I’m sure we can all visualise the stereotypical pirate (peg-leg, eye-patch and parrot 😊) and probably think we don’t have any in our ancestry. However, Sue told it is not too far-fetched to find that there may be one or more in your family tree. If one of your ancestors disappeared off the records, it could be that they died, emigrated or … became a pirate.
What Sue was alluding to was that if you did something to make you outside the law (an outlaw), you could have been a pirate. The long history of piracy has many twists and turns because, of course, it depended upon who was designated a pirate at different times and circumstances.
Piracy was common and widespread, and it had played a large part in the life of Thomas Bowrey, whom Sue had written about in her book ‘Jeopardy of every wind’.
Anywhere that saw a number of ships full of valuables had issues with piracy. Some of the ‘pirates’ (i.e. those that attacked and looted shipping) were privateers, licenced by the state and sanctioned to raid enemy shipping. This lifestyle was a dangerous one but could have high rewards. The main areas where piracy was common was the Caribbean (with the discovery of the Americas and the treasures returning to Europe), and the Indian Ocean with the East India trade.
Port Royal in Jamaica had become a base for English and Dutch privateers who had been attacking the Spanish. When the governments stopped issuing licences to privateers, many turned to piracy to make a living.
Following a major earthquake in Port Royal in 1692, and after piracy in the Americas became less profitable, some moved their operations to the East Indies. Many European pirates were to be found on Ile Sainte-Marie off Madagascar. These pirates often attacked ships of pilgrims on their way to Mecca.
Pirate Henry Avery had memorably attacked the treasure ship of the Grand Moghul, following which the Moghul turned his rage upon European traders by closing the trading ports until Avery was found and punished. The East India Company eventually reconciled with him by fully compensating his losses, with a possible value today of £70 million. Avery was never caught.
How did people become pirates?
Not all pirates were well-known pirate captains like Avery. All trades were needed aboard and anyone from anywhere (not necessarily sea ports) could find themselves usefully employed on a pirate ship. If you had been Press Ganged into a naval life and ended up serving on a slave ship, you may have preferred to work on a pirate ship. If you were stranded abroad, or had not been paid, you may have taken to piracy to get home with some earnings.
Also, if the employment conditions were harsh, it could be that the only remedy for those below decks was to refuse orders i.e. mutiny. Once you had mutiny on your record you became an outlaw, and thus technically a pirate.
As was the case with trade in the 17th century, Thomas Bowrey’s shipping interests were plagued by privateers and pirates. He invested in numerous East Indies ventures and suffered many losses. The most notable when the Prosperous taken by pirates in Madagascar, which Sue has detailed on her website:
https://captainthomasbowrey.wordpress.com/
Sue also reminded us that not all pirates were men. Famous (and known) females were Anne Bonny and Mary Read.
Pirates such as William Dampier (who was also a privateer) became an asset when he charted parts of the Australian coast. He was an example of a sea farer who spent his life on both sides of the law.
Thomas Bowrey had come up with proposals for the redeployment of pirates in the colonisation and use of lands in the East Indian Ocean, and East African coast.
On 8 December 1698, William III issued a proclamation offering pardons to all pirates east of the Cape of Good Hope (apart from our old friend Avery and some others as they were deemed beyond the pale). Although not trusted by the pirates, most were not brought to trial.
Often, we link pirates and treasure, wealth beyond our wildest dreams. However, most pirates just made a living. Those who were successful and became well known were anomalies, but inspired others. When their wealth was not found it started the rumours of treasure maps and ‘X marks the spot’.