57-609: George Lowther may refer to: George Lowther (pirate) (died 1723), English pirate George Lowther (writer) (1913–1975), American writer, producer, director for radio and television George Lowther (died 1716) , Irish Member of Parliament for Ratoath George Lowther (1739–1784) , Irish Member of Parliament for Ratoath, Ardee and Newtownards George W. Lowther (1822–1898), Massachusetts state representative and civil rights activist See also [ edit ] Gorges Lowther (disambiguation) [REDACTED] Topics referred to by
114-500: A rigger , in early 1722 he joined a gang of twelve men on a sloop headed for Honduras , where they planned to collect a shipment of logs for resale in Boston. Low was employed as a patron, supervising the loading and carrying of the logs. One day, he returned to the ship hungry, but was told by the captain he would have to wait to eat, and that he and his men would have to be satisfied with their ration of rum . At this, Low "took up
171-566: A tender , but was abandoned during an encounter with a man of war named the Mermaid . As Low's success increased in the Caribbean, so did his notoriety. Eventually, a bounty was placed on his head, and Low set out for the Azores, again teaming up with Charles Harris. As they terrorised the Azores, the pressure increased from the authorities, who by then had taken special notice of Low, despite
228-438: A French cook alive, saying he was a "greasy fellow who would fry well"; another tells how he once killed 53 Spanish captives with his cutlass. Some historians, including David Cordingly , believe this was deliberately done to cultivate a ferocious image. Historian Edward Leslie described Low as a psychopath with a history filled with "mutilations, disembowelings , decapitations , and slaughter". Low, like other pirates of
285-518: A French-owned island. Hiding most of his men below deck, he was permitted to send men ashore for water. The following day, a French sloop was sent out to investigate, but was captured when Low's men emerged from hiding. Low, now commanding the captured sloop (renamed the Ranger ), gave the schooner Squirrel to Spriggs, his quartermaster , who renamed it the Delight, before sailing away in the middle of
342-602: A cannon shot for a signal. Greyhound responded with a broadside , (simultaneous discharge of all cannons on a side of a ship.) The pirates boarded the Greyhound , possibly killed the entire crew and burnt the ship. Lowther had many ships under his command by now, granting the 6-gun brigantine Rebecca to his lieutenant Edward Low , who left to begin his own pirate career and with whom Lowther and Francis Spriggs would briefly rejoin in late 1723. When Lowther sailed his fleet to Guatemala , they were attacked by natives, and he
399-544: A crew of 44, Low amicably dissolved his partnership with Lowther. In one notable raid in June 1722, Low and his crew attacked thirteen New England fishing vessels sheltering at anchor in Port Roseway, Shelburne , Nova Scotia . Although outnumbered, Low hoisted his Jolly Roger flag and declared that no mercy would be given to the fishermen if any resisted. The fleet submitted and Low's men robbed every vessel. Low chose
456-439: A detailed account of life aboard Low's pirate ship. Before Ashton's escape, he had been beaten, whipped, kept in chains, and threatened with death many times - particularly by Low's quartermaster John Russell - as he refused to sign Low's articles and become a pirate. Low's tactics consisted primarily of hoisting false colours and approaching an unsuspecting vessel. Off the coast of St John's , Newfoundland , Low mistook
513-769: A fully armed man-of-war for a fishing boat, and barely escaped. He moved on to Conception Bay , capturing a number of boats around the Grand Banks southeast of Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic to the Azores . There, he captured a French (or Portuguese —sources differ) pink , a narrow-sterned former man of war, which Low rearmed and refitted as his new flagship, naming it the Rose Pink . He also captured an English vessel with two Portuguese passengers aboard. Low had his crew hoist them up and drop them back down from
570-624: A house in Stepney . As he advanced in age, Low tired of pickpocketing and thievery and turned to burglary . Eventually, he left England, and traveled alone to the New World around 1710. He spent three to four years in various locations, before settling in Boston , Massachusetts . On 12 August 1714, he married Eliza Marble at the First Church of Boston. They had a son, who died when he
627-417: A loaded musket and fired at the captain but missed him, [and] shot another poor fellow through the throat". Following this failed mutiny , Low and his friends were forced to leave the boat. A day later, Low led the twelve-man gang, including Francis Farrington Spriggs , who went on to become a notorious pirate in his own right, taking over a small sloop off the coast of Rhode Island . Killing one man during
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#1732802179850684-539: A number of Low's crew members, a sailor on board the Fortune, John Welland, recalled how Low stripped his boat, including gold to the value of £ 150, then beat him and cut off his ear with a cutlass . Following this, Low's fleet captured a Portuguese ship called the Nostra Signiora de Victoria on 25 January 1723. The Victoria's captain allowed a bag containing approximately 11,000 gold moidores (worth at
741-558: A red skeleton on a black background, which became notorious. He first flew his own flag in late July 1723. Low also used a green silk flag with a yellow figure of a man blowing a trumpet; this Green Trumpeter was hoisted on the mizzen peak to call his fleet's captains to meetings aboard the flagship. Low had a set of Articles , a code of conduct . The Articles listed below are attributed to Low by The Boston News-Letter . The first eight of these articles are essentially identical to those attributed to Lowther by Charles Johnson. It
