1650s in piracy
Encyclopedia
1650
- Pirates out of Tortuga loot and sack Santiago de los CaballerosSantiago de los CaballerosSantiago de los Caballeros is a city in the Dominican Republic. Founded in 1495 during the first wave of European colonization of the New World, today Santiago is the second largest metropolis in the Dominican Republic, located in the north-central region of the Republic known as Cibao valley...
, a frontier town between the French and Spanish territories of Santo DomingoSanto DomingoSanto Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
. - French buccaneer Jean L'OlonnaisFrançois l'OllonaisJean-David Nau , better known as François l'Olonnais , was a French pirate, active in the Caribbean during the 1660s...
arrives in the West Indies as an indentured servantIndentured servantIndentured servitude refers to the historical practice of contracting to work for a fixed period of time, typically three to seven years, in exchange for transportation, food, clothing, lodging and other necessities during the term of indenture. Usually the father made the arrangements and signed...
and remained in Hispanola for three years before escaping to nearby Tortuga. - An increase in frigates and other warships allows the Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
to strike against Royalist privateers in Ireland and Dunkirk as well as well as Barbary corsairs in North Africa. - A journal written by Dutch admiral Wybrant Schram is published describing his battle against the pirate fleet led by Captain Claes G. Compaen in 1626, one of his last engagements during his later career as a pirate hunter.
- Royalist pirate Brown Bushell is captured and tried for piracy as well as his involvement in surrendering the English city of Scarborough to Henrietta Maria.
- April 1 - After being sighted off the YorkshireYorkshireYorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
coast by a local fisherman, Royalist privateer Captain Joseph Constant and his 30-man Dutch crew are surprised by an attack party led by Robert Colman and Captain Thomas LassellsThomas Lascelles (1624-1697)Thomas Lascelles was a Member of the English Parliament for Northallerton, in the 17th Century...
and captured after a brief skirmish.
Births
- Jean BartJean BartJean Bart was a Flemish sailor who primarily served the French crown as naval commander and privateer.-Early life:...
, a French privateer based in Dunkirk involved in France's wars against the Netherlands between 1692 and 1697. - Benjamin Franks, an English privateer and an officer under Captain William KiddWilliam KiddWilliam "Captain" Kidd was a Scottish sailor remembered for his trial and execution for piracy after returning from a voyage to the Indian Ocean. Some modern historians deem his piratical reputation unjust, as there is evidence that Kidd acted only as a privateer...
. - MontaubandMontaubandMontauband was a pirate. The place of his birth is unknown. He appeared as a pirate in the West Indies about 1675, and for twenty years was the terror of the Spaniards in Africa and America. He established his headquarters in the island of Tortuga, which at that time was the rendezvous of all the...
, a French buccaneer active in the West Indies between 1675 and 1695. - Thomas PoundThomas PoundThomas Pound was an English pirate who was briefly active in the coastal waters of New England during 1689.Boarding a small ship out of Boston, Massachusetts with six other passengers on August 8, 1689, Pound seized control of the ship shortly after picking up an additional five men off Lovell's...
, an English pirate active in New England and the Atlantic during the late 1680s. - Andrew Ranson, an English buccaneer active in Spanish FloridaSpanish FloridaSpanish Florida refers to the Spanish territory of Florida, which formed part of the Captaincy General of Cuba, the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and the Spanish Empire. Originally extending over what is now the southeastern United States, but with no defined boundaries, la Florida was a component of...
during the early 1680s.