Howell Davis
Encyclopedia
Captain Howell Davis (or Davies) (ca. 1690 – June 19, 1719) was a Welsh
pirate
. His piratical career lasted just 11 months, from July 11, 1718 to June 19, 1719, when he was ambushed and killed. His ships were the Cadogan, Buck, Saint James, and Rover. Davis captured 15 known English and French ships.
, Pembrokeshire
, Wales
, Davis started out in piracy on July 11, 1718 when the slave ship Cadogan, on which he was serving as a mate, was captured by the pirate Edward England
. Deciding to join the pirates, Davis was given command of the Cadogan and set out for Brazil
on July 18, 1718. However, his crew mutinied and sailed to Barbados
instead. Here Davis was imprisoned on the charge of piracy
, but was eventually released and sought shelter in the pirate den of New Providence
in the Bahamas. With New Providence being cleaned out by Governor Woodes Rogers
, Davis left on the sloop
Buck and conspired with six other crew members, who included Thomas Anstis
and Walter Kennedy
, to take over the vessel off Martinique
. Davis was elected captain and conducted raids from his base at Coxon's Hole
.
Subsequently, he crossed the Atlantic to terrorize shipping in the Cape Verde Islands. One of the prizes he took there became the new flagship
of Davis' pirate fleet, the 26-gun Saint James. He then formed a partnership with a French pirate Olivier Levasseur
, known as La Buse, and another pirate captain, Thomas Cocklyn
, which lasted until they fell out in a drunken argument. Transferring to the 32-gun Rover, Davis sailed south and captured more rich prizes off the Gold Coast
. One of his prisoners was fellow Welshman Bartholomew Roberts
, who was destined to become even more famous as a pirate.
A clever and charming man, Davis pretended to be a legitimate privateer
to deceive the commander of a Royal African Company
slaving fort in Gambia. After capturing the commander at a welcoming dinner, Davis held him for ransom.
He once seized a more powerful French vessel by flying a black pirate flag from another large but lightly armed ship he had recently taken. The French ship quickly surrendered, thinking she was outgunned.
However, when he tried his pretence of being a privateer in order to kidnap the governor of the Portuguese island of Príncipe
, the governor saw through it. Davis was invited to call at the fort for a glass of wine. On the way there, the pirates were ambushed and Davis shot dead on June 19, 1719. Bartholomew Roberts was elected to succeed him and raided the island in retaliation later that night.
, the master of the Bird, a vessel captured by the pirates in 1719, later wrote an account of his experience. His ship was taken by Thomas Cocklyn's men, who abused him. However, when informed of this, Davis protected Snelgrave and obviously made a favourable impression on him. Snelgrave concluded that Davis was a man "who (allowing for the Course of Life he had been unhappily engaged in) was a most generous humane Person".
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
pirate
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
. His piratical career lasted just 11 months, from July 11, 1718 to June 19, 1719, when he was ambushed and killed. His ships were the Cadogan, Buck, Saint James, and Rover. Davis captured 15 known English and French ships.
A Short Career
Born in Milford HavenMilford Haven
Milford Haven is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, a natural harbour used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was founded in 1790 on the north side of the Waterway, from which it takes its name...
, Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, Davis started out in piracy on July 11, 1718 when the slave ship Cadogan, on which he was serving as a mate, was captured by the pirate Edward England
Edward England
Edward England, born Edward Seegar in Ireland, was a famous African coast and Indian Ocean pirate captain from 1717 to 1720. The ships he sailed on included the Pearl and later the Fancy, for which England exchanged the Pearl in 1720...
. Deciding to join the pirates, Davis was given command of the Cadogan and set out for Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
on July 18, 1718. However, his crew mutinied and sailed to Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
instead. Here Davis was imprisoned on the charge of piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
, but was eventually released and sought shelter in the pirate den of New Providence
New Providence
New Providence is the most populous island in the Bahamas, containing more than 70% of the total population. It also houses the national capital city, Nassau.The island was originally under Spanish control following Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World, but the Spanish government showed...
in the Bahamas. With New Providence being cleaned out by Governor Woodes Rogers
Woodes Rogers
Woodes Rogers was an English sea captain, privateer, and, later, the first Royal Governor of the Bahamas. He is known as the captain of the vessel that rescued the marooned Alexander Selkirk, whose plight is generally believed to have inspired Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe.Rogers came from an...
