John Fenn (pirate)
Encyclopedia
John Fenn was an early 18th century English pirate who sailed with Captain Bartholomew Roberts
and later had a brief partnership with Thomas Anstis
.
Although much of his early career is unrecorded, he was a member of Captain Roberts's fleet in June 1719 to April 1720, until leaving with fellow member Thomas Anstis, who was awarded command of the 21-gun Morning Star shortly before leaving the West Indies for the West African coast during the night of April 21, 1721 http://pirateshold.buccaneersoft.com/roster/thomas_anstis.html. Remaining with Anstis in the Caribbean, Fenn participated in the capture of three or four merchant ships near Hispanola, Jamaica
and Martinique
during the month of June before being given command of the 21-gun Morning Star.
After quarrelling for some time, Anstis and Fenn decided to end their piratical careers and petitioned King George I
for a royal pardon claiming they had been forced into piracy by Roberts. After nine months camped in an uninhabited island off the coast of Cuba, having received no response from the British government, they decided to resume their piracy in August 1722.
However, running into a violent storm shortly after their departure, Fenn's ship was wrecked on Grand Cayman Island
(it may have been during this storm and wreck that Fenn lost his right hand). Anstis rescued Fenn and some of his crew in the process of rescuing Fenn and his crew, but many pirates were still ashore when two British warships hove into sight.
Chased by the Royal Navy men-of-war, the pirates were able to escape after the winds died down to a dead calm
, rowing the Good Fortune to safety. After their flight to the Bay of Honduras, a frigate was captured to replace the lost Morning Star and the two met with success capturing several ships in the Bahamas during the next several months. However, while careening their ships at Tobago
in April 1723, they were surprised by the British warship HMS Winchelsey during which Fenn's ship was lost. Forced to run into the wooded inlands of Tobago, he was captured a day later and brought back to Antigua
where he was found guilty of piracy and hanged with six of his crew the following month.
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...
and later had a brief partnership with 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...
.
Although much of his early career is unrecorded, he was a member of Captain Roberts's fleet in June 1719 to April 1720, until leaving with fellow member Thomas Anstis, who was awarded command of the 21-gun Morning Star shortly before leaving the West Indies for the West African coast during the night of April 21, 1721 http://pirateshold.buccaneersoft.com/roster/thomas_anstis.html. Remaining with Anstis in the Caribbean, Fenn participated in the capture of three or four merchant ships near Hispanola, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
and 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...
during the month of June before being given command of the 21-gun Morning Star.
After quarrelling for some time, Anstis and Fenn decided to end their piratical careers and petitioned 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....
for a royal pardon claiming they had been forced into piracy by Roberts. After nine months camped in an uninhabited island off the coast of Cuba, having received no response from the British government, they decided to resume their piracy in August 1722.
However, running into a violent storm shortly after their departure, Fenn's ship was wrecked on Grand Cayman Island
Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands and the location of the nation's capital, George Town. In relation to the other two Cayman Islands, it is approximately 75 miles southwest of Little Cayman and 90 miles southwest of Cayman Brac.-Geography:Grand Cayman encompasses 76% of...
(it may have been during this storm and wreck that Fenn lost his right hand). Anstis rescued Fenn and some of his crew in the process of rescuing Fenn and his crew, but many pirates were still ashore when two British warships hove into sight.
Chased by the Royal Navy men-of-war, the pirates were able to escape after the winds died down to a dead calm
CALM
CALM may refer to:*Campaign Against Living Miserably, UK charity aimed at bringing down the suicide rate among young men.*Café-Au-Lait Macules as seen in the medical condition neurofibromatosis...
, rowing the Good Fortune to safety. After their flight to the Bay of Honduras, a frigate was captured to replace the lost Morning Star and the two met with success capturing several ships in the Bahamas during the next several months. However, while careening their ships at Tobago
Tobago
Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. The island lies outside the hurricane belt...
in April 1723, they were surprised by the British warship HMS Winchelsey during which Fenn's ship was lost. Forced to run into the wooded inlands of Tobago, he was captured a day later and brought back to Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
where he was found guilty of piracy and hanged with six of his crew the following month.
Further reading
- Earle, Peter. The Pirate Wars. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2005. ISBN 0-312-33579-2
- Rediker, Marcus. Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age. Boston: Beacon Press, 2004. ISBN 0-8070-5024-5
- Rogozinski, Jan. Pirates!: Brigands, Buccaneers, and Privateers in Fact, Fiction, and Legend. New York: Da Capo Press, 1996. ISBN 0-306-80722-X