Francis Spriggs
Encyclopedia
Francis Spriggs was a British pirate who, associated with George Lowther
and Edward Low, was active in the Caribbean and the Bay of Hounduras during the early 1720s.
for Captain Edward Low (possibly as part of the original crew members who left the service of Captain George Lowther
). However, after being given command of the recently captured the 12-gun British man of war
the Squirel (renamed the Delight shortly thereafter), he and Low apparently had a falling out over the disciplining of one of the crew around Christmas 1724 resulting in Spriggs deserting Low in the night.
After leaving Low, Spriggs and the crew began flying a black flag similar to Captain Low's and set sail for the West Indies. By January 28, 1725, he had looted a Rhode Island slaver captained by Richard Duffie. Capturing a Portuguese bark en route, they looted the ship's stores while the crew were put through "the sweats" or a "sweat", a mild form of torture in which a ring of candles is lit in a circle around the mainmast and each crewman was made to enter the circle and run around the mast while the pirates poked and jabbed at them with pen knives, forks and other weapons in a sort of gauntlet
. After they had finished with the bark, the crew were put back on their ship which the pirates set fire to.
Upon their arrival in the West Indies, Spriggs and his crew captured a sloop
near St. Lucia, a Martinique
merchantman and a vessel with a cargo
of logwood which they tossed into the sea after carrying away as much as they could take. In early 1724, while in New England waters, Spriggs and the Delight received word of the death of King George I
and discussed the possibility of gaining a royal pardon
within the year after sailing from Rhode Island
on March 27, 1724.
near the Bay of Honduras where he ordered many of the prisoners captured during the voyages to be put ashore. Many of these prisoners displayed wounds inflicted by the pirates during their captivity and were subject to forms of torture
such as being forced to eat plates of candle wax.
Refitting their ship on a nearby island west of Roatan, Spriggs and the Delight sailed for Saint Kitts
with the intentions of encountering a Captain Moor of the Eagle, a sloop which had earlier attacked George Lowther near Blanco
.
However, they were soon met by a French man of war
and forced to flee. After their escape, they captured a schooner
near Bermuda
and then, as they neared Saint Kitts, they captured a sloop on July 4, 1724. During this latest capture, the crew were tortured by the Spriggs and his crew hoisting prisoners as high as the main or top sails and dropping them against the deck.
Shortly after this, a ship out of Rhode Island was captured with the pirates riding several of the horses it had been carrying out on the deck (after several accidents however, the captives were blamed for not bringing along boots and spurs).
, Spriggs was forced to retreat from two British men of war, the and . After their most recent escape, Spriggs captured another sloop and, on his return to the Bay of Honduras, took another ten or twelve English vessels before being chased off by a British man of war.
Briefly staying in South Carolina
, Spriggs again sailed to the Bay of Honduras where he captured sixteen more vessels before fleeing from the same British man of war he had previously encountered. He again managed to avoid capture although he became separated by a ship in his fleet commanded by a Captain Shipton. Little is known of his later career, according to newspaper accounts, he was still active in the region and, as of April 1725, had captured several more ships.
One newspaper account does suggest Spriggs was still active as late as 1726 when he was marooned on an island with another famous pirate, Edward Lowe. The report comes from the Post-Boy dated June 25, 1726. The only known original of the Post-Boy newspaper still in existence is owned by Eric Bjotvedt and states, in a front page report, that a sloop from the Bay of Honduras was taken by a Spanish vessel, but that later the Spaniards were captured and: "...put on board the Diamond Man of War, who had taken a Pyrate, commanded by one Cooper, and had a great many Prisoners on board, and was bound to Jamaica with them ... [and] that Lowe and Spriggs were both maroon'd, and were got among the Musketoo Indians."
George Lowther (pirate)
George Lowther was an 18th century English pirate who, although little is known of his life, was active in the Caribbean and Atlantic...
and Edward Low, was active in the Caribbean and the Bay of Hounduras during the early 1720s.
Early career
Although much of his early life is unknown, Francis Spriggs was first recorded serving as a quartermasterQuartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
for Captain Edward Low (possibly as part of the original crew members who left the service of Captain George Lowther
George Lowther
George Lowther may refer to:*George Lowther *George Lowther...