, Davis left on the 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....
Buck and conspired with six other crew members, who included Thomas Anstis
Thomas Anstis
Thomas Anstis was an early 18th century pirate, who served under Captain Howell Davis and Captain Bartholomew Roberts, before setting up on his own account, raiding shipping on the eastern coast of the American colonies and in the Caribbean during what is often referred to as the "Golden Age of...
and Walter Kennedy
Walter Kennedy (pirate)
Walter Kennedy was an Irish pirate who served as a crew member under Howell Davis and Bartholomew Roberts.Kennedy served in the Royal Navy during the War of Spanish Succession, where he heard tales of pirates from Henry Morgan to Henry Every, and dreamed of becoming a pirate himself...
, to take over the vessel off 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...
. Davis was elected captain and conducted raids from his base at Coxon's Hole
Coxen Hole
Coxen Hole, also called Roatan Town, is the largest city on the island of Roatán, and the capital of the Bay Islands department of Honduras, with a population of 5,070 as of census 2001. It is also the location of the island's Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport.Bus service connects Coxen...
.
Subsequently, he crossed the Atlantic to terrorize shipping in the Cape Verde Islands. One of the prizes he took there became the new flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Davis' pirate fleet, the 26-gun Saint James. He then formed a partnership with a French pirate Olivier Levasseur
Olivier Levasseur
Olivier Levasseur , was a pirate, nicknamed La Buse or La Bouche in his early days, called thus because of the speed and ruthlessness with which he always attacked his enemies.-History:...
, known as La Buse, and another pirate captain, Thomas Cocklyn
Thomas Cocklyn
Thomas Cocklyn was an 18th-century English pirate, known primarily for his association and partnership with Howell Davis and Oliver La Buze. He was reportedly elected captain "due to his brutality and ignorance" when first sailing from New Providence in 1717 ....
, which lasted until they fell out in a drunken argument. Transferring to the 32-gun Rover, Davis sailed south and captured more rich prizes off the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
. One of his prisoners was fellow Welshman Bartholomew Roberts
Bartholomew Roberts
Bartholomew Roberts , born John Roberts, was a Welsh pirate who raided ships off America and West Africa between 1719 and 1722. He was the most successful pirate of the Golden Age of Piracy. He is estimated to have captured over 470 vessels...
, who was destined to become even more famous as a pirate.
Trickery and Deception
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
to deceive the commander of a Royal African Company
Royal African Company
The Royal African Company was a slaving company set up by the Stuart family and London merchants once the former retook the English throne in the English Restoration of 1660...
slaving fort in Gambia. After capturing the commander at a welcoming dinner, Davis held him for ransom.
He once seized a more powerful French vessel by flying a black pirate flag from another large but lightly armed ship he had recently taken. The French ship quickly surrendered, thinking she was outgunned.
However, when he tried his pretence of being a privateer in order to kidnap the governor of the Portuguese island of Príncipe
Príncipe
Príncipe is the northern and smaller of the two major islands of the country of São Tomé and Príncipe lying off the west coast of Africa. It has an area of 136 km² and a population of approximately 5,000. The island is a heavily eroded volcano over three million years old, surrounded by other...
, the governor saw through it. Davis was invited to call at the fort for a glass of wine. On the way there, the pirates were ambushed and Davis shot dead on June 19, 1719. Bartholomew Roberts was elected to succeed him and raided the island in retaliation later that night.
Character
Captain William SnelgraveWilliam Snelgrave
William Snelgrave was an English sea captain, slave trader, and ivory trader on the West African coast. He actually treated his slaves better than most traders, providing two meals a day, visits to the deck, and pipes and tobacco. He also allowed the women and children to be unchained...
, the master of the Bird, a vessel captured by the pirates in 1719, later wrote an account of his experience. His ship was taken by Thomas Cocklyn's men, who abused him. However, when informed of this, Davis protected Snelgrave and obviously made a favourable impression on him. Snelgrave concluded that Davis was a man "who (allowing for the Course of Life he had been unhappily engaged in) was a most generous humane Person".