Juan Corso [a] (died 1685) was a Corsican pirate and guarda costa privateer who sailed in Spanish service, operating out of Cuba.
Juan Corso [a] (died 1685) was a Corsican pirate and guarda costa privateer who sailed in Spanish service, operating out of Cuba.
Corso sailed alongside Spanish privateer Pedro de Castro under commander Felipe de la Barreda y Villegas in April 1680, rounding up Englishmen illegally harvesting logwood in the Laguna de Términos off Campeche, partially in retaliation for English buccaneers Edward Neville and George Spurre's 1678 sack of Campeche. [3] They sailed the Yucatan coast and took a number of ships, one of which had earlier been captured from the Spanish by English buccaneer John Coxon. [4] Corso was known for his savagery: “The Spaniards killed two men and cruelly treated the deponent, hanging him up at the fore braces several times, beating him with their cutlasses, and striking him in the face after an inhuman cruel manner.” [5] And later: “This Juan a month since took a boat of ours bound to New Providence; he has killed divers of our people in cold blood. In one case he cut off a man's head because he was sick and could not row so strongly as he expected. Barbarities like these and worse he commits daily.” [6] He returned alone and was arrested when de Castro was suspected of piracy. Released in early 1681, he rejoined de Castro and patrolled off the Cuban coastline for the next two years. [2]
Though Spanish settlements were threatened primarily by French buccaneers at the time, Corso repeatedly attacked English ships as well. [2] English officials complained throughout 1683 and 1684 to Spanish Governors in Havana and elsewhere about Corso's piracy and his increasing brutality, as well as his attack on New Providence in the Bahamas, but were rebuffed. [6] His actions also incensed French buccaneers, who threatened to sack Cuban towns in return. [7]
In May 1685 Corso sailed again with de Castro to eliminate La Salle's new French colony on the Texas coastline. They were caught in storms and nearly driven ashore. After sending some men to look for the Frenchmen they sailed out again only to be caught in rough weather once more. [2] Their ship was lost at sea with all hands, Corso included. [4] The remainder of their expedition - just nine men - resorted to cannibalism to survive. [8] A year later at least one of the ships he'd captured was retaken by English buccaneers and sailed into New York, where its Captain begged the government to seize it and return the vessel to its owners. [9]
Haematoxylum campechianum is a species of flowering tree in the legume family, Fabaceae, that is native to southern Mexico, and introduced to the Caribbean, northern Central America, and other localities around the world.
Michel de Grammont was a French privateer. He was born in Paris, France and was lost at sea in the north-east Caribbean, April 1686. His privateer career lasted from around 1670 to 1686 during which he commanded the flagship Hardi. He primarily attacked Spanish holdings in Maracaibo, Gibraltar, Trujillo, La Guaira, Puerto Cabello, Cumana and Veracruz.
David Marteen was a Dutch privateer and pirate best known for joining Henry Morgan’s raids against Spanish strongholds in present-day Mexico and Nicaragua. He is also the subject of a popular buried treasure legend.
Laurens Cornelis Boudewijn de Graaf was a Dutch pirate, mercenary, and naval officer in the service of the French colony of Saint-Domingue during the late 17th and early 18th century.
John Morris was an English buccaneer active in the Caribbean during the 1660s and early-1670s. His son, John Morris the Younger, held a command of his own ship during his father's later expeditions against Portobelo and Maracaibo. John Morris the Younger was one of the commanders killed in an explosion during a party on board Henry Morgan's flagship in 1670.
Captain John Coxon, sometimes referred to as John Coxen, was a late-seventeenth-century buccaneer who terrorized the Spanish Main. Coxon was one of the most famous of the Brethren of the Coast, a loose consortium of pirates and privateers. Coxon lived during the Buccaneering Age of Piracy.
Jan Willems, also known as Janke or Yankey Willems, was a 17th-century Dutch buccaneer. Based out of Petit-Goâve, Willems participated in a number of expeditions against the Spanish during the early to mid-1680s with other well-known privateers including Michiel Andrieszoon, Thomas Paine, Laurens de Graaf, Nicholas van Hoorn and Michel de Grammont.
The attack on Veracruz was a 1683 raid against the port of Veracruz, in the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It was led by the Dutch pirates Laurens de Graaf, Nicholas van Hoorn, and Michel de Grammont.
Thomas Woolerly was a pirate and privateer active in the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.
Jean Hamlin was a French pirate active in the Caribbean and off the coast of Africa. He was often associated with St. Thomas's pirate-friendly Governor Adolph Esmit.
John Philip Bear, last name also spelled Beare, was a 17th-century English pirate active in the Caribbean who also served with the Spanish and French.
Jelles de Lecat was a Dutch pirate and buccaneer who sailed for and against both the English and Spanish. He served with Henry Morgan and was often called "Yellahs," "Yallahs," or “Captain Yellows.”
Jacob Evertson was a Dutch buccaneer and pirate active in the Caribbean. He escaped Henry Morgan and sailed with Jan Willems for several years.
Philip Fitzgerald was an Irish pirate and privateer who served the Spanish in the Caribbean.
George Bond was an English pirate active in the Caribbean. He was known for acting in league with the pirate-friendly Governor of St. Thomas, Adolph Esmit.
Edmund Cooke was a merchant captain, buccaneer, and pirate. He is best known for sailing against the Spanish alongside Bartholomew Sharp, John Coxon, Basil Ringrose, Lionel Wafer, and other famous buccaneers. Cooke's flag was red-and-yellow striped and featured a hand holding a sword.
Thomas Freeman was an English buccaneer and pirate active in the Caribbean. He is best known for attacking the Spanish alongside Henry Morgan, David Marteen, and John Morris.
George Spurre was an English pirate and buccaneer. He is best known for sacking Campeche and for joining a large buccaneer force which captured Veracruz.
Edward Neville was an English buccaneer and pirate. He is best known for joining George Spurre to raid Spanish Campeche.
Jean Tristan was a French corsair (buccaneer) and pirate active in the Caribbean and against Spanish holdings in Central and South America.
