(Un) Known pirates and criminals of the seas
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Demetrius of Pharos * ?? - +214 BC. Illyrian ruler of Pharos (today Hvar), commander of pirates and Roman liege-man.

He was a ruler and administrator on Pharos Island during the reign of King Agron. After his death in 231 BC his wife taken over the ruling, see Queen Teuta. She was the regent of young Prince Pinnes.

During the governance of Queen Teuton he captured many towns of the surrounding kingdoms, including the Roman cities, with s help of the pirates he commanded.

The number of ships of the iliris pirates grew and Queen Teuta focused on the Ionian Sea, where the pirates, under the command of Demetria of Pharos, successfully pillaged the Roman, Greek and other ships.

At Paxos there was a battle of the iliris pirate with the Greek Aetolian League. Demetrius commanded seven ships and they defeated the 10 Greek ships commanded by Margos of Keryneia, who was killed in this battle. The Ilyrian pirates then occupied the island of Korkura. Demetrius of Pharos became its administrator. From there they controlled the sea lines between Greece and Italy.

In 229 BC, Rome declared war to Ilyrian pirates and the Adriatic kingdom. Empire set a legion of 20,000 men, 200 riders in a fleet of 200 ships. They arrived to the island of Korkura, which was easily recharged by the betrayal of Demetria of Pharos.

After the end of the war with Ilyria, Demetrius became the liege-king of the part of the Adriatic kingdom.

Demetrius of Pharos was married to Triteuta, who was deposed King Agron's wife, thus he consolidated his position as the king. He restored the kingdom and in 222 BC with 1,600 Ilyrian warriors he contributed to the Macedonian victory over Sparta.

After returning from the military campaign, in 219 Demetrius fortified himself in village Dimallum and he prepared a defense against Rome. The Roman Legions were sent to suppress disobedience of pirate Demetrius and they were commanded by the consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus. After the capture of Dimallum, the other Ilyrian towns gave up. Demetrius went to the island of Pharos.

At Pharos, the consul Paullus secretly landed most of the legion. With the rest of the legion on the ships, he made a false attack on the harbor. Demetria went out of the town. Then the Romans attacked Ilyrice by the main attack from the backup. Demetrius fled from the lost battle to Macedonia to King Philip V. Here he became his most trusted adviser.

He managed to persuade Philip V. to close peace with the Greek Aetolian League. He also made an alliance against Rome with Hannibal after his victorious battle at Lake Trasimene in 217 BC.

Demetrius was probably killed in 214 BC during the conquest of the Greek town of Messene.

John Doughty *1545? - +1578? English nobleman, officer, soldier and pirate. Thomas Doughty's brother.

In 1575, during his campaign against the Irish, his brother Thomas met Francis Drake. They sailed together in December 1577 for a journey around the world.

During a journey to the South of Atlantic, there was a dispute between Francis Drake and Thomas Doughty, see Francis Drake.

In June 1578, the fleet was docked at Puerto San Julian, near at the Magalhães Strait. Here was a trial with Thomas Doughty, Francis Drake accused him of a rebellion. A jury consisting of the crew members, including Doughty's followers, decided about the judgment. The only Leonard Vicary voted for his rescue. On July 2, 1578, Thomas Doughty was cut down.

For the following events, see Peter Carder.

Sir Francis Drake *1540 Tavistock - +28.1.1596 Puerto Bello. English corsair, pirate, explorer, slave trader, captain and vice admiral.

He was the son of Edmund Drake.

In his youth he sailed on his small the JUDITH merchant ship. In 1564 under the command of his cousin John Hawkins, with three ships, they caught slaves in Africa. In Borburat, today Venezuela, they sold them with a share for the Spaniards. They returned to England in September 1566.

In 1567, Captain Francis Drake, under the command of John Hawkins and with four ships, he sailed for the next slave trade. After loading of slaves, they sailed around the Azores, and close to Madre de Deus, they captured two Portuguese slave ships. On the way French pirate Robert Blondel joined them. Slaves were sold in Margarita, Dominica and Borburat. In 1568, in San Juan de Ulúa, today's Veracruz, they met the Spanish warship fleet of four ships of Admiral Francis Lujan. There was a fight, and besides two English ships that escaped, the other English ships were captured or sunk. Drake and Hawkins returned to England in 1569.

