| Robert Thompson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vital statistics | |
| Title | Governor of New Providence Island |
| Gender | Male |
| Status | Unknown |
| Ships | None |
| Relationships | Mrs. Thompson (wife, deceased)
Son (deceased) |
| Appearances | First Mentioned: XI.
Last Mentioned: XIII.] |
| Portrayed by | N/A |
Governor Thompson was the last British Governor ofNew Providence Island before the pirates drove him out and declared Nassau independent from British rule.
Biography []
Season Two[]
Through flashbacks of James McGraw and Thomas Hamilton, Thompson’s reign as governor is discussed. Thomas shows McGraw a pamphlet titled “An Account of the Barbarous and Debauched Pyrate Menace of the Bahama Islands.” Hamilton says that it is a problem that they will have to deal with if they are to reform Nassau, a problem that has festered for a generation. James glibly asks if the problem is illiteracy, but Thomas tells him that his pamphlet was written by Governor Thompson’s wife, and it is Governor Thompson that is the problem. Thompson accepts bribes from the pirate captains and in exchange he caters to their needs. He also tells his friends inLondon of the pirate menace, which gets him both sympathy and support. All this fuels the underlying problems. McGraw and Hamilton then discuss that the problem is appointing an honest governor and keeping him honest when he’s on an island thousands of miles away with power over other men[1].
McGraw leaves London to assess the situation in Nassau for three months before returning to London. Thomas tells him that their campaign against Thomas’ father, Lord Alfred Hamilton, has reached a critical stage. He asks McGraw if he was able to secure the support of Governor Thompson. McGraw grimly replies that there is no governor in Nassau. He explains that a dispute arose between Governor Thompson and a pirate captain over a bribe, for Thompson felt that he was owed money by the captain. This captain recruited others who demanded that Thompson leave New Providence Island at once. Thompson refused, after which a dozen armed men broke into the Governor’s Mansion, dragged out his wife and nine-year-old son and slit their throats. They let Thompson live to tell the tale and to ascertain that there is no misunderstanding over who rules Nassau. McGraw was barely able to leave with his ship, for men had begun to occupy Fort Nassau when he left and there is no law in Nassau now[2].
Season Four[]
Long John Silver is captured by a mysterious man after washing up on the shore following the failed invasion. He is taken to the Wrecks, where is shackled. The man tells Silver he heard that Silver was supposed to be a pirate king and strong. He dismisses this claim as “more lies.” Silver ponders these words and asks who else’s lies he is responsible for. He tells the man that Captain Flint, who knows Nassau’s history well, told him an interesting story. Silver was told a story about a uniquely disfigured man who lives in the Wrecks. This man sailed with Edward Teach in his early days. This man was very trusted by Teach one of the deadliest men that Nassau ever knew. On the day Governor Thompson fled, this man was the one who actually killed his wife and son. Teach and Henry Jennings and the other giants were hailed as the father’s of the Pirate Republic, but this man actually cut the cord. Silver then correctly identifies the man in the story as the one who captured him, Israel Hands[3].
After the pirates retake Nassau yet again from the new governor, Woodes Rogers, Israel Hands speaks with Flint in the tavern. Hands says he heard Flint was there the first time they took control from the English, that Flint was a member of the Navy then. Hands says it was a good day for him, for he did a thing no one else could or would, referring to his murder of Governor Thompson’s wife and son[4].
Quotes[]
"...Governor Robert Thompson, the one accepting bribes from pirate captains as fast they can pay them in exchange for catering to their every need. Meanwhile, he's sending word back to his pamphleteer friends in London about the scourge of the pirate menace, which garners him sympathy and support, which solidifies his position, and which only fuels the underlying problem." - Thomas Hamilton to James McGraw in XI.
Trivia[]
- The last Governor of the Bahamas before Woodes Rogers was named Thomas Walker, who hated the pirates. There was a "Richard Thompson" who was acting governor after Rogers' second term, but the shared surname is most likely just a coincidence.
References[]