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Henry Jennings
Henry Jennings was an English privateer-turned-pirate. Jennings's first recorded act of piracy took place in early 1716 when, with three vessels and 150–300 men, Jennings's fleet ambushed the Spanish salvage camp from the 1715 Treasure Fleet. After the Florida raid, Jennings and his crew also linked up with Benjamin Hornigold's "three sets of pirates" from New Providence Island.
Author Colin Woodard describes Jennings as "an educated ship captain with a comfortable estate" on Bermuda, and he had estates on both Bermuda, a colony inextricably linked with the history of privateering, and Jamaica. He described himself as a Bermudian, and the Jennings family was well established there, especially at Flatts Village (located along the southern shore of Flatt's Inlet, which gives access to Harrington Sound) in Hamilton Parish, the affluent neighbourhood in Smith's Parish to the immediate west of which is still known as Jennings' Land after Captain Richard Jennings (who was a member of the Council of Bermuda during and after the English Civil War).
Although little is known of Jennings's early life, he was first recorded as a privateer during the 1701–1714 War of the Spanish Succession operating from Jamaica, then governed by Lord Archibald Hamilton.
On 31 July 1715, all 11 vessels of the 1715 Treasure Fleet, a large Spanish treasure fleet heading out from Havana, wrecked in a hurricane along the coasts of Florida near Cape Canaveral. News of the wreck and their distress call reached Jamaica in November 1715, and Jennings and his ship Bersheba sailed immediately to the Florida coast. Jennings and the Bersheba had been granted a commission by the governor of Jamaica, Lord Archibald Hamilton, as had John Wills' Eagle. They had been sanctioned to "Execute all manner of Acts of Hostility against pyrates according to the Law of Arms," with explicit instructions not to attack anyone except pirates. History Today states that it was later claimed that Hamilton had invested in the ships and endorsed a plan for them to attack the Spanish wrecks as well. Hamilton would later deny involvement in the upcoming attacks on Spanish wrecks. In December, Jennings and Charles Vane captured a Spanish mail ship and got the exact position of the main Spanish salvage camp and Urca de Lima from her captain Pedro de la Vega.
By the time Jennings arrived in Florida in early 1716, most of the treasure from the 1715 Treasure Fleet had already been returned to Havana after collection by Indian divers. However, Jennings found the rest awaiting shipment on the beach in a lightly guarded fort at Palma de Ayz, possibly close to Vero Beach. Jennings's first recorded act of piracy took place when, with three vessels and 150–300 men, his fleet ambushed the Spanish salvage camp. The nucleus of the pirate force was a group of English ex-privateers: Jennings, Charles Vane (on the Bersheba), Samuel Bellamy, Benjamin Hornigold,[citation needed] and Edward England. When Jennings and his men raided the storehouses, they forced the retreat of around 60 soldiers with superior numbers of 300 privateers, stealing about £87,500 in gold and silver, equivalent to a ten-year salary.
The New Providence capital of Nassau by 1715 was the former capital of the collapsed Bahamian government. By the end of 1715, Jennings arrived in Nassau with £87,000 in recovered Spanish treasure, as the city was experiencing an expansion.[clarification needed] According to Connor, shortly after arriving in Nassau, Jennings took a small Spanish trading sloop from Hornigold. As Jennings had 200 "well-armed" men under his command and at least two sloops, Hornigold was unable to stop him, with some of Jennings's men moving aboard the taken sloop to relieve crowding on the others. The flotilla left for Jamaica "after a few days of revelry and the orderly distribution of the crew's portion of the prize money." Jennings and his men then sailed for Jamaica to present their prizes to the Vice-Admiralty Court, which was presided over by Hamilton.