798-483: A sloop named the Ranger . Lowther's crew was constantly expanded by desperate sailors willing to join him. Fast acquiring a taste for cruelty, Low taught Spriggs a torture technique that involved tying a victim's hands with rope between their fingers and setting it alight, burning their flesh down to the bones. Following a number of successful raids, Lowther eventually captured a large 6-gun brigantine named Rebecca on 28 May 1722. He gave it to Low to captain. With
855-679: A village on shore, he lost the vote as the risk was deemed too great. Lowther was able to obtain a smaller ship, named the Happy Delivery , and parted ways with Massey and his men. Lowther left for the Carolinas , where he developed the tactic of ramming his ship into another, while his men boarded and looted it. Around 1721 he left for the Grand Caymans , where he ran into the Greyhound captained by Benjamin Edwards. Lowther gave
912-502: A young man. His wife died in childbirth in late 1719. Two years later, he became a pirate, operating off the coasts of New England and the Azores , and in the Caribbean . Low captained a number of ships, usually maintaining a small fleet of three or four. Low and his pirate crews captured at least a hundred ships during his short career, burning most of them. Although he was active for only three years, Low remains notorious as one of
969-413: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages George Lowther (pirate) George Lowther (died 1723) was an English pirate who, although little is known of his life, was reportedly active in the Caribbean and Atlantic during the early 18th century. His first mate was Edward Low . Not much is known about him before becoming the second mate on
1026-451: Is likely that both reports are correct and that Low and Lowther shared the same articles, with Low's two extra articles being an ordonnance , or amendment, adopted after the two crews separated. I. The Captain is to have two full Shares; the [Quarter] Master is to have one Share and one Half; The Doctor, Mate, Gunner and Boatswain , one Share and one Quarter. II. He that shall be found guilty of taking up any Unlawfull Weapon on Board
1083-472: The Fancy , captained by a young Charles Harris ) dropped anchor to remove growth such as seaweed and barnacles from the outside and bottom of the boats, in a process known as careening ; no dry dock was available to pirates. Still relatively inexperienced, Low ordered too many men to the outside of the boat to work on the buildup, and the Rose Pink tipped too far. The portholes had been left open, and
1140-700: The Merry Christmas , by now mounted with 34 guns, as his sole ship. There are conflicting reports on the circumstances of Low's death. Captain Charles Johnson—considered by some to be Daniel Defoe writing under a pseudonym —in his A General History of the Pyrates , stated that Low and the Fancy were last sighted near the Canaries and Guinea. However, at the time of his 1724 book, no further reports had surfaced. He noted one rumour that Low
1197-704: The Merry Christmas ; they would go on to sail alongside Spriggs in the Caribbean. Low was subsequently rescued by a French ship. When the French authorities learned of his identity he was brought to trial and was hanged in Martinique in 1724. Men of the HMS Diamond reported encountering a periagua with nine men aboard in March 1726, recognising one of them as Low. Diamond had lost her canoe and could not give chase, leaving Low to his fate near Roatan , where he
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#17328021798501254-414: The footmen of the nearby House of Commons . Most of his family appear to have been thieves. While young, his brother, Richard, was small for his age and is said to have been carried around in a basket on a friend's back; in a crowd, Richard would snatch the hats and wigs of passers-by. Richard later took to other forms of criminal activity and ended up hanged at Tyburn in 1707 for the burglary of
1311-493: The slave ship , Gambia Castle , which was under the command of Captain Charles Russell; however, Lowther was more popular with the crew, as Russell seemed to care more about his shipment of slaves than for his men. Russell distrusted Lowther, and when he attempted to have him flogged, many crew members took Lowther's side and defended him, causing a schism among the crew. Also on board, after retreating from their fort,
1368-612: The yard arm several times, until they died. He moved on to the Canaries , Cape Verde and then back to the coast of Brazil , where he was driven back by foul weather. Captain Loe , with the usual Compliments, welcomed me on board, and told me, He was very sorry for my Loss, and that it was not his Desire to meet with any of his Country-men, but rather with Foreigners, excepting some few that he wanted to chastise for their Rogueishness , as he call'd it. Low abandoned his plans of plundering
1425-492: The Azores, leaving Harris and the Ranger behind. Twenty-five of the crew of the Ranger , including the ship's doctor, were tried between 10 July and 12 July, with Solgard giving evidence and recounting the battle. The men were hanged for felony, piracy, and robbery near Newport , Rhode Island, on 19 July 1723. Harris was sent back to England and hanged at Execution Dock in Wapping . When Solgard returned to New York, he
1482-636: The Coast off of the Capes of Virginia, they were again chased by the same Pyrates who first took them, they did not trouble them again but wished them well Home, they saw at the same time his Consort, a Sloop of eight Guns, with a Ship and a Sloop which were supposed to be Prizes, they were Commanded by one Edward LOW. The Pyrates gave us an account of his taking the Bay of Hondoras from the Spaniards, which had surprised
