Chapter 9

A negro. Hanged at Kingston, Jamaica, on February 7th, 1823. Made a moving harangue to the spectators from the gallows, ending with a prayer. Of the ten pirates executed this day, Eucalla showed the greatest courage.

EVANS, CAPTAIN JOHN. Welsh pirate.

Was master of a sloop belonging to the Island of Nevis. Afterwards being in Jamaica and out of employment, and berths being scarce, he decided to go "on the account," and in September, 1722, rowed out of Port Royal in a canoe with a few chosen companions. They began piracy in a small way, by paddling along the coast and landing at night to break into a house or two and robbing these of anything they could carry away.

At last at Dun's Hole they found what they were looking for, a small Bermuda sloop lying at anchor. Evans stepped aboard and informed the crew of the sloop that he was captain of their vessel, "which was a piece of news they knew not before." Going on shore, Evans stood treat to his crew at the village inn, spending three pistols on liquid refreshment. He so took the fancy of the publican by his open-handed ways that he was invited to call again. This Evans and his companions did, in the middle of the same night, and rifled the house and took away all they could carry aboard their sloop.

Mounting four guns and christening their little vessel the _Scowerer_, they set sail for Hispaniola. Good luck immediately followed, as on the very next day they took their first prize, a Spanish sloop, an extraordinarily rich prize for her size, for the crew were able to share a sum of £150 a man. For a while all was _coleur de rose_, prize after prize simply falling into their hands. But an unhappy accident was soon to bring an end to Evans's career. The boatswain was a noisy, surly fellow, and on several occasions the captain had words with him about his disrespectful behaviour. The boatswain on one of these occasions so far forgot himself as not only to use ill language to his captain but to challenge him to a fight on the next shore they came to with pistol and sword. On reaching land the cowardly boatswain refused to go ashore or to fight, whereupon the captain took his cane and gave him a hearty drubbing, when the boatswain, all of a sudden drawing a pistol, shot Evans through the head, so that he fell down dead. Thus was brought to a tragic and sudden end a career that showed early signs of great promise. The boatswain jumped overboard and swam for the shore, but a boat put off and brought him back to the vessel. A trial was at once held, but the chief gunner, unable to bear with the slow legal procedure any further, stepped forward and shot the prisoner dead.

The crew of thirty men now shared their plunder of some £9,000 and broke up, each going his own way.

EVERSON, CAPTAIN JACOB, _alias_ JACOBS.

In January, 1681, Sir Henry Morgan, then Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica, received information that a famous Dutch buccaneer, Everson, was anchored off the coast in an armed sloop, in company with a brigantine which he had lately captured. This was more than the ex-pirate Governor could tolerate, so he at once set out in a small vessel with fifty picked men. The sloop was boarded at midnight, but Everson and a few others escaped by leaping overboard and swimming to the shore. Most of the prisoners were Englishmen, and were convicted of piracy and hanged.

EXQUEMELIN, ALEXANDER OLIVIER, or ESQUEMELING in English, OEXMELIN in French. Buccaneer.

A surgeon with the most famous buccaneers, Exquemelin will always be known as the historian who recorded the deeds of the buccaneers in his classic book, "Bucaniers of America, or a true account of the assaults committed upon the coasts of the West Indies, etc.," published by W. Cooke, London, 1684. This book was first published in Dutch at Amsterdam in 1678, then in German in 1679, in Spanish in 1681. Since then almost innumerable editions and reprints have appeared.

The author was a Fleming, who arrived at Tortuga Island in 1666 as an engagé of the French West India Company. After serving for three years under an inhuman master he became so ill that he was sold cheaply to a surgeon. By the kind treatment of his new master Exquemelin soon regained his health, and at the same time picked up the rudiments of the craft of barber surgeon. He was in all the great exploits of the buccaneers, and writes a clear, entertaining, and apparently perfectly accurate first-hand account of these adventures. He returned to Europe in 1674, and shortly afterwards published his book.

FALL, JOHN.

This buccaneer was one of Captain Sharp's crew. On the death of John Hilliard, the ship's master, Fall was promoted to the larboard watch. Nothing further is known of this man.

FARRINGTON, THOMAS.

One of John Quelch's crew on the brigantine _Charles_. Tried for piracy at Boston in June, 1704, at the Star Tavern.

FENN, CAPTAIN JOHN.