The result was the decision of Elizabeth I to hire pirates as her corsairs to damage the Spanish crown.

In 1569 he married Mary Newman.

In the years 1570-1573, he pillaged many Spanish ships, towns and settlements in the Caribbean. He got rich the most by conquering the town of Nombre de Dios, where he grabbed large amount of gold.

In 1575, during the Irish military campaign, he met Thomas Doughty.

Queen Elizabeth I. designated him as a commander of a world-wide expedition with five ships: Admiral Drake on the flag ship, the galleon PELICAN with the captain John Brewer, John Wynter was a captain of a galleon ELIZABETH, John Thomas a captain of MARYGOLD, John Chester a captain of SWAN and Thomas Moone was a captain of the CHRISTOPHER, with a total number of 164 sailors. They went on a journey in December 1577.

In January 1578, at the Cape Verde (Cape Verde) they captured two Portuguese merchant ships sailing to Brazil. The SANTA MARIA ship with the captain Nuño da Silva, was captured and the second Portuguese ship was released after robbery. Nuño served fifteen months as a navigator for Drake and he contributed to the success of his expedition.

The main purpose of the expedition was to circumnavigate the world. A naval committee was set up: Thomas Doughty, Francis Drake and John Wynter. After leaving Drake changed the intention to a robbery expedition against the Spaniards. In the Caribbean and the Atlantic, they pillaged Spanish boats and settlements. It became a main disagreement between Doughty and Dragon. The tension grew even more when Doughty caught Drake's brother Thomas in the PELICAN ship's during a theft. After crossing the Atlantic, Drake decided that Doughty would be the captain of a small SWAN ship, which offended him and he began to prepare a rebellion. He was captured by Drake's faithful men and imprisoned with his brother John. The flotilla, however, was trapped in storm and, after its end they docked near the Magalhães Strait near Puerto San Julian in June 1578. Here was the court trial where Drake accused Thomas Doughty of rebellion. A jury consisting of the crew members, including Doughty's followers, decided about the judgment. The only Leonard Vicary voted for his rescue. On July 2, 1578, Thomas Doughty was cut down. The PELICAN ship was renamed to the GOLDEN HIND, and the captive SANTA MARIA ship was emptied and sunk under the orders of Francis Drake.

After passing through the Magellan Strait (Estrecho de Magallanes) 53 ° 21'28 "S 73 ° 2'36" W in September 1578, a storm sent them far to south. Here in October, he landed on an island which he named as the Elizabeth Island. Drake has got only the flagship GOLDEN HIND. On the Pacific side of South America, he successfully plundered Spanish ships and settlements like Valparaiso and unguarded Lima. In March 1579, at Ecuador, he captured the Spanish galleon NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA CONCEPCIÓN with more than six tons of gold. He continued to the place near today San Francisco. He stayed here for a month and he left the bronze plate with his inscription of his presence here. This record was discovered in 1937.

From there, he sailed in July 1579 and continued to southwest to the islands of Celebes and Java. He then continued around the Cape of Good Hope to Plymouth, England, where he arrived on September 23, 1580 with fifty-six men of the original eighty men of crew and with rich prey. Part of this wealth was given to Queen Elizabeth I. She accepted the gift despite protests of the Spanish Ambassador. On the board of the GOLDEN HIND, in 1581, Francis Drake became a knight by the queen and he became a member of parliament.

In 1585, Drake remarried for the second time with Elizabeth Sydenham.

The Queen funded and commissioned Drake to command a penal mission to Spain. The aim was to free the captured English grain ships and to pillage as many Spanish towns as possible. On the way, he learned that the captured ships had already been released. That is why he changed the plan and sailed to the Caribbean to very rich Santa Domingo, which was the capital of Spanish domination in Central America. In December 31st, 1585, the city was easily conquered from the land because the Spaniards defended the harbour only from the sea.

