Captain Thomas Anstis
In 1718 Anstis started his pirate career in very famous company; he shipped
out of Providence in the Sloop Buck and was one of
six that conspired to use that ship in the trade of
piracy. The others being Howel Davis, Dennis
Topping, Walter Kennedy and two unnamed others. Upon the death of Davis, Anstis served under Bartholomew
Roberts until April 18th, 1721, when he parted ways
with the arch pirate and sailed to the West Indies in the brigantine Good Fortune.
In June of that year they took
several ships in the vicinity of Hispanola, Jamaica,
and Martinico, from which they provisioned themselves and increased the size of their crew. During this
time these pirates are suspected of 'abusing and
wounding' one Colonel Doyle of Montserrat, for having attempted to prevent the pirates from brutilizing a
female passenger. The woman in question was said to
have been killed and flung overboard.
After cleaning their vessel, they
turned for Bermuda and captured the Morning Star.
They proceeded to refit the ship with 32 guns and 100
men. However, Anstis allowed John Fenn to captain the
vessel so that Anstis could remain with the other
ship as he favored its handling. At this time the
pirates' company had grown to the point that they
could have undertaken some grand deed, but the
inclination of many of the crew was to quit the game
of pirating. A petition was drawn up to request
pardon from the English crown which they sent via a
merchant ship. The crew then retired to an unnamed
island off the South West end of Cuba. Here they
lived for the next nine months surviving on the
bounty of the island and sea. During this time the
pirates passed the days in dancing and other
diversions and an account of a mock trial comes down
to us through Captain Johnson.
In August of 1722 the pirates made
ready to sail out and see how their petition had been
received. A merchant passed the word that their
petition had drawn no interest and the pirates found
that they must continue in their profession. Setting
sail with the Good Fortune and Morning Star,
misfortune soon settled in around them. The Morning
Star was wrecked upon the Grand Caymens and while
anchored to recover the crew of the wreck, the Good
Fortune was set upon by two men of war, the Hector
and Adventure. The pirates were able to escape by
cutting their anchor cable and ran before the two men
of war for some time, escaping finally by rowing
their ship during a calm in the wind. Sailing to the
Bay of Honduras to clean and refit the brigantine,
Good Fortune, took three more ships as prizes and
burned them all to leave no trace. Here some of the
prisoners taken off the ships, including one Captain
Durfey, attempted to take the ship, but had to be
content with escaping with their lives.
Early December 1722, found the
pirates in the islands where they again took a
sizable ship and mounted her with 24 guns. Again
Fenn, though having only one hand and having wrecked
the Morning Star, was given command of the larger
ship, a frigate. After taking a couple of prizes
the pirates turned to the Bahamas, taking more
prizes. Putting into Tobago to clean and refit in
April 1723, the pirates were suprised by the arrival
of the Winchelsea, a man of war, and they burned all
ships except Anstis' brigantine, which escaped. The
crew, apparently tired of the pirate life, killed
Anstis and several of the others and put the ship
into Curacco, where all but those that delivered up
the vessel were tried and hanged.
Reference Sources