). However, after being given command of the recently captured the 12-gun British man of war
Man of war
The man-of-war was a Royal Navy expression for a powerful warship from the 16th to the 19th century. The term often refers to a ship armed with cannon and propelled primarily by sails, as opposed to a galley which is propelled primarily by oars...
the Squirel (renamed the Delight shortly thereafter), he and Low apparently had a falling out over the disciplining of one of the crew around Christmas 1724 resulting in Spriggs deserting Low in the night.
Spriggs & the Delight
Running the gauntlet
Running the gauntlet is a form of physical punishment wherein a captive is compelled to run between two rows—a gauntlet—of soldiers who strike him as he passes.-Etymology:...
. After they had finished with the bark, the crew were put back on their ship which the pirates set fire to.
Upon their arrival in the West Indies, Spriggs and his crew captured a sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
near St. Lucia, a Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
merchantman and a vessel with a cargo
of logwood which they tossed into the sea after carrying away as much as they could take. In early 1724, while in New England waters, Spriggs and the Delight received word of the death of King George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
and discussed the possibility of gaining a royal pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
within the year after sailing from Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
on March 27, 1724.
Adventures in the Bay of Honduras
By early-April, Spriggs anchored off RoatanRoatán
Roatán, located between the islands of Útila and Guanaja, is the largest of Honduras' Bay Islands. The island was formerly known as Ruatan and Rattan...
near the Bay of Honduras where he ordered many of the prisoners captured during the voyages to be put ashore. Many of these prisoners displayed wounds inflicted by the pirates during their captivity and were subject to forms of torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
such as being forced to eat plates of candle wax.
Refitting their ship on a nearby island west of Roatan, Spriggs and the Delight sailed for Saint Kitts
Saint Kitts
Saint Kitts Saint Kitts Saint Kitts (also known more formally as Saint Christopher Island (Saint-Christophe in French) is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean...
with the intentions of encountering a Captain Moor of the Eagle, a sloop which had earlier attacked George Lowther near Blanco
Blanco
Blanco is an adjective often used in surnames.It may refer to:-General:*Eduardo Blanco , multiple people with the name*Francisco Manuel Blanco, botanist*Griselda Blanco, United States drug lord...
.
However, they were soon met by a French man of war
Man of war
The man-of-war was a Royal Navy expression for a powerful warship from the 16th to the 19th century. The term often refers to a ship armed with cannon and propelled primarily by sails, as opposed to a galley which is propelled primarily by oars...
and forced to flee. After their escape, they captured a schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
near Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
and then, as they neared Saint Kitts, they captured a sloop on July 4, 1724. During this latest capture, the crew were tortured by the Spriggs and his crew hoisting prisoners as high as the main or top sails and dropping them against the deck.
Shortly after this, a ship out of Rhode Island was captured with the pirates riding several of the horses it had been carrying out on the deck (after several accidents however, the captives were blamed for not bringing along boots and spurs).
Return to the Bay of Honduras
After the capture of a sloop off Port RoyalPort Royal
Port Royal was a city located at the end of the Palisadoes at the mouth of the Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1518, it was the centre of shipping commerce in the Caribbean Sea during the latter half of the 17th century...
, Spriggs was forced to retreat from two British men of war, the and . After their most recent escape, Spriggs captured another sloop and, on his return to the Bay of Honduras, took another ten or twelve English vessels before being chased off by a British man of war.
Briefly staying in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, Spriggs again sailed to the Bay of Honduras where he captured sixteen more vessels before fleeing from the same British man of war he had previously encountered. He again managed to avoid capture although he became separated by a ship in his fleet commanded by a Captain Shipton. Little is known of his later career, according to newspaper accounts, he was still active in the region and, as of April 1725, had captured several more ships.
One newspaper account does suggest Spriggs was still active as late as 1726 when he was marooned on an island with another famous pirate, Edward Lowe. The report comes from the Post-Boy dated June 25, 1726. The only known original of the Post-Boy newspaper still in existence is owned by Eric Bjotvedt and states, in a front page report, that a sloop from the Bay of Honduras was taken by a Spanish vessel, but that later the Spaniards were captured and: "...put on board the Diamond Man of War, who had taken a Pyrate, commanded by one Cooper, and had a great many Prisoners on board, and was bound to Jamaica with them ... [and] that Lowe and Spriggs were both maroon'd, and were got among the Musketoo Indians."
External links
- Rob Ossian's Pirate Cove: Francis Spriggs