(Un) Known pirates and criminals of the seas
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Ellis Hixon *1540?? - +1573?? English captain and pirate.

He operated in the Atlantic. In 1572 he joined the expedition of Francis Drake to Nombre de Dios. Here he probably died there.

Gilbert Horseley *1545?? - +1580?? English captain and pirate with base in the Caribbean.

He pillaged absolutely every ship. In 1572 he joined the Francis Drake fleet. Together they conquered Nombre de Dios, where they seized large quantities of gold. See Francis Drake.

Later, he joined the French pirate Captain Sylvester and together, they plundered the Veragua area - today Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.

He was sunk with the crew, after he was chased by the Spaniards.

Sir Richard Hawkins also Hawkyns *1562 - +17.4.1622. English captain, admiral and pirate. Known as The Complete Seaman (The Sea Wolf).

He was the son of John Hawkins and Katherine Gonson.

As a young man, in 1582 he joined his uncle William Hawkins Amadas to the Caribbean.

In 1585 he took part in Drake's punishable expedition to Spain as the captain of the DUCK ship.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 they 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 town 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 in Portsmouth, with a great glory.

In 1588, with the SWALLOW ship, he took part in the successful defence of England from the attack made by the Portuguese-Spanish Felicissima Armada (Invincible Armada, Innercible Armada, Grand Armada). See Juan Martínez de Recalde.

In 1590, he joined the service of his father and plundered the Portuguese coast.

In 1591 he married Lady Judith Heale and they had six children.

In 1593, he managed to buy the DAINTY, which once served to his father. In June 1593, he sailed with it from Plymouth for a journey to the Caribbean, where he plundered Spanish ships and settlements. He continued to the south and did cartography measurement. In November 1593 he sailed through the Magalhães Strait. Later, he plundered Valparaiso. In June 1594 he landed in San Mateo on the Esmeraldas River, today's Ecuador. Here he was caught by the Spanish fleet of two ships. During the attack DAINTY was badly damaged and after a brief bloody battle Richard was wounded. He and his surviving crew were captured on 1^st July 1594. In 1597 he was taken to a dungeon in Seville and later to Madrid. He was released for a £ 12,000, high ransom, in 1602. After returning to England, he was promoted to the nobleman in January 1603 and he was elected as the Mayor of Plymouth. A year later, was elected as Member of the Chamber of Deputies.

In the years 1620-21, as the Vice Admiral under the Admiral Robert Mansell, he of caught the Algerian corsairs, in the Mediterranean.

After returning, he wrote a book of memories Voiage into the South Sea, which became the most popular adventure book of that and later times. The revised edition was published in 1847 and even later.

He died on April 17th, 1622 in Slapton.

Peter Harris *?? - + 3.5.1680. English pirate and captain, acted in the Pacific along the coast of Central and South America. He was a member of the Brotherhood of Bartholomew Sharp and Edmund Cook. They were led by Richard Sawkins and John Coxon.

At the beginning of April 1680 the pirates landed south of Panama near Perico Island today - Causeway Islands (English) or Islas Calzada de Amador (Spanish). Here they left their ships, and they reached the coast on the canoes. They walked north.

April 25, 1680 they successfully plundered the town of Santa Maria near Panama. After the town was in fire, on stolen boats, they sailed along the river to the sea and then to the Perico Island to their ships. There, the Spanish warships were waiting for them on May 3rd, 1680. Pirates successfully defended the attack. More than twenty pirates died. Peter Harris was among them.

John Harwood *1670?? - +1710?? The English pirate acted in the Caribbean.He was a member of the captain Daniel Plowman 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 Quelch as their 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 Harwood, 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 Harwood was found guilty and sentenced to several years in prison.

Hendrick van der Heul also nicknamed Black Man *?? - +1710?? Dutch pirate. He sailed on Captain William Kidd´s ADVENTURE GALLEY in the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean.

It is said that he was an African Negro. However, as was known at that time there dominated the black color with a large white collar in the garments of the rich and noble from Holland, Denmark, Flemish, etc.. From there, his nickname, Black Man, may spring and due to misinterpretation of the translation, a belief about an African was born.

He was a quartermaster officer,  the right hand of Captain William Kidd, a helmsman and a loyal crew member. Other known members of the crew were: Richard Barleycorn, Robert Bradinham, William Jenkins, Robert Lamley, Gabriel Loffe, William Moore (who was killed by W. Kidd during a revolt on October 30th, 1669), Able Owens, Joseph Palmer and Hugh Parrot. The all crew with William Kidd was arrested in Boston on July 6th, 1699. After a year of imprisonment, they were brought to court in England. Van der Heul also testified in the court about the rebellion on October 30th, 1697. He was sentenced to death by hanging, but then he was pardoned.

Anthony Holding *1660?? - +30.6.1704. The English officer and pirate operated in the Caribbean.

He was a member of the captain Daniel Plowman 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 Quelch as their 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 Anthony Holding, were caught and imprisoned.

At the beginning of June, he was brought to Boston for trial. On the basis of testimony of crew members, Anthony Holding was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging. The execution was made on Friday 30th June 1704. The execution was secured by the Musketeers Regiment. There were also several Admiralty officials, court officers, two ministers, and several monks.

This was the first example of an execution by law in America.

Joseph Hutnot *1670?? - +1710?? The English pirate operated in the Caribbean.

He was a member of the captain Daniel Plowman 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 Quelch as their 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 Joseph Hutnot, were caught and imprisoned.

At the beginning of June, he was brought to Boston for trial. On the basis of testimony of crew members, Joseph Hutnot 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