The First True Pirate Hero
On April Fools Day, 1696, a mysterious ship sailed into the port of New Providence in the Bahamas. It’s sides were pierced with gun ports, it’s sails tattered, it’s hull low in the water from a heavy cargo. The sailors of this ship were strangely dressed, their weather-beaten bodies covered with silks from China, satins from Arabia, and spangled cotton gauze from India. Their captain went ashore to meet with the island’s lawful governor, Nicholas Trott.
The captain introduced himself and proposed a bargain. He said that his ship, the Fancy had been trading illegally off the coast of Africa, and the crew now wanted to come ashore, sell their cargo, and take some much needed leave. To gain the governor’s good will, they were willing to offer him a gift - £850 (three times Trott’s annual salary) and the Fancy herself, once the cargo had been sold.
Though Trott would later testify in court that he had no proof the newcomers were pirates, he was not a fool. The choice before him was clear – uphold English law, as his job required, or take the money. He did not hesitate. Captain “Bridgeman” and his crew were welcomed warmly, and given permission to go wherever they pleased.
Even Trott did not know he faced the most wanted man in the world. “Bridgeman” was, in fact, Henry Avery, and the Fancy had been pirating off the coast of Madagascar for over nearly five years.
Henry Avery is a legend. His name appears on every list of famous pirates, and his story has been told everywhere from the pubs of 17thcentury Jamaica to the science-fiction world of Doctor Who. Some say that Avery began the Golden Age of Piracy single-handedly.
And Henry Avery was a real man.Read more »
The captain introduced himself and proposed a bargain. He said that his ship, the Fancy had been trading illegally off the coast of Africa, and the crew now wanted to come ashore, sell their cargo, and take some much needed leave. To gain the governor’s good will, they were willing to offer him a gift - £850 (three times Trott’s annual salary) and the Fancy herself, once the cargo had been sold.
Though Trott would later testify in court that he had no proof the newcomers were pirates, he was not a fool. The choice before him was clear – uphold English law, as his job required, or take the money. He did not hesitate. Captain “Bridgeman” and his crew were welcomed warmly, and given permission to go wherever they pleased.
Even Trott did not know he faced the most wanted man in the world. “Bridgeman” was, in fact, Henry Avery, and the Fancy had been pirating off the coast of Madagascar for over nearly five years.
Henry Avery is a legend. His name appears on every list of famous pirates, and his story has been told everywhere from the pubs of 17thcentury Jamaica to the science-fiction world of Doctor Who. Some say that Avery began the Golden Age of Piracy single-handedly.
And Henry Avery was a real man.Read more »
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