In the year 1721 Captain Anstis took prize a stout ship, the _Morning Star_, bound from Guiney to Carolina. This ship the pirates armed with thirty-two pieces of cannon, manned her with a crew of one hundred men, and placed Fenn in command, who had until then been gunner in Anstis's ship, the _Good Fortune_. Fenn was a one-handed man. By carelessness, or perhaps because of Fenn only having one hand, the _Morning Star_ was run on to a reef in the Grand Caymans and lost. Fenn and a few others had just been taken on board by his consort when two King's ships arrived, and the _Good Fortune_ barely escaped capture.

Fenn was soon given another ship, one armed with twenty-four guns. In April, 1723, while cleaning their ship at the Island of Tobago, they were suddenly surprised by the arrival of a man-of-war, the _Winchelsea_. Setting fire to their ship, the crew ran to hide in the woods. Fenn was caught a few days later struggling through the jungle with his gunner.

FERDINANDO, LEWIS.

In 1699 he captured a sloop belonging to Samuel Salters, of Bermuda.

FERN, THOMAS.

A Newfoundland fish-splitter.

In August, 1723, joined with John Phillips in stealing a small vessel, which they called the _Revenge_, and went "on the account." Fern was appointed carpenter. Fern gave trouble afterwards over the promotion of a prisoner, an old pirate called Rose Archer, to the rank of quartermaster.

Later on Fern headed a mutiny and attempted to sail off on his own in one of the prize vessels. He was caught, brought back, and forgiven, but on attempting to run away a second time, Captain Phillips killed him, "pursuant to the pirates articles."

FERNON, WILLIAM.

A Somersetshire man.

Taken from a Newfoundland ship, he became a seaman aboard Bartholomew Roberts's _Royal Fortune_. Died at the age of 22.

FIFE, CAPTAIN JAMES.

Surrendered to Governor Woodes Rogers at New Providence Island, Bahamas, in June, 1718, and received the royal pardon to pirates. Was afterwards killed by his own crew.

FILLMORE, JOHN.

A fisherman of Ipswich.

Taken out of the _Dolphin_ when fishing for cod off the Banks of Newfoundland in 1724 by the pirate Captain Phillips, and forced to join the pirates. Having no other means of escape he, with two others, suddenly killed Phillips and two more pirates and brought the vessel into Boston Harbour. Millard Fillmore, thirteenth President of the United States, was the great grandson of John Fillmore.

FITZERRALD, JOHN.

Of Limerick.

This Irish pirate was hanged at Newport, Rhode Island, in 1723, at the age of 21.

FLEMING, CAPTAIN. Pirate.

This notorious Elizabethan pirate did his country a great service by bringing to Plymouth the first tidings of the approach of the Spanish Armada in 1585.

To quote John Smith, the great Elizabethan traveller and the founder of the colony of Virginia, "Fleming was an expert and as much sought for as any pirate of the Queen's reign, yet such a friend to his Country, that discovering the Spanish Armada, he voluntarily came to Plymouth, yielded himself freely to my Lord Admirall, and gave him notice of the Spaniards coming: which good warning came so happily and unexpectedly, that he had his pardon, and a good reward."

FLETCHER, JOHN.

Of Edinburgh.

Tried at Newport, Rhode Island, for piracy in 1723, found "not guilty." His age was only 17 years.

FLY, CAPTAIN WILLIAM. Pirate and prizefighter.

He was boatswain in the _Elizabeth_, of Bristol, in 1726, bound for Guinea. Heading a mutiny on May 27th, he tossed the captain over the ship's side, and slaughtered all the officers except the ship's surgeon. Fly was unanimously elected captain by the crew. His first prize was the _John and Hannah_ off the coast of North Carolina. The next the _John and Betty_, Captain Gale, from Bardadoes to Guinea. After taking several other vessels, he cruised off the coast of Newfoundland where he took a whaler. Fly was caught by a piece of strategy on the part of the whaler captain, who carried him and his crew in chains in their own ship to Great Brewster, Massachusetts, in June, 1726. On July 4th Fly and the other pirates were brought to trial at Boston, and on the 16th were executed. On the day of execution Fly refused to go to church before the hanging to listen to a sermon by Dr. Coleman. On the way to the gallows he bore himself with great bravado, jumping briskly into the cart with a nosegay in his hands bedecked with coloured ribbons like a prizefighter, smiling and bowing to the spectators. He was hanged in chains at Nix's Mate, a small island in Boston Harbour, and thus was brought to a close a brief though brilliant piratical career of just one month.

FORREST, WILLIAM.

One of the mutinous crew of the _Antonio_ hanged at Boston in 1672.

FORSEITH, EDWARD.

