Henry Avery’s Crew was the pirate crew of the notorious Captain Henry Avery. Avery was famous for the fortune he amassed during his career, as well as beginning the pirate presence on New Providence Island.
History[]
Background[]
Avery’s crew started out as a privateer crew on a ship named the Charles II, with Avery as first mate. However, their letters of marque were never delivered, and the crew got restless and mutinied. The ship was renamed the Fancy and Avery was elected as their new captain. They sailed south, plundering five ships off the West African coast.
Eventually, the Fancy had reached the Comoros Islands, where Every's crew raided a French vessel and narrowly escaped capture by three East Indiamen. The Fancy sailed north to the Arabian Sea, where a 25-ship convoy of Grand Mughal vessels was making the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, including the treasure-laden Ghanjah dhow Ganj-i-sawai and its escort, the Fateh Muhammed. Joining forces with several pirate vessels, Every found himself in command of a small pirate squadron. As the pirates gave chase, the smaller vessels in the squadron gradually fell behind. Every had more success capturing the Fateh Muhammed and later overtaking the Ganj-i-sawai, snapping its mainmast in a cannonball volley. Following several hours of ferocious hand-to-hand combat on deck, the pirates emerged victorious. Although many pirates were killed, Every captured up to £600,000 in precious metals and jewels, making him the richest pirate in the world.
At one point, Avery decided to track a Spanish vessel to Skeleton Island, a remote island used for shady transactions. When they arrived at the island, they sailed inland, but discovered a Spanish vessel. This was not one of their quarries, and captain’s log identified the ship as having set sail from Havana in 1636 with 31 men aboard. Avery and his men found the remains of all 31 brutally slaughtered. The crew had locked themselves in the hold and eaten each other alive. Avery claimed to have seen the log, which said that the crew had refused to go inland to forage for food or fresh water after the first men had returned reporting that they heard a sound like the voice of God, warning them to stay away. It is unclear how much of this story is true or not[1].
During their travels, a young man on the crew named Hal Gates drew the ire of Avery. He was given a Black Spot, a common warning on the crew to wayward members to get in line. Gates was awake for three nights, however it wasn’t the note or the threat, it was the fact that someone as terrible as Avery knew his name[2].
Avery and his crew, after a continuous manhunt by the Privy Council of England and the East India Company, fled to the Bahamas. They briefly sheltered in New Providence, making it the pirates' "home". They bribed the colonial governor to ignore their crimes, beginning the use of Nassau as a base by pirates. Some point after this, they disbanded, and the members went their ways[3].
Gates eventually became the quartermaster of the well respected crew of the Walrus. Cregg joined him on the crew and served as their Carpenter’s Mate until his death[4].
Season One[]
While discussing ways to breach the bunker of the Andromache, Gates comes up with the idea to have four men dangle on ropes and cut into the hull with axes and augers and then throw charges into the hole. Gates mentioned that he saw Avery try it once. An incredulous Logan then asks if it worked, and Gates repeats that he saw it tried[5].
As they sail through the hurricane, Gates and Flint reminisce about Cregg. Gates remarks that Cregg sailed with him as a young man under Avery. Cregg was Gates' first bunkmate, and he later joined the Walrus crew with Gates before he was killed in action[4].
Season Two[]
In a flashback to 1705, Thomas Hamilton and Lieutenant James McGraw work on reforming Nassau. Hamilton says that the problem started with Avery, who sailed into Nassau, bribed the governor to look past his sins, and set up camp on the beach[3].
Season Three[]
When Edward Teach asks Jack Rackham why he is so determined to defend Nassau, Rackham answers because Avery set up camp there and said "this is a place for free men"[6]
Billy Bones, in order to successfully start a resistance movement in Nassau following the execution of Charles Vane, writes a Black Spot letter to Captain Throckmorton. It is placed at the foot of his bed while he sleeps. It says that they offer to the first pirate to surrender to Woodes Rogers the first chance to repent, demanding the removal of Vane's body from the gibbet in the square by night fall. Throckmorton shows the letter to Max who has him bring it to the attention of Eleanor Guthrie and Mr. Soames. Soames asks what it is and Eleanor explains the Black Spot's history, calling it an "old wives tale." Throckmorton dismisses it, saying he knew men who sailed with Avery it is was nonsense then and now and Soames agrees. Max and Eleanor are more wary of the note and Eleanor demands to have the body removed in three days. Billy later further explains to Jacob Garrett that Gates told him that the worst thing about the Black Spot was knowing that someone as fearsome and terrible as Avery knew his name[2].
Season Four[]
Woodes Rogers finds Henry Avery's Journals in Flint's cellar in the Barlow Estate. They were Gates' most prized possession and he'd given them to Flint for safekeeping. Rogers and Billy Bones use the journal to find Skeleton Island, where they intend to hold the transaction where they exchange Madi for the cache of Urca de Lima gems. To find Skeleton Island so they can kill Flint and fulfill their deal with Marion Guthrie, Jack Rackham and Featherstone use Mr. McCoy, for he is the last man on New Providence Island who sailed with Avery. Flint tells Dooley the tale of Skeleton Island, and Avery having been the first Englishman to set foot on it. When he concludes, Flint tells him that it's an open question how much of the story was invented, but that it was enormously effective in creating a story- an image of Skeleton Island as a dark and mysterious place[1].
Members[]
- Captain Henry Avery
- Hal Gates
- Cregg
- Mr. McCoy
Quotes[]
"They say it started with a man named Henry Avery. Sailed into the port of Nassau, bribed the colonial governor to look past his sins, encamped his crew upon the beach, and thus began the pirate issue on New Providence Island."
- Lord Thomas Hamilton to James McGraw in IX.