,
the _Good Speed_, off Cape Cod, and a brigantine, the _Merrimack_, and
several other prizes. By this time, the Governor at Boston had heard of
Pound's escapades, and sent an armed sloop, the _Mary_, to search for him.
The pirate was discovered in Tarpaulin Cove, and a fierce and bloody fight
took place before the pirates struck their "Red flagg." The prisoners were
cast into Boston Gaol to await their trial. Pound had been wounded, being
shot in the arm and side. The trial took place on January 13th, 1690.
Pound was found guilty, but reprieved, and was sent to England, but was
later on liberated. Afterwards he got command of a ship. He died in
England in 1703.
POWELL, THOMAS.
Of Connecticut, New England.
One of Captain Charles Harris's crew. Hanged at Newport, Rhode Island, on
July 19th, 1723, at the age of 21.
POWER, JOHN.
Born in the West of England.
Served in a slave vessel, the _Polly_ (Captain Fox, commander), on a
voyage to the coast of West Africa. While the captain was on shore, the
crew ran away with the ship, turned pirates, called their vessel the
_Bravo_, and elected Power to be captain and sailed to the West Indies.
Arrived there, he tried to sell his cargo of slaves, but being suspected
of having stolen them, he thought it best to sail to New York. Here the
pirates got ashore, but the ship's surgeon informed the authorities, and
Power was arrested and sent to England, where he was tried, and hanged at
Execution Dock on March 10th, 1768.
PRICE, THOMAS.
Of Bristol.
Hanged at Charleston, South Carolina, on November 8th, 1718. One of Major
Stede Bonnet's crew.
PRIMER, MATTHEW.
One of Captain Quelch's crew. Turned King's evidence at the trial for
piracy held at the Star Tavern, Boston, in June, 1704.
PRINCE, CAPTAIN LAWRENCE.
In 1760 this buccaneer sacked the city of Granada in company with Captains
Harris and Ludbury. Late in the same year, Prince, with the rank of
Lieut.-Colonel, led the vanguard in the attack on Panama.
PRO, CAPTAIN.
This Dutch South Sea pirate owned a small plantation in Madagascar, and
was joined there by the pirate Williams after he had escaped from slavery.
Both were taken prisoner by an English frigate. In a fight with the
natives, the pirate crew was defeated, but Pro and Williams managed to
escape and to reach some friendly natives. Procuring a boat, they sailed
away to join some other pirates at Methulage in Madagascar.
PROWSE, CAPTAIN LAWRENCE.
A Devon man, a noted sea captain, and a terror to the Spaniards. Was
imprisoned by King James I. at the instance of the King of Spain for
piracy and was to have been executed, but English public feeling ran so
high that Prowse was discharged.
PULLING, CAPTAIN JOHN.
Commanded the _Fame_, which set out in 1703 in company with Dampier in the
_St. George_ on a plundering expedition to the South Seas. Their
commissions were to attack only Spanish and French ships. The two
captains quarrelled at the very beginning of the voyage, while lying off
the Downs, and Pulling slipped away by himself to go a-pirating amongst
the Canary Islands.
PURSSER, CAPTAIN.
In the sixteenth century this pirate became notorious for his piracies off
the coast of Wales, and with Calles and Clinton, two other pirates, "grew
famous, till Queene Elizabeth of blessed memory, hanged them at Wapping."
QUELCH, CAPTAIN JOHN.
A native of Massachusetts Colony.
In 1703 was one of the crew of the brigantine _Charles_, eighty tons,
owned by some leading citizens of Boston, and fitted out to go
privateering off the coasts of Arcadia and Newfoundland. On leaving
Marblehead the crew mutinied, locked the captain in his cabin, and elected
Quelch their commander. They sailed to the south, and shortly afterwards
threw the captain overboard. They hoisted a flag, the "Old Roger,"
described as having "in the middle of it an Anatomy with an Hourglars in
one hand and a dart in the Heart with three drops of Blood proceeding from
it in the other." They took nine Portuguese vessels off the coast of
Brazil, out of which they took plunder of very great value.