Golden Age of Piracy
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John Gow
John Gow was a Scottish sailor who led a mutiny aboard the merchant ship George off Spain in 1724, renaming it Revenge and turning to piracy. He sailed to his home waters in the Orkney Islands, where his ship ran aground and he was captured by local residents. He was tried in London and executed…
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John Halsey
John Halsey was a Boston-born pirate active in the Indian Ocean, raiding shipping including vessels belonging to the Great Mughal. He was notable for reportedly refusing to attack English or American ships. He died of fever around 1708 near Madagascar and was buried at the pirate haven of St. Mary’s Island, where his grave marker…
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Christopher Condent
Christopher Condent was an English pirate who operated in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean, capturing a rich Arab trading vessel near Bombay in 1720 that reportedly made him and his crew wealthy. Unlike many contemporaries, he successfully negotiated a pardon from French colonial authorities on Réunion Island. He is reported to have settled into legitimate…
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James Plantain
John (James) Plantain was a pirate who, after raiding shipping in the Indian Ocean with Edward England’s crew, settled at Ranter Bay in Madagascar and established himself as a local ruler over the surrounding population. He built alliances and conflicts with neighboring Malagasy groups during nearly a decade in power. A revolt by those under…
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Abraham Samuel
Abraham Samuel was a pirate shipwrecked near Fort Dauphin, Madagascar, around 1697, where local Antanosy royalty identified birthmarks that led them to declare him a long-lost prince. Backed by armed fellow pirates and hundreds of Antanosy soldiers, he ruled the region as a king until his death in 1705. His story illustrates the unusual pirate-run…