Peter Easton
Encyclopedia
Peter Easton was a pirate in the early 17th century who operated along the Newfoundland coastline between Harbour Grace
and Ferryland
from 1611 to 1614. Perhaps one of the most successful of all pirates he controlled such seapower that no sovereign or state could afford to ignore him and he was never overtaken or captured by any fleet commissioned to hunt him down. However, he is not as well known as some of the pirates from the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
. The Eastons also distinguished themselves against the Spanish Armada
.
In 1602, Easton was in command of a convoy as a privateer
with a commission from Queen Elizabeth I, to protect the Newfoundland fishing fleet. During these times, fishing vessels would carry arms and small cannons to protect the valuable cargo of fish from pirates and foreign vessels. Under his commission he could legally press-gang
local fishermen into service for him. He could also attack the ships and wharves of the enemy as much as he wished, especially the much hated Spanish. Peter Easton's flagship was the Happy Adventure from which he flew the St. George's Cross at the masthead.
. The king sued for peace with Spain and cancelled all letters of commission to privateers. Easton continued his attack on vessels as though nothing had changed. In so doing, he had crossed the line into piracy.
Easton attacked Spanish ships for gold in the West Indies and the Mediterranean while in the meantime demanding and receiving protection money
from English ships. In 1610, he blockaded the Bristol Channel
, effectively controlling the shipping entering and leaving the western English ports. For the most part, he was acting on behalf of the powerful family of the Killigrew
s from Falmouth
, Cornwall
. They financed his expeditions and also took share in his profits.
By 1612 Easton was in charge of ten pirate ships and had his headquarters at Harbour Grace. He raided and plundered both English and foreign vessels and the harbours of Newfoundland, press-ganging fishermen into his service along the way.
On one expedition, he plundered thirty ships in St. John's and held Sir Richard Whitbourne
prisoner, releasing him on the condition that Whitbourne go to England and obtain a pardon
for Easton. The pardon was granted, but by this time, Easton had moved on to the Barbary Coast
to harass the Spanish.
While in Newfoundland, Easton is estimated to have taken as many as 1,500 fishermen for his ships, some voluntarily, but perhaps the majority by force. Easton continued to protect John Guy's colony at Cuper's Cove
but did not allow him to establish another colony at Renews.
On one of his raids to the Caribbean
, he reputedly breached the supposedly unassailable Fort San Felipe del Morro
, Puerto Rico
, which had once withstood a siege by Sir Francis Drake
. Easton captured the Spanish ship San Sebastian which was full of treasure and took it back to Harbour Grace.
Easton eventually settled in Villefranche
, Savoy
with two million pounds of gold, acquiring the title Marquis
of Savoy
.
was captured from a Dutch warship by Easton and, while a prisoner, fell in love with one of Easton’s lieutenants, Gilbert Pike. They eventually married. Gilbert left Easton’s employ and they settled and became planters
in a place called Mosquito, now called Bristol’s Hope
.
Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and Labrador
Harbour Grace is a town in Conception Bay on the Avalon Peninsula in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. With roots dating back to the sixteenth century, it is one of the oldest towns in North America. It is located about 45 km northwest of the provincial capital, St. John's...
and Ferryland
Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador
Ferryland is a town in Newfoundland and Labrador on the Avalon Peninsula. According to the 2006 Statistics Canada census, its population is 529. Addresses in Ferryland use the alphanumerically lowest postal codes in Canada, starting with A0A....
from 1611 to 1614. Perhaps one of the most successful of all pirates he controlled such seapower that no sovereign or state could afford to ignore him and he was never overtaken or captured by any fleet commissioned to hunt him down. However, he is not as well known as some of the pirates from the late 17th and early 18th centuries.
Loyal Service
Peter Easton had been a loyal servant of the English Crown whose ancestors had served in the CrusadesCrusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
. The Eastons also distinguished themselves against the Spanish Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
.
In 1602, Easton was in command of a convoy as a privateer
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...
with a commission from Queen Elizabeth I, to protect the Newfoundland fishing fleet. During these times, fishing vessels would carry arms and small cannons to protect the valuable cargo of fish from pirates and foreign vessels. Under his commission he could legally press-gang
Impressment
Impressment, colloquially, "the Press", was the act of taking men into a navy by force and without notice. It was used by the Royal Navy, beginning in 1664 and during the 18th and early 19th centuries, in wartime, as a means of crewing warships, although legal sanction for the practice goes back to...
local fishermen into service for him. He could also attack the ships and wharves of the enemy as much as he wished, especially the much hated Spanish. Peter Easton's flagship was the Happy Adventure from which he flew the St. George's Cross at the masthead.