Jennings set sail for Jamaica carrying back an estimated 350,000 peso, or 120,000 pieces of eight, accompanied by fellow Captain John Wills and his crew of the Eagle. On the way his fleet encountered a Spanish merchant ship, which Jennings's captured and plundered. Afterwards he released the crew on their ship, which he did not sink. The Spanish captain followed Jennings's fleet back to Jamaica, and following it up the Cuban shore through Windward Passage and to the mouth of Port Royal Harbor. The Spanish captain then sailed to Cuba, and reported the plundering of his ship to the Spanish viceroy. As a result, the viceroy, who had also heard of Jennings's pillaging the shore camp, was "outraged," and contacted Hamilton to demand the pirates be hanged. The viceroy also threatened to kill Englishmen in locales such as Havana if Hamilton did not comply. With Hamilton stating he knew nothing of such pirates and there must have been a mistake, said he would, in turn, flog any Spanish he could find in Jamaica if the threat to English lives was carried out. The Barsheba dropped anchor in Jamaica on 26 January 1716. Jennings and Willis, in accordance with their commissions, brought their treasure to Hamilton. Although Hamilton later stated he did not take his share of the treasure, as "I heard it was taken from the shore", he did not arrest Jennings either, nor other privateers.
History Today related that "Jennings and Wills' arrival with their illicitly acquired fortune created a sensation in Jamaica," with many other privateers and pirates sailing to Florida to seek treasure from the wrecks along what would become known as the Treasure Coast. In Jamaica, "Jennings and his pirates were the toast of the town, not only for their daring attack but also for the many looted supplies they brought for sale to anyone with money." However, Hamilton complained to the local merchants about possible conflict with the Spanish over the pirates, who in turn advised Jennings to quietly leave Jamaica. Jennings sold the rest of his booty, and prepared to leave with his men. Shortly after leaving Jamaica, Jennings and his men overtook and plundered a Jamaican merchant vessel of Englishmen, stripping valuables down to the captain's clothing. The merchant ship sailed back to Jamaica and told of the incident, where Jennings was described as a pirate for preying on both English and Spanish ships. Around this time, a Spanish squadron of ships sent to capture Jennings instead burned the boats of several Englishmen on an island, while the Englishmen were ashore chopping wood. Jennings came across the moored men several days later, and offered to allow them to join his fleet, which they took him up on. The woodcutters were then put on the next ship captured for Jennings's fleet, with the ship also manned with some of Jennings's own crew. As his fleet and his fame grew, his fleet became too large and needed to be split into two groups.
Henry Jennings
Henry Jennings was an English privateer-turned-pirate. Jennings's first recorded act of piracy took place in early 1716 when, with three vessels and 150–300 men, Jennings's fleet ambushed the Spanish salvage camp from the 1715 Treasure Fleet. After the Florida raid, Jennings and his crew also linked up with Benjamin Hornigold's "three sets of pirates" from New Providence Island.
Author Colin Woodard describes Jennings as "an educated ship captain with a comfortable estate" on Bermuda, and he had estates on both Bermuda, a colony inextricably linked with the history of privateering, and Jamaica. He described himself as a Bermudian, and the Jennings family was well established there, especially at Flatts Village (located along the southern shore of Flatt's Inlet, which gives access to Harrington Sound) in Hamilton Parish, the affluent neighbourhood in Smith's Parish to the immediate west of which is still known as Jennings' Land after Captain Richard Jennings (who was a member of the Council of Bermuda during and after the English Civil War).
Although little is known of Jennings's early life, he was first recorded as a privateer during the 1701–1714 War of the Spanish Succession operating from Jamaica, then governed by Lord Archibald Hamilton.
On 31 July 1715, all 11 vessels of the 1715 Treasure Fleet, a large Spanish treasure fleet heading out from Havana, wrecked in a hurricane along the coasts of Florida near Cape Canaveral. News of the wreck and their distress call reached Jamaica in November 1715, and Jennings and his ship Bersheba sailed immediately to the Florida coast. Jennings and the Bersheba had been granted a commission by the governor of Jamaica, Lord Archibald Hamilton, as had John Wills' Eagle. They had been sanctioned to "Execute all manner of Acts of Hostility against pyrates according to the Law of Arms," with explicit instructions not to attack anyone except pirates. History Today states that it was later claimed that Hamilton had invested in the ships and endorsed a plan for them to attack the Spanish wrecks as well. Hamilton would later deny involvement in the upcoming attacks on Spanish wrecks. In December, Jennings and Charles Vane captured a Spanish mail ship and got the exact position of the main Spanish salvage camp and Urca de Lima from her captain Pedro de la Vega.