The following day, the English cruelly pillaged the town, taken a rich ransom from the people and fired it. And then Saint Augustine was pillaged as well.

In February 1586, Francis Drake commanded a successful attack on Cartagen in the Caribbean. For that, he had a fleet of thirty ships with 2,300 sailors and soldiers. Christopher Carleill commanded the soldiers. The governor of Cartagena Pedro de Bustos was in charge of defending, he had nine hundred soldiers, four hundred Indians, and three ships under the command of captain Pedro Vique Manrique, with three hundred sailors. After a three-day battle, the English army conquered the town with little losses. The prey was very rich.

After, in 10th June 1586, they landed at the Roanoke Island, which was the first English colony in North America. From here, at the request of the local governor, the English settlers were moved back to England. In July 27th, 1586, they landed in Portsmouth, and Drake was celebrated as a hero.

The attack on Santo Domingo became a crisis point of Anglo-Spanish relation. It was considered as an attack to King Philip II, to Spain, and even to unbreakable Spanish domination in America.

In 1587, Drake as an admiral on a BONAVENTURE with a fleet was sent to a preventive attack against the Spanish fleet in Cádiz. There, he managed to destroy thirty-seven ships by branders, thus he caused delaying of the Spanish invasion to England all year round. Despite the strict prohibition of the Queen and the admiralty Francis Drake pillaged Cadiz. See Don Álvaro de Bazán y Guzmán marqués Santa Cruz de Mudela.

In July 1588, the combined Portuguese-Spanish Felicissima Armada (Invincible Armada, Grand Armada) sailed from Lisbon and La Coruña. See Juan Martínez de Recalde.

The aim of the invasion to England was to capture the Queen, the high governmental officers and change the political system.

The English just new fleet was under the command of Lord Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham, the admiral Sir Martin Frobisher, the vice Admiral Sir Francis Drake's at the REVENGE ship and contra admiral Sir John Hawkins. A fleet of 190 ships was divided into eight squadrons. The Dutch fleet of 60 ships was under the command of the Admiral Justinus van Nassau. The United Anglo-Dutch fleet had a total of 20,000 men, including about 10,000 naval soldiers.

Francis Drake on the REVENGE ship with his squadron attacked the Spaniards sailing to the English Channel. On July 31st, 1588, in the Battle of Plymouth, he captured flagship carrack the NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL ROSARIO.

On the night of August 7th - August 8th, 1588 in Calais, several branders attacked    the Armada and managed to sink five ships so they broke the formation of the Spaniards. The single Spanish ships were easy prey for the Frobisher and Nassau fleets. Today this battle is known as the Battle of Gravelines.

The battle is described on 18th-century wall tapestry in the London House of Lords.

In April 1589, the English (Contra Armada, Invencible Inglesa) sailed to Spain. The flotilla was commanded by Admiral Francis Drake and General John Norreys commanded soldiers. António Prior of Crato, expelled from Portugal, joined them with his fleet. His governing was ended seven years ago. The fleet consisted of six war galleons, sixty merchant armed ships and twenty large boats. They were joined by sixty small merchant armed Dutch ships with a total of 5,000 sailors and over 18,000 soldiers. The aim was to conquer Lisbon and La Coruña.

The Spanish defensive of La Coruña was organized by Deputy Mayor Juan Pacheco de Toledo Marquis of Cerralbo. There were several hundred musketeers of Alvaro Troncoso and 4,000 soldiers. In addition, three galleons, one karaka and two galleys with 1500 sailors under the command of Don Martín de Bertendon y Goronda see the same. The Englishman managed to break through the defensive on the bank. The captain of the defenders Gregorio de Racamonde died and the Spaniards withdrawn. His wife, Maria Pita, took command of her died man and encouraged the defenders who pushed the English into the sea. See Maria Mayor Fernández de Cámara y Pita.

For the defensive of Lisbon, there were 27 galleys with 5 200 sailors of Admiral Martin de Padilla y Manrique and Captain Don Alonso de Bazán. Furthermore, there were more than 5,000 soldiers under the command of general Pedro Henriquez de Azevedo and the General of the Portuguese Allies Teodósio II. de Braganza. See Don Alonso de Bazán.