One of Captain Avery's crew. Hanged at Execution Dock, 1696.

FOSTER. Buccaneer and poet.

Only two facts are known about this adventurer. One is that he was reproved on a certain occasion by Morgan (who thought nothing of torturing his captives) for "harshness" to his prisoners, and the other that he wrote sentimental verse, particularly one work entitled "Sonneyettes of Love."

FRANKLYN, CHARLES.

This Welsh pirate was a Monmouthshire man, and one of Captain Howel Davis's crew. While at the Cape Verde Islands, Franklyn "was so charmed with the luxuries of the place and the free conversation of the Women," that he married and settled down there.

FREEBARN, MATTHEW.

One of Captain Lowther's crew. Hanged at St. Kitts on March 11th, 1722.

FROGGE, WILLIAM. Buccaneer.

Was with Morgan in his attacks on Porto Bello and Panama in 1670. He kept a diary of the chief events of these exploits, and distinctly states that the Spaniards, and not Morgan, set fire to the city. But he was greatly enraged against Morgan for cheating the buccaneers out of their plunder, and giving each man only about £10 as his share.

FULWORTH, MRS. ANNE.

This lady accompanied Anne Bonny to New Providence Island from Carolina in the guise of her mother. When Captain Rackam and Anne Bonny were intriguing to run away from the latter's husband, "a pardoned pirate, a likely young fellow and of a sober life," Mrs. Fulworth offered sympathy and advice to the lovers. The scandal being brought to the ears of Governor Woodes Rogers by a pirate called Richard Turnley, he sent for the two ladies, "and examining them both upon it, and finding they could not deny it, he threaten'd, if they proceeded further in it, to commit them both to Prison, and order them to be whipp'd, and that Rackam, himself, should be their Executioner."

GARCIA.

One of Gilbert's crew in the _Panda_. Hanged at Boston in June, 1835.

GARDINER.

Although at one time a pirate, by some means or other he became appointed to the office of Deputy Collector at Boston in 1699. Accepted a bribe of stolen gold from the pirate Gillam, which caused some gossip in the town.

GASPAR, CAPTAIN JOSÉ, _alias_ "GASPARILLA" or "RICHARD COEUR DE LION."

Was an officer of high rank in the Spanish Navy till 1782, when, having been detected in stealing some jewels belonging to the Crown, he stole a ship and turned pirate. Settling at Charlotte Harbour, he built a fort, where he kept his female prisoners, all the male ones being killed. Here he lived in regal state as king of the pirates, on Gasparilla Island. In 1801 he took a big Spanish ship forty miles from Boca Grande, killed the crew, and took a quantity of gold and twelve young ladies. One of these was a Spanish princess, whom he kept for himself; the eleven Mexican girls he gave to his crew.

Gaspar was described as having polished manners and a great love of fashionable clothes, and being fearless in fight; but in spite of all these attractive qualities, the little Spanish princess would have none of him, and was murdered.

By the year 1821 the United States Government had made matters so hot for Gaspar that the pirate kingdom was broken up and their booty of 30,000,000 dollars divided.

As he was about to sail away, a big ship came into the bay, apparently an English merchantman. Gaspar at once prepared to attack her, when she ran up the Stars and Stripes, proving herself to be a heavily armed American man-of-war. The pirate ship was defeated, and Gaspar, winding a piece of anchor chain round his waist, jumped overboard and was drowned, his age being 65.

GATES, THOMAS.

Hanged in Virginia in 1718 with the rest of Captain Edward Teach's crew.

GAUTIER, FRANÇOIS, or GAUTIEZ, _alias_ GEORGE SADWELL.

Native of Havre.

Cook on board the _Jane_ schooner, commanded by Captain Thomas Johnson. While on a voyage from Gibraltar to Brazil with a valuable cargo, Gautier and the mate killed the captain and the helmsman and steered the vessel to Scotland, sinking her near Stornoway. Caught and tried at Edinburgh in November, 1821, found guilty, and hanged in January on the sands of Leith, his body being publicly dissected afterwards by the Professor of Anatomy to Edinburgh University. The age of this French pirate at his death was 23.

GAYNY, GEORGE, or GAINY.

One of Wafer's little party lost in the jungle of Darien in 1681. In attempting to swim across a swollen river with a line, he got into difficulties, became entangled in the line which was tied round his neck, and having also a bag containing 300 Spanish silver dollars on his back, he sank and was swept away. Some time afterwards Wafer found Gayny lying dead in a creek with the rope twisted about him and his money at his neck.

GENNINGS, CAPTAIN.