By the time Jennings arrived in Florida in early 1716, most of the treasure from the 1715 Treasure Fleet had already been returned to Havana after collection by Indian divers. However, Jennings found the rest awaiting shipment on the beach in a lightly guarded fort at Palma de Ayz, possibly close to Vero Beach. Jennings's first recorded act of piracy took place when, with three vessels and 150–300 men, his fleet ambushed the Spanish salvage camp. The nucleus of the pirate force was a group of English ex-privateers: Jennings, Charles Vane (on the Bersheba), Samuel Bellamy, Benjamin Hornigold,[citation needed] and Edward England. When Jennings and his men raided the storehouses, they forced the retreat of around 60 soldiers with superior numbers of 300 privateers, stealing about £87,500 in gold and silver, equivalent to a ten-year salary.
The New Providence capital of Nassau by 1715 was the former capital of the collapsed Bahamian government. By the end of 1715, Jennings arrived in Nassau with £87,000 in recovered Spanish treasure, as the city was experiencing an expansion.[clarification needed] According to Connor, shortly after arriving in Nassau, Jennings took a small Spanish trading sloop from Hornigold. As Jennings had 200 "well-armed" men under his command and at least two sloops, Hornigold was unable to stop him, with some of Jennings's men moving aboard the taken sloop to relieve crowding on the others. The flotilla left for Jamaica "after a few days of revelry and the orderly distribution of the crew's portion of the prize money." Jennings and his men then sailed for Jamaica to present their prizes to the Vice-Admiralty Court, which was presided over by Hamilton.
Jennings set sail for Jamaica carrying back an estimated 350,000 peso, or 120,000 pieces of eight, accompanied by fellow Captain John Wills and his crew of the Eagle. On the way his fleet encountered a Spanish merchant ship, which Jennings's captured and plundered. Afterwards he released the crew on their ship, which he did not sink. The Spanish captain followed Jennings's fleet back to Jamaica, and following it up the Cuban shore through Windward Passage and to the mouth of Port Royal Harbor. The Spanish captain then sailed to Cuba, and reported the plundering of his ship to the Spanish viceroy. As a result, the viceroy, who had also heard of Jennings's pillaging the shore camp, was "outraged," and contacted Hamilton to demand the pirates be hanged. The viceroy also threatened to kill Englishmen in locales such as Havana if Hamilton did not comply. With Hamilton stating he knew nothing of such pirates and there must have been a mistake, said he would, in turn, flog any Spanish he could find in Jamaica if the threat to English lives was carried out. The Barsheba dropped anchor in Jamaica on 26 January 1716. Jennings and Willis, in accordance with their commissions, brought their treasure to Hamilton. Although Hamilton later stated he did not take his share of the treasure, as "I heard it was taken from the shore", he did not arrest Jennings either, nor other privateers.
History Today related that "Jennings and Wills' arrival with their illicitly acquired fortune created a sensation in Jamaica," with many other privateers and pirates sailing to Florida to seek treasure from the wrecks along what would become known as the Treasure Coast. In Jamaica, "Jennings and his pirates were the toast of the town, not only for their daring attack but also for the many looted supplies they brought for sale to anyone with money." However, Hamilton complained to the local merchants about possible conflict with the Spanish over the pirates, who in turn advised Jennings to quietly leave Jamaica. Jennings sold the rest of his booty, and prepared to leave with his men. Shortly after leaving Jamaica, Jennings and his men overtook and plundered a Jamaican merchant vessel of Englishmen, stripping valuables down to the captain's clothing. The merchant ship sailed back to Jamaica and told of the incident, where Jennings was described as a pirate for preying on both English and Spanish ships. Around this time, a Spanish squadron of ships sent to capture Jennings instead burned the boats of several Englishmen on an island, while the Englishmen were ashore chopping wood. Jennings came across the moored men several days later, and offered to allow them to join his fleet, which they took him up on. The woodcutters were then put on the next ship captured for Jennings's fleet, with the ship also manned with some of Jennings's own crew. As his fleet and his fame grew, his fleet became too large and needed to be split into two groups.