Woodes Rogers, a former privateer, now Royal Governor of New Providence Island.
A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. A sovereign authority would issue a letter of marque during wartime. This empowered the holder to carry on all forms of hostility permissible at sea by the usages of war. This included attacking foreign vessels and taking them as prizes, and taking prize crews as prisoners for exchange. Captured ships were subject to condemnation and sale under prize law, with the proceeds divided by percentage between the privateer's sponsors, shipowners, captains and crew. A percentage share usually went to the issuer of the commission (i.e. the sovereign).
History[]
Background[]
Francis Drake was a famous privateer in the service of Queen Elizabeth.
Henry Morgan was a privateer famous for his daring attacks on Spanish settlements in Cuba and Panama. He later became the Governor of Jamaica.
Henry Jennings was a privateer before becoming a pirate.
Joseph Guthrie began theGuthrie Trading Company by swindling a hip and hiring it out to privateers in exchange for a share of their spoils. He used the money he gained to purchase more ships and began the shipping company.
James McGraw’s grandfather served on a privateer ship operating off the coast of Massachusetts.
Woodes Rogers was a privateer with his brother Thomas during the War of the Spanish Succession. In one instance, he and his brother were in a fight with a Spanish galleon and Thomas was killed and Woodes scarred. Woodes later wrote a bestselling book about his privateering exploits titled Voyage Round the World.
Season Two[]
Flint tells Miranda the story of how he came up with the name “Flint.” His grandfather who raised him was a deckhand on a privateer off the coast of Massachusetts. One night he alone on the late watch while the ship was at anchor in the Boston Harbor. While at the watch, he sees a man climb out of the water and on to the ship. His grandfather thought about ringing the bell, but curiosity got the better of him. The stranger approached his grandfather and asked for a little rum. The man said he had fled his fishing trawler after being accused of killing another man. When asked his name, the stranger said he was Mr. Flint. The stranger never said if he was guilty or not, or why he chose that ship, he just sat there. Eventually he asked Flint’s grandfather for more rum from below. Flint’s grandfather went to fetch it and when he returned, the stranger was gone. Flint’s grandfather was in Boston for another month and never heard anything about a killing or a fugitive at large.
Season Three[]
Benjamin Hornigold becomes a privateer in service to the Crown after arresting Eleanor Guthrie and turning her in to the authorities. He is tasked with hunting down pirates, specifically Flint, ahead of Governor Woodes Rogers and his fleet as they prepare to take Nassau. Hornigold is given a new ship, the Orion. Dufresne remains with Hornigold as his second in command.
Season Four[]
Eleanor Guthrie tells Woodes Rogers about the origins of her grandparents' wealth. When Joseph Guthrie was younger, he swindled a ship and hired her out to privateers in exchange for a share of the profits. Using that he hired more ships, which generated more profits, which in turn generated influence and power, thus beginning the Guthrie Trading Company.
Privateers[]
- Francis Drake
- Henry Morgan
- Henry Jennings
- Joseph Guthrie
- Woodes Rogers
- Thomas Rogers
- Benjamin Hornigold
- Dufresne
Privateer Ships[]