Abraham Samuel [lower-alpha 1] (died 1705), also known as "Deaan Tuley-Noro" or "Tolinar Rex", was a mulatto pirate of the Indian Ocean in the days of the Pirate Round in the late 1690s. He was said to be born in Martinique or Jamaica, or possibly or Anosy, Madagascar. Shipwrecked on his way back to New York from Madagascar, he briefly led a combined pirate-Antanosy kingdom from Fort Dauphin, Madagascar (modern Tôlanaro), from 1697 until he died there in 1705.
In 1696 Samuel arrived in the Arabian Sea, serving as quartermaster under pirate captain John Hoar on his ship John and Rebecca. They put into trade at Adam Baldridge’s pirate outpost on Ile Ste. Marie in early 1697. [1] Rebellious natives attacked Baldridge’s encampment and killed a number of pirates, including Hoar. [2] Samuel and some surviving crewmen sailed the aging John and Rebecca down the eastern coast of Madagascar, seeking slaves to bring back to the New World with them. In October 1697 while at anchor in the harbor of abandoned French settlement Fort Dauphin, a storm came up which severed their anchor ropes and beached their ship. They took refuge in the abandoned fort while they waited for another ship to come rescue them. The elderly princess of the Antanosy king saw the shipwrecked sailors and noticed birthmarks on Samuel’s body. She declared that Samuel was her long-lost son, whom her French husband [lower-alpha 2] had taken when he left Fort Dauphin in 1674. He was given the title of Deaan Tuley-Noro (or Tolinar Rex): "Deaan, it may be observed, is an universal title of honour, signifying lord." [3] With 20 heavily armed fellow pirates who served as his bodyguard plus 300 Antanosy soldiers, Samuel was proclaimed king of the region surrounding Fort Dauphin, eventually taking the title of "King of Fort Dauphin, Tollannare, Farrawe, Fanquest, and Fownzahíra." [4] He had 15 large outrigger canoes and was constantly at war with the Antanosy king Diamarang Diamera. [3]
In 1698 John Cruger was appointed as Supercargo under Captain Henry Appel of the New York slave ship Prophet Daniel. It was bound for Madagascar to purchase slaves and put in at Samuel’s settlement at Fort Dauphin in August 1699. While Cruger was ashore, pirate Evan Jones anchored his ship Beckford Galley alongside the Prophet Daniel. His pirates partied with the Daniel’s sailors, and that night seized and looted their ship. [5] Cruger rushed back to the ship and had Samuel’s soldiers attack the pirates with musket fire. When this was ineffective he tried to have Samuel’s soldiers cut the ships’ anchor cables. Samuel intervened and ordered his soldiers to stand down; when Cruger protested, Samuel robbed him of all the trade goods he’d brought, revealing that he’d been paid to assist the pirates. [5] Cruger had antagonized his sailors during the voyage to Madagascar (a number of whom were owed back wages) and many of them willingly joined Jones, who sailed away to continue his own piracy. Samuel sold the Prophet Daniel to four other pirates led by Edward Woodman, giving them a signed bill of sale. [5] The Prophet’s previous captain Henry Appel joined the pirates as well. Cruger returned to New England aboard another slave ship and would go on to serve as the mayor of New York from 1739 until his death in 1744. [6]
Samuel continued luring ships ashore to loot them, though on occasion he traded with them instead after charging them fees for "trading licenses." In 1700 the Royal Navy’s Captain Littleton met with Samuel, entertaining him and two of his wives aboard his ship. The following year the slave ship Degrave passed by "Port Dauphine," electing not to stop there because "the King of that part of the island was at enmity with all white men, and treated all the Europeans he met with very barbarously." The Degrave soon sank, leaving a few surviving sailors (including Robert Drury, who would later write an account of his ordeal) to make their way among the Malagasy natives. [3]
Abraham Samuel was still King as of late 1705, leading his followers into battle against a neighboring kingdom despite his failing health. He died before the year was out. [3] A Dutch slave ship anchored in Fort Dauphin in December 1706 to find Abraham Samuel no longer there and the new Antanosy king of the area unwilling to discuss what had happened to him. [4] By 1707 another ship found Fort Dauphin again open for trading, this time led by Tom Collins, who had once been the Degrave’s carpenter. [7]
James Plaintain was a pirate active in the Indian Ocean. He is best known for using his pirate wealth to found a short-lived kingdom on Madagascar.
Fort-Dauphin is a city on the southeast coast of Madagascar. It is the capital of the Anosy Region and of the Taolagnaro District. It has been a port of local importance since the early 1500s. A new port, the Ehoala Port was built in 2006–2009. Fort-Dauphin was the first French settlement in Madagascar.
John Taylor was a pirate active in the Indian Ocean, best known for participating in two of the richest pirate captures of all time.
Adam Baldridge was an English pirate and one of the early founders of the pirate settlements in Madagascar.
John Halsey was a British privateer and a later pirate who was active in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans during the early 18th century. Although much of his life and career is unknown, he is recorded in A General History of the Pyrates which states "He was brave in his Person, courteous to all his Prisoners, lived beloved, and died regretted by his own People. His Grave was made in a garden of watermelons, and fenced in with Palisades to prevent his being rooted up by wild Hogs."
The Pirate Round was a sailing route followed by certain, mainly English, pirates, during the late 17th century and early 18th century. The course led from the western Atlantic, parallel to the Cape Route around the southern tip of Africa, stopping at Madagascar, then on to targets such as the coast of Yemen and India. The Pirate Round was briefly used again during the early 1720s. Pirates who followed the route are sometimes referred to as Roundsmen. The Pirate Round was largely co-extensive with the routes of the East India Company ships, of Britain and other nations.
Robert Drury was an English sailor on the Degrave who was shipwrecked at the age of 17 on the island of Madagascar. He would be trapped there for fifteen years.
Thomas Wake was a pirate from Newport. Active during the Golden Age of Piracy, he is best known for sailing alongside Thomas Tew to join Henry Every in the Indian Ocean, hunting the Moghul treasure fleet.
John Hoar was a pirate and privateer active in the late 1690s in the Red Sea area.
Richard Glover was a pirate and slave-trader active in the Caribbean and the Red Sea in the late 1690s.
Richard Bobbington was a pirate active in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf in the late 1690s.
Thomas Mostyn was a sea captain and slave trader active between New York and the Indian Ocean, and later in the Caribbean. He was one of the traders employed by New York merchant Frederick Philipse to smuggle supplies to the pirates of Madagascar.
Evan Jones was a Welsh-born pirate from New York active in the Indian Ocean, best known for his indirect connection to Robert Culliford and for capturing a future Mayor of New York.
Edward Woodman was a pirate active in the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean.
John Breholt was a pirate and salvager active in the Caribbean, the Carolinas, and the Azores. He is best known for organizing several attempts to get the pirates of Madagascar to accept a pardon and bring their wealth home to England.
David Williams was a Welsh sailor who turned pirate after being abandoned on Madagascar. He was only briefly a captain, and is best known for sailing under a number of more prominent pirate captains.
Thomas Collins was a pirate active in the Indian Ocean. He is best known for leading a pirate settlement and trading post on Madagascar.
John Pro was a Dutch pirate best known for leading a pirate trading post near Madagascar.
John Rivers was a pirate best known for leading a settlement and trading post on Madagascar.
Edward Welch was best known for leading a pirate settlement and trading post at Madagascar.
