Thomas Pound | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (presumed) England |
| Died | 1703 |
| Piratical career | |
| Years active | 1689–1690 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Base of operations | Coast of New England |
Thomas Pound (also spelled Thomas Pounds and Thomas Ponnd; died 1703) was an English Royal Navy officer who turned pirate and was briefly active in the coastal waters of New England during 1689. Caught and convicted of piracy, his crimes were forgiven and he later rejoined the Royal Navy.
Born in England, Pound joined the Royal Navy and rose to become a junior officer and naval cartographer stationed in the colonial port of Boston, Massachusetts. One of Pound's maps has been preserved in the Library of Congress, depicting the New England coastline between Cape Cod and "Cape Sables" on modern-day Sable Island. [1]
On August 8, 1689, Pound was aboard a small vessel owned by Thomas Hawkins, in the company with six other passengers when it anchored off Lovell's Island and was boarded by five additional men. By pre-arrangement, Pound and the newly arrived men from Lovell's Island then seized the ship as their own. Hawkins willingly joined the pirates; [2] he was occasionally named in Pound's place in subsequent events. [3]
Pound's first encounter as a pirate was unspectacular. Sailing along the Massachusetts Coast, he encountered a fishing vessel but failed to engage. Instead, Pound had his vessel hauled alongside and purchased a supply of mackerel for eight pennies. Turning north, Pound made port in Falmouth, Maine and supplemented his small crew with soldiers who had deserted from the local garrison. Returning to sea, Pound and his men then attacked the sloop Good Speed off Cape Cod and the brigantine Merrimack among other ships in the New England area. [2]
An armed sloop, Mary, was soon sent out by the Massachusetts governor against Pound and his crew. [1] On 4 October, Mary discovered and engaged Pound's vessel anchored off Naushon Island. [1] In heavy fighting Pound suffered gunshot wounds and Mary's captain, Samuel Pease, was killed. [1] Outnumbered and outgunned, Pound and his crew surrendered and were taken back to Boston for trial. On January 13, 1690, Pound and Hawkins were found guilty of acts of piracy and sentenced to death. [4]
Pound was placed aboard HMS Rose, the replacement by the Royal Navy of Pound's old frigate the Salé Rose bound for England, where his sentence would be carried out. However, the ship was mid-voyage when it was attacked by a French privateer. Pound was released to assist with the defence after the death of the captain, and fought bravely on behalf of his captors, Pound received a commutation of sentence on arrival in England and was released from prison after a short incarceration. [4] Hawkins had been sent back to England on the same ship but was killed in the action against the French privateer. [5]
Pound's naval rank was restored and he was later given command of his own vessel, his brief piratical career apparently forgotten. He died in 1703. [6]
William Kidd, also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd, was a Scottish privateer. Conflicting accounts exist regarding his early life, but he was likely born in Dundee and later settled in New York City. By 1690, Kidd had become a highly successful privateer, commissioned to protect English interests in North America and the West Indies.
Captain Samuel Bellamy, later known as "Black Sam" Bellamy, was an English sailor turned pirate during the early 18th century. He is best known as the wealthiest pirate in recorded history, and one of the faces of the Golden Age of Piracy. Though his known career as a pirate captain lasted little more than a year, he and his crew captured at least 53 ships.
Whydah Gally was a fully rigged ship that was originally built as a passenger, cargo, and slave ship. On the return leg of her maiden voyage of the triangle trade, Whydah Gally was captured by the pirate Captain Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy, beginning a new role in the Golden Age of Piracy.
This timeline of the history of piracy in the 1680s is a chronological list of key events involving pirates between 1680 and 1689.
The Golden Age of Piracy is a common designation for the period between the 1650s and the 1730s, when maritime piracy was a significant factor in the histories of the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
Joseph Bradish (1672–1700) was a pirate best known for a single incident involving a mutiny.
Cyprian Southack was an English cartographer and colonial naval commander. He commanded the Province Galley, Massachusetts' one-ship navy (1696–1711) and commanded the first navy ship of Nova Scotia, the ship William Augustus (1721–23).
Thomas Hawkins was a pirate briefly active off New England. He was known for sailing with Thomas Pound.
Christopher Goffe was a pirate and privateer active in the Red Sea and the Caribbean. He was eventually trusted to hunt down his former comrades.
Thomas Henley was a pirate and privateer active in the Red Sea and the Caribbean.
Thomas Woolerly was a pirate and privateer active in the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.
Thomas Griffin was a pirate and privateer active off New England. He is best known for his association with George Dew.
John Graham was an English pirate active off New England and the African coast.
“Captain Veale” was the name shared by two unrelated Massachusetts pirates active in the 17th century. The first, Thomas Veale, was known for legends of his buried treasure. The second Veale attacked ships along New England from Virginia to Boston with pirate John Graham.
George Peterson was a pirate active off New England and Nova Scotia and in the West Indies.
Adrian Claver was a Dutch privateer based out of New England. He sailed alongside other prominent privateers such as John Halsey, Regnier Tongrelow, and Thomas Penniston.
William Coward was a minor pirate active off the coast of Massachusetts. He is known for a single incident involving the seizure of one small vessel, largely thanks to events surrounding his trial.
Captain Crapo was a French privateer active in the Caribbean and off the American east coast during the War of Spanish Succession. He was highly successful, capturing a large number of English vessels which he sent back to his home ports in Martinique and Port Royal.
Captain Davy was a French privateer active off New England during Queen Anne’s War. He is best known for repeatedly evading capture by rival English and Dutch privateers including Adrian Claver and Thomas Penniston.