The English invasion was totally defeated. Forty ships were sunk or captured, thirty-six ships deserted, 15,000 dead men died and 5,000 ones deserted. Spanish and Portuguese defensive had only 900 dead men, including civilians, and no loss of ships.

In 1595 Drake sailed to the Caribbean to his last robbery journey on the DEFIANCE ship with John Hawkins. Joint command was problematic. They went from failure to failure. For example, Cartagena or San Juan in Puerto Rico, see Don Pedro de Tello de Guzmán. Sir Francis Drake January 28, 1596 died of dysentery and was buried in full armour as a sailor into the sea at Puerto Bello.

According to the Francis Drake logbook, it is clear that he did not sail around the Cup Horn. The Dutch merchant, captain Jacob le Maire and navigator William Schouten, who first crossed the strait between the Cape Horn and Antarctica in 1616, named this strait as the Drake Strait. A report on this scientific voyage was published in 1618.

In terms of Spain and Portugal, he is a pirate, a thief, a robber, a rapist and a criminal known as El Draque. From the point of view of the Africans he was ruthless slaver and racist. In terms of England, according to the BBC series, "2000 Years of British History," he is a ruthless captain, a hazarding admiral, a controversial patriot, and a self-centered hero.

Joseph Drake *1555?? - +?.11.1572. . English pirate.

Francis Drake´s Brother.

He was a member of Francis Drake's crew since 1570 and participated in all of his journeys in the Caribbean. Together, they pillaged many Spanish ships, towns and settlements.

He died in November 1572 on a yellow fever after a mosquito bite.

John Drake *?? - +?.11.1572. English pirate.

He married Amy Grenville and had a son Bernard, Francis Drake´s brother.

He operated in the Bay of Biscay and the Channel. Together with Richard Allen, they pillaged French and Spanish ships. He was killed in an attack on a galleon whose power was underestimated.

Thomas Drake *?? - +1595. English captain and pirate.

Francis Drake´s Brother.

He was a member of Francis Drake's crew since 1560 and participated in all of his journeys in the Caribbean. Together, they pillaged many Spanish ships, towns and settlements.

He was also on the GOLDEN HIND (PELICAN) shipyard of Vice-Admiral Francis Drake on a journey around the world in 1577-80.

During a trip to the South of Atlantic, there was a dispute between Francis Drake and Thomas Doughty. The tension grew even more when Doughty caught Thomas in the PELICAN's ship during a theft of cargo. After the execution of Doughty, they sailed through the Magalhães Straits and finished their journey around the world.

In 1585 Thomas as a captain participated in a penal mission to Spain. The aim was to free the captured English grain ships and to pillage as many Spanish towns as possible. On the way, they learned that the captured ships had already been released. That is why Francis Drake changed the plan and sailed to the Caribbean to very rich Santa Domingo, which was the capital of Spanish domination in Central America. In December 31st, 1585, the city was easily conquered from the land because the Spaniards defended the harbour only from the sea.

The following day, the English cruelly pillaged the town, taken a rich ransom from the people and fired it. And then Saint Augustine was pillaged as well. After, in 10th June 1586, they landed at the Roanoke Island, which was the first English colony in North America. From here, at the request of the local governor, the English settlers were moved back to England. In July 27th, 1586, they landed with great fame in Portsmouth.

In 1587, Thomas participated at a preventive attack against the Spanish fleet in Cádiz. There, they managed to destroy thirty-seven ships by branders, thus they caused delaying of the Spanish invasion to England all year round.

In 1588, he participated in the successful attacking of the Spanish Felicissima Armada (Invincible Armada, Grand Armada). See Don Alonso Pérez de Guzmán y de Zúñiga-Sotomayor, en el Palacio de Medina-Sidonia.

In 1589 he took part in the English Armada (Contra Armada, Invencible Inglesa) to Spain and Portugal under the command of Admiral Francis Drake. The invasion finished as a complete catastrophe. See Maria Mayor Fernández de Cámara y Pita.