Becoming a pirate
The turning point in Easton's career came in 1603 when Elizabeth I was succeeded by James IJames I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
. The king sued for peace with Spain and cancelled all letters of commission to privateers. Easton continued his attack on vessels as though nothing had changed. In so doing, he had crossed the line into piracy.
Easton attacked Spanish ships for gold in the West Indies and the Mediterranean while in the meantime demanding and receiving protection money
Protection racket
A protection racket is an extortion scheme whereby a criminal group or individual coerces a victim to pay money, supposedly for protection services against violence or property damage. Racketeers coerce reticent potential victims into buying "protection" by demonstrating what will happen if they...
from English ships. In 1610, he blockaded the Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
, effectively controlling the shipping entering and leaving the western English ports. For the most part, he was acting on behalf of the powerful family of the Killigrew
Killigrew
-Family of, or descended from, Arwenack, Falmouth, Cornwall and Hanworth, Middlesex:* Anne Killigrew , the poet* Catherine Killigrew * Henry Killigrew , English diplomat* Henry Killigrew , playwright...
s from Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. They financed his expeditions and also took share in his profits.
By 1612 Easton was in charge of ten pirate ships and had his headquarters at Harbour Grace. He raided and plundered both English and foreign vessels and the harbours of Newfoundland, press-ganging fishermen into his service along the way.
On one expedition, he plundered thirty ships in St. John's and held Sir Richard Whitbourne
Richard Whitbourne
Sir Richard Whitbourne was an English colonist, author and mariner.Richard Whitbourne was born near Teignmouth in Devon, England. Whilst apprenticed to a merchant adventurer of Southampton, he sailed extensively around Europe and twice to Newfoundland. He served in a ship of his own against the...
prisoner, releasing him on the condition that Whitbourne go to England and obtain a 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...
for Easton. The pardon was granted, but by this time, Easton had moved on to the Barbary Coast
Barbary Coast
The Barbary Coast, or Barbary, was the term used by Europeans from the 16th until the 19th century to refer to much of the collective land of the Berber people. Today, the terms Maghreb and "Tamazgha" correspond roughly to "Barbary"...
to harass the Spanish.
While in Newfoundland, Easton is estimated to have taken as many as 1,500 fishermen for his ships, some voluntarily, but perhaps the majority by force. Easton continued to protect John Guy's colony at Cuper's Cove
Cuper's Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador
Cuper's Cove, on the southwest shore of Conception Bay on Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula was an early English settlement in the New World, and the second one after the Jamestown Settlement to endure for longer than a year...
but did not allow him to establish another colony at Renews.
On one of his raids to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, he reputedly breached the supposedly unassailable Fort San Felipe del Morro
Fort San Felipe del Morro
Also known as Fort San Felipe del Morro or Morro Castle, is a 16th-century citadel located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.- Rundown :Lies on the northwestern-most point of the islet of San Juan, Puerto Rico...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, which had once withstood a siege by Sir Francis Drake
Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral was an English sea captain, privateer, navigator, slaver, and politician of the Elizabethan era. Elizabeth I of England awarded Drake a knighthood in 1581. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He also carried out the...
. Easton captured the Spanish ship San Sebastian which was full of treasure and took it back to Harbour Grace.
Easton eventually settled in Villefranche
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera.-Geography:...
, Savoy
Savoy
Savoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
with two million pounds of gold, acquiring the title Marquis
Marquess
A marquess or marquis is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The term is also used to translate equivalent oriental styles, as in imperial China, Japan, and Vietnam...
of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
.
Legend
Popular belief has it that the Irish Princess, Sheila NaGeiraSheila NaGeira
The legend of Sheila NaGeira, the Irish Princess, claims that she was the first European woman to give birth in Newfoundland and quite possibly North America. This is based on the mistaken idea that there is no evidence of Vikings giving birth at their settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows...
was captured from a Dutch warship by Easton and, while a prisoner, fell in love with one of Easton’s lieutenants, Gilbert Pike. They eventually married. Gilbert left Easton’s employ and they settled and became planters
Planters
Planters is an American snack food company, a division of Kraft Foods, best known for its processed nuts and for the Mr. Peanut icon that symbolizes them. Mr. Peanut was created by grade schooler Antonio Gentile for a 1916 contest to design the company's brand icon...
in a place called Mosquito, now called Bristol’s Hope
Bristol's Hope, Newfoundland and Labrador
Bristol's Hope is the modern name of a community in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is located on Conception Bay between Carbonear and Harbour Grace....
.