William Lewis (fl. 1687?) was a pirate supposedly active in the Caribbean, off the American east coast, and off the west coast of Africa in the 18th century. He was known for sparing his victims and for being killed after announcing he had made a pact with the Devil. He is likely the fictional creation of "Captain Charles Johnson" who presented his story among those of real historical pirates.
"Captain Charles Johnson" was a pseudonym, either of Daniel Defoe, Nathaniel Mist, or another early 18th-century writer. His book A General History of the Pyrates influenced years of pirate researchers, scholars, and writers, though it was later found to have a great many errors. [1] Its first volume is generally considered more accurate and historical; [2] the second volume presents accounts of known and well-documented pirates such as Samuel Bellamy and Nathaniel North, but includes the fictional captains William Lewis, John Cornelius, and Captain Misson. [3] Later authors such as Grey, [4] Gosse, [5] and Ellms repeated the fictional accounts nearly verbatim. There was a real pirate named William Lewis, but he was never a Captain; active 20 years after Johnson’s "William Lewis," the real William Lewis was hanged with the surviving members of John Auger's crew when they were captured by pirate turned pirate-hunter Benjamin Hornigold. [6]
Lewis sailed as a boy with the crew of pirate Joseph Bannister, [7] who was captured and hanged in Port Royal in 1687. He was spared (hung by his waist instead of his neck) and sailed with other ships out of Jamaica until he was captured by the Spanish. [3] Escaping with a few others in a canoe, the multi-lingual Lewis took over a small periagua, then captured a sloop, pressing some captured crew into service as pirates and releasing others. He continued capturing small vessels, looting them and taking some crew. With 40 men he took a larger pink, using it to take several other ships near Campeche. He then looted several sloops, beating the captain of sloop who surrendered too easily, and kept the largest 12-gun sloop for his own. [8]
Now with a mixed crew of 80 white and black sailors, he plundered vessels from Florida to the Carolinas and Virginia. He put down a mutiny by English crewmembers who planned on marooning the Frenchmen among them. Sailing north to Newfoundland, he raided the fishing fleets and boarded a 24-gun galley. The ship’s captain convinced Lewis to send his quartermaster John Cornelius ashore for supplies, where he was captured. [3] When shore batteries fired on Lewis’ ship he fled the galley and sailed offshore. Capturing two small shallops, he demanded the release of his quartermaster in exchange for his prisoners, to which they agreed. He then captured a 24-gun French ship and left Canadian waters. [8]
Sailing across the Atlantic to the coast of Guinea with 200 men in the newly renamed Morning Star, he captured several more ships, finally spotting a vessel from the Carolinas. Here the incident occurred for which Lewis would be best known: “While he was in chase of this vessel a circumstance occurred, which made his men believe he dealt with the devil; his fore and main top-mast being carried away, he, Lewis, running up the shrouds to the maintop, tore off a handful of hair, and throwing it into the air used this expression, good devil, take this till I come. And it was observed, that he came afterwards faster up with the chase than before the loss of his top-masts.” [8]
Soon after, the Frenchmen of his crew rebelled. Lewis let them sail away in a captured sloop but immediately captured it back from them while they lay at anchor. He marooned the Frenchmen, allowing only a few back aboard the Morning Star. That night the Frenchmen tried to retake the ship; they were defeated, but not before assassinating Lewis in his cabin. [8] Other versions say his sailors were superstitious and killed Lewis because they feared that he’d actually made a pact with the Devil. [5] The quartermaster John Cornelius was chosen Captain to succeed him. [3]
Bartholomew Roberts, born John Roberts, was a Welsh pirate who was, measured by vessels captured, the most successful pirate of the Golden Age of Piracy. During his piratical career, he took over 400 prize ships, although most were mere fishing boats. Roberts raided ships off the Americas and the West African coast between 1719 and 1722; he is also noted for creating his own pirate code, and adopting an early variant of the Skull and Crossbones flag.