A renegade English pirate who joined the Barbary corsairs, turned Mohammedan, and commanded a Moorish pirate vessel. Taken prisoner off the Irish coast, he was brought to London and hanged at Wapping.

GERRARD, THOMAS.

Of the Island of Antigua.

One of Major Bonnet's crew of the _Royal James_. Tried for piracy at Charleston in 1718, but found "not guilty."

GIBBENS, GARRAT.

Boatswain on board the _Queen Ann's Revenge_. Was killed at the same time as Captain Teach.

GIBBS, CHARLES.

Born at Rhode Island in 1794, he was brought up on a farm there. Ran away to sea in the United States sloop-of-war _Harriet_. Was in action off Pernambuco against H.M.S. _Peacock_, afterwards serving with credit on board the _Chesapeake_ in her famous fight with the _Shannon_; but after his release from Dartmoor as a prisoner of war he opened a grocery shop in Ann Street, called the "Tin Pot," "a place full of abandoned women and dissolute fellows." Drinking up all the profits, he was compelled to go to sea again, and got a berth on a South American privateer. Gibbs led a mutiny, seized the ship and turned her into a pirate, and cruised about in the neighbourhood of Havana, plundering merchant vessels along the coast of Cuba. He slaughtered the crews of all the ships he took. In 1819 returned to private life in New York with 30,000 dollars in gold. Taking a pleasure trip to Liverpool, he was entrapped by a designing female and lost all his money.

In 1830 he took to piracy once more and shipped as a seaman in the brig _Vineyard_ (Captain W. Thornby), New Orleans to Philadelphia, with a cargo of cotton, molasses, and 54,000 dollars in specie.

Gibbs again brought about a mutiny, murdering the captain and mate. After setting fire to and scuttling the ship, the crew took to their boats, landing at Barrow Island, where they buried their money in the sand.

He was hanged at New York as recently as 1831.

GIDDENS, PAUL.

One of Captain Quelch's crew. Tried at Boston in 1704.

GIDDINGS, JOHN.

Of York River, Virginia.

One of Captain Pound's crew. Wounded and taken prisoner at Tarpaulin Cove in 1689.

GILBERT, CAPTAIN.

Commanded the schooner _Panda_. On September 20th, 1832, he took and plundered a Salem brig, the _Mexican_, on her way from Salem to Rio de Janeiro. A few months later Gilbert and his crew were captured by Captain Trotter, of H.M. brig-of-war _Curlew_, and taken as prisoners to Salem and handed over to the United States authorities. Tried at Boston in December, 1834. Hanged at the same place on June 11th, 1835. This was the last act of piracy committed upon the Atlantic Ocean.

GILLAM, CAPTAIN JAMES, _alias_ KELLY.

A notorious pirate. When serving on board the East Indiaman _Mocha_, he led a mutiny, and with his own hands murdered the commander, Captain Edgecomb, in his sleep. He came back to America with Captain Kidd, and was hiding, under the name of Kelly, when caught in 1699 at Charleston, opposite Boston, by the Governor of Massachusetts, who described him as "the most impudent, hardened villain I ever saw." It was said that Gillam had entered the service of the Mogul, turned Mohammedan, and been circumcised. To settle this last point, the prisoner was examined by a surgeon and a Jew, who both declared, on oath, that it was so.

GILLS, JOHN.

One of Captain Teach's crew. Hanged in Virginia in 1718.

GLASBY, HARRY.

Sailed as mate in the _Samuel_, of London (Captain Cary), which was taken in 1720 by Roberts, who made Glasby master on board the _Royal Fortune_.

Tried for piracy on the Guinea Coast in April and acquitted. Evidence was brought at his trial to show that Glasby was forced to serve with the pirates, for, being a "sea-artist" or sail-master, he was most useful to them. Twice he tried to escape in the West Indies, on one occasion being tried with two others by a drunken jury of pirates. The other deserters were shot, but Glasby was saved by one of his judges threatening to shoot anyone who made any attempt on him. Glasby befriended other prisoners and gave away his share of the plunder to them. When the _Royal Fortune_ was taken by the _Swallow_, several of the most desperate pirates, particularly one James Philips, took lighted matches with which to ignite the powder magazine and blow up the ship. Glasby prevented this by placing trusted sentinels below.

GODEKINS, MASTER.

This notorious Hanseatic pirate, with another called Stertebeker, did fearful damage to English and other merchant shipping in the North Sea in the latter part of the fourteenth century.