In 1595 Thomas sailed to the last robbery journey of Francis Drake and John Hawkins to the Caribbean. Thomas died while attacking Spanish ships. See Gonzalo Méndez de Canço y Donlebún.

Gabriel Davis *1670?? - +1710?? The English pirate operated in Caribbean. He was a member of the Captain Daniel Plowman´s crew of the corsair Ship CHARLES.

CHARLES sailed from Boston in July 1703 to a corsair expedition against the French and Spanish ships. Shortly after the departure, the captain Daniel Plowman became ill and because of his quarantine he stayed in his cabin. The crew, led by quartermaster Anthony Holding, however, rebelled and chose Lieutenant John Quelche as her captain. At the end of September, Captain Daniel Plowman died of fever.

Later, on the shores of Brazil, they pillaged nine Portuguese ships and they received valuable cargo of weapons, skins, sugar, cloths, boxes of gold dust and money. At that time, however, an alliance was made between Portugal and England. Therefore, the English Admiralty, following a report from Portugal about the looting of their ships, issued an arrest warrant for the whole crew. In May 1704, the CHARLES ship landed in Marblehead today in the state of Massachusetts where unsuspecting crew broke away with their share of prey. Within a week, most of the crew, including Gabriel Davis, were caught and imprisoned.

At the beginning of June, he was brought to Boston for trial. On the basis of testimony of crew members, Gabriel Davis was found guilty and sentenced to several years in prison.

John Dorothy *1670?? - +1710?? The English pirate operated in Caribbean. He was a member of the Captain Daniel Plowman´s crew of the corsair Ship CHARLES.

CHARLES sailed from Boston in July 1703 to a corsair expedition against the French and Spanish ships. Shortly after the departure, the captain Daniel Plowman became ill and because of his quarantine he stayed in his cabin. The crew, led by quartermaster Anthony Holding, however, rebelled and chose Lieutenant John Quelche as her captain. At the end of September, Captain Daniel Plowman died of fever.

Later, on the shores of Brazil, they pillaged nine Portuguese ships and they received valuable cargo of weapons, skins, sugar, cloths, boxes of gold dust and money. At that time, however, an alliance was made between Portugal and England. Therefore, the English Admiralty, following a report from Portugal about the looting of their ships, issued an arrest warrant for the whole crew. In May 1704, the CHARLES ship landed in Marblehead today in the state of Massachusetts where unsuspecting crew broke away with their share of prey. Within a week, most of the crew, including John Dorothy were caught and imprisoned.

At the beginning of June, he was brought to Boston for trial. On the basis of testimony of crew members, John Dorothy was found guilty and sentenced to several years in prison.

Nicholas Dunbar *1670?? - +1710?? The English pirate operated in Caribbean. He was a member of the Captain Daniel Plowman´s crew of the corsair Ship CHARLES.

CHARLES sailed from Boston in July 1703 to a corsair expedition against the French and Spanish ships. Shortly after the departure, the captain Daniel Plowman became ill and because of his quarantine he stayed in his cabin. The crew, led by quartermaster Anthony Holding, however, rebelled and chose Lieutenant John Quelche as her captain. At the end of September, Captain Daniel Plowman died of fever.

Later, on the shores of Brazil, they pillaged nine Portuguese ships and they received valuable cargo of weapons, skins, sugar, cloths, boxes of gold dust and money. At that time, however, an alliance was made between Portugal and England. Therefore, the English Admiralty, following a report from Portugal about the looting of their ships, issued an arrest warrant for the whole crew. In May 1704, the CHARLES ship landed in Marblehead today in the state of Massachusetts where unsuspecting crew broke away with their share of prey. Within a week, most of the crew, including Nicholas Dunbar, were caught and imprisoned.

At the beginning of June, he was brought to Boston for trial. On the basis of testimony of crew members, Nicholas Dunbar was found guilty and sentenced to several years in prison.

Texts: P. Patočka, P. Steinhardt, H. Prien
Proofreading: Ali
Translation: S. Harasimová
Graphic design: M. Gorejová
Updated: September 24, 2020
Sources: see ZDROJE