John Rackham, commonly known as Calico Jack, was an English pirate captain operating in the Bahamas and in Cuba during the early 18th century. His nickname was derived from the calico clothing that he wore, while Jack is a nickname for "John".
Benjamin Hornigold was an English pirate towards the end of the Golden Age of Piracy.
Thomas Tew, also known as the Rhode Island Pirate, was a 17th-century English privateer-turned-pirate. He embarked on two major pirate voyages and met a bloody death on the second, and he pioneered the route which became known as the Pirate Round. Other infamous pirates in his path included Henry Avery and William Kidd.
Stede Bonnet was an English pirate who was known as the Gentleman Pirate because he was a moderately wealthy landowner before turning to a life of crime. Bonnet was born into a wealthy English family on the island of Barbados, and inherited the family estate after his father's death in 1694. Despite his lack of sailing experience, Bonnet decided he should turn to piracy in the spring of 1717. He bought a sailing vessel, the Revenge, and travelled with his paid crew along the Eastern Seaboard of what is now the United States, capturing other vessels and burning other Barbadian ships.
Walking the plank was a method of execution practiced on special occasion by pirates, mutineers, and other rogue seafarers. For the amusement of the perpetrators and the psychological torture of the victims, captives were bound so they could not swim or tread water and forced to walk off a wooden plank or beam extended over the side of a ship.
Edward Low was a pirate of English origin during the latter days of the Golden Age of Piracy, in the early 18th century. Low was born into poverty in Westminster, London, and was a thief from an early age. He moved to Boston, Massachusetts, as a young man. His wife died in childbirth in late 1719. Two years later, he became a pirate, operating off the coasts of New England and the Azores, and in the Caribbean.
Charles Vane was an English pirate who operated in the Bahamas during the end of the Golden Age of Piracy.
Charles Bellamy was possibly an English pirate who raided colonial American shipping in New England and later off the coast of Canada. He is often confused with the more well-known Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy.
A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates, or simply A General History of the Pyrates, is a 1724 book published in Britain containing biographies of contemporary pirates, which was influential in shaping popular conceptions of pirates. Its author uses the name Captain Charles Johnson, generally considered a pen name for one of London's writer-publishers. The prime source for the biographies of many well-known pirates, the book gives an almost mythical status to the more colourful characters, and it is likely that the author used considerable artistic license in his accounts of pirate conversations. The book also contains the name of Jolly Roger, the pirate flag, and shows the skull and crossbones design.
John Evans was a Welsh pirate who had a short but successful career in the Caribbean.
See also 1717 in piracy, 1719 in piracy, and Timeline of piracy.
John Martel was a French pirate active in the Caribbean.
Richard Shipton was a pirate active in the Caribbean, best known for sailing alongside Edward Low and Francis Spriggs. In 1723 Shipton was elected captain of Merry Christmas, and he subsequently captained ships such as Royal Fortune, York, and John and Mary. Forced to beach his vessel on western Cuba by pirate hunters, in early 1726, he was found ashore in his bed and presumed to have died shortly afterwards.
Philip Lyne was a pirate known for his cruelty and his association with Francis Spriggs.
William Mayes was a pirate active in the Indian Ocean. He was best known for taking over William Kidd’s ship Blessed William and sailing with Henry Avery. William Mayes is american, specifically from Rhode Island. Mayes was one of the original founders of Libertalia. A civil war came about and William was poisoned by Henry Avery and Thomas Tew.
Thomas White was an English pirate active in the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean. He was only briefly a captain on his own, but served under several more prominent captains such as George Booth, John Bowen, Thomas Howard, John Halsey, and Nathaniel North.
John Cole was a pirate active off the American eastern seaboard. His brief career is associated with Richard Worley and William Moody. He is known more for the unusual cargo of his pirate ship than for his piracy.
John Cornelius was an Irish pirate allegedly active in the Red Sea and off the west coast of Africa. He succeeded William Lewis, who was killed after announcing he had made a deal with the Devil. Lewis and Cornelius are likely the fictional creations of Captain Charles Johnson, who presented their stories among those of real historical pirates.
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.