On June 1st, 1395, he seized an English ship laden with salt fish off the coast of Denmark, her value being reckoned at £170. The master and crew of twenty-five men they slew, the only mariner saved being a boy, whom the pirates took with them to Wismar.

These same men took another English ship, the _Dogger_ (Captain Gervase Cat). The _Dogger_ was at anchor, and the crew fishing, when the pirates attacked them. The captain and crew were wounded, and damage was done to the tune of 200 nobles.

Another vessel taken was a Yarmouth barque, _Michael_ (master, Robert Rigweys), while off Plymouth, the owner, Hugh ap Fen, losing 800 nobles. In 1394 these Hanseatic pirates, with a large fleet, attacked the town of Norbern in Norway, plundering the town and taking away all they could carry, as well as the merchants, who they held for ransom. The houses they burnt.

GOFFE, CHRISTOPHER.

Originally one of Captain Woollery's crew of Rhode Island pirates. In November, 1687, he surrendered himself at Boston, and was pardoned. In August, 1691, was commissioned by the Governor to cruise with his ship, the _Swan_, between Cape Cod and Cape Ann, to protect the coast from pirates.

GOLDSMITH, CAPTAIN THOMAS.

Of Dartmouth in Devon.

During the reign of Queen Anne, Goldsmith commanded a privateer vessel, the _Snap Dragon_, of Dartmouth. He turned pirate and amassed great riches.

This pirate would have been forgotten by now were it not that he died in his bed at Dartmouth, and was buried in the churchyard there. The lines engraved on his tombstone have been quoted in the Preface, but may be repeated here:

Men that are virtuous serve the Lord; And the Devil's by his friends ador'd; And as they merit get a place Amidst the bless'd or hellish race; Pray then, ye learned clergy show Where can this brute, Tom Goldsmith, go? Whose life was one continual evil, Striving to cheat God, Man, and Devil.

GOMEZ, JOHN, _alias_ PANTHER KEY JOHN.

Brother-in-law of the famous pirate Gasparilla.

Died, credited with the great age of 120 years, at Panther Key in Florida in 1900.

GOODALE, JOHN.

A Devonshire man.

Goodale, who was a renegade and had turned Mohammedan, held a position of importance and wealth amongst the Moors of Algiers. In the year 1621 he bought from the Moors a British prize called the _Exchange_, and also, for the sum of £7 10s., an English slave, lately captain of an English merchant ship, whom he got cheap owing to his having a deformed hand.

GOODLY, CAPTAIN.

An English buccaneer of Jamaica, who in the year 1663 was in command of a "junk" armed with six guns and carrying a crew of sixty men.

GORDON, CAPTAIN NATHANIEL.

Of Portland, Maine.

Commanded and owned the _Evie_, a small, full-rigged ship, which was fitted up as a "slaver." Made four voyages to West Africa for slaves. On his last voyage he was captured by the United States sloop _Mohican_, with 967 negroes on board. Tried in New York for piracy and found guilty and condemned to death. Great pressure was brought on President Lincoln to reprieve him, but without success, and Gordon was hanged at New York on February 22nd, 1862.

GOSS, CUTHBERT.

Born at Topsham in Devon.

The compiler of these biographies regrets to have to record that this pirate was hanged, at the comparatively tender age of 21, outside the gates of Cape Coast Castle, within the flood-marks, in 1722. He was one of Captain Roberts's crew, having been taken prisoner by Roberts at Calabar in a prize called the _Mercy_ galley, of Bristol, in 1721.

GOW, CAPTAIN JOHN, _alias_ SMITH, _alias_ GOFFE. A Scotch pirate, born at Thurso.

Although the short career of this pirate made a great noise at the time, he did little to merit the fame which he achieved. He had the honour of having an account of his piratical activities written by Defoe, and ninety years later was made the hero in a novel by Walter Scott, as Captain Cleveland.

Gow sailed from Amsterdam as a foremast hand in the _George_ galley, commanded by Captain Ferneau, a Guernsey man. Being a brisk and intelligent man, he was soon promoted to be second mate. They called at Santa Cruz in Barbary to take in a cargo of beeswax to deliver at Genoa. Sailing from Santa Cruz on November 3rd, 1724, Gow and a few others conspired to mutiny and then to go "upon the account." The captain, as was his custom, had all hands, except the helmsman, into his cabin at eight o'clock each night for prayers. This particular night, after it was dark, the conspirators went below to the hammocks of the chief mate, the supercargo, and the surgeon and cut all their throats. They did the same to the captain, who was then thrown overboard though still alive.