1539-678: The Company shall think fit. X. No Snaping of Guns in the Hould . Edward Low's acts, along with those of other pirates of the period such as Edward "Blackbeard" Teach , Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts , and William Fly , led to a great increase in the military presence to protect shipping lanes, resulting in the effective end of the Golden Age of Piracy . By 1700, the European states had enough troops and ships at their disposal, following
1596-682: The Crew having made their Escape) and it was believed that twelve or thirteen of them would be convicted of Pyracy, and that the others would be clear’d, as being forced into the said Pyrates Service. The same information is in Newcastle Courant newspaper dated 1 February 1724: We have the good News from St. Christophers, that Captain Moor of the Eagle Sloop, discovering a Pyrate Sloop of 10 Guns, and 40 Men, commanded by Lowther, careening at
1653-667: The English and taking them, and putting all the Spaniards to the Sword Excepting two boys, as also burning The King George, and a Snow belonging to New York, and sunk one of the New England Ships, and cut off one the Masters Ears and slit his Nose, all this they confessed themselves. Low's new fleet captured many more sloops, including one that Low kept, naming it the Fortune . During a trial on 10 July 1723 for
1710-633: The Island of Blanco, boarded, and took her, with 24 of her Men, but Lowther, and 10 more, jump'd over board, and escap'd, however 4 of them were afterwards taken by a Spanish Cannoe, and 'tis hoped Lowther and the Rest would be also taken. The Daily Courant of June 12, 1724, reported that "The Master of the Eagle was afterwards informed, that George Lowther, the Captain of the said Pyrate Sloop, had shot himself on
1767-527: The Misfortune to loose a Limb in time of Engagement, shall have the Sum of Six hundred pieces of Eight, and remain aboard as long as he shall think fit. VII. Good Quarters to be given when Craved. VIII. He that sees a Sail first, shall have the best Pistol or Small Arm aboard of her. IX. He that shall be guilty of Drunkenness in time of Engagement shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and Majority of
George Lowther - Misplaced Pages Continue
1824-557: The Privateer or any other prize by us taken, so as to Strike or Abuse one another in any regard, shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and the Majority of the Company shall see fit. III. He that shall be found Guilty of Cowardice in the time of Ingagements, shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and the Majority of the Company shall think fit. IV. If any Gold, Jewels, Silver, &c. be found on Board of any Prize or Prizes to
1881-439: The alarm. He then captured a number of unarmed merchantmen near Port Rosemary. Of all the pyratical crews that were ever heard of, none of the English name came up to this, in barbarity. Their mirth and their anger had much the same effect, for both were usually gratified with the cries and groans of their prisoners; so that they almost as often murdered a man from the excess of good humour, as out of passion and resentment; and
1938-628: The end of a number of wars, to begin better protecting their important colonies in the West Indies and in the Americas without relying on the aid of privateers . Pirates based in the Caribbean were chased from the seas by a new British squadron based at Port Royal , Jamaica , and a smaller group of Spanish privateers, sailing from the Spanish Main , known as the Guarda de Costa , or simply
1995-596: The fishermen. Heading south again, Low captured a 22 gun French ship and a large Virginian merchant vessel, the Merry Christmas , in late June 1723. Following the defeat by the Greyhound , Low became "peculiarly cruel" to his English victims. His fleet of three ships rejoined forces with George Lowther in July. In late 1723, Low and Lowther's fleet captured the Delight off the coast of Guinea , mounting fourteen guns on her, with command being given to Spriggs. Two days later, Spriggs and Lowther both abandoned Low, leaving him
2052-644: The largest, an 80-ton schooner , which he renamed The Fancy, armed with 10 guns, to become his flagship . He sank the other ships of the fleet and abandoned the Rebecca . The Boston News-Letter of 9 July 1722 published a list of those captured by Low. A number of the fishermen were forced to join Low, including Philip Ashton , who escaped in May 1723 on Roatán Island in the Bay Islands of Honduras, and who wrote
2109-530: The most vicious pirates of the age, with a reputation for violently torturing his victims before murdering them. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle described Low as "savage and desperate," and a man of "amazing and grotesque brutality." The New York Times called him a torturer, whose methods would have "done credit to the ingenuity of the Spanish Inquisition in its darkest days." The circumstances of Low's death, which took place around 1724, have been
2166-433: The night with a small crew following a disagreement with Low over the disciplining of one of Spriggs' crew. The Pyrates [were] waiting there for them, took them and Plundered them; they cut and whiped some and others they burnt with Matches between their Fingers to the bone to make them confess where their Money was, they took to the value of a Thousand Pistoles from Passengers and others, they then let them go, but coming on
2223-440: The other hordes of pirates in operation at the time. Low, Harris and their ships left the Azores for the Carolinas . On 10 June 1723, they suffered a resounding defeat in a battle with HMS Greyhound , a heavily armed man of war. Greyhound had been dispatched under the command of Peter Solgard to hunt down Low and his fleet. Low fled in the Fancy with a skeleton crew and £150,000 in gold on board and headed back to
2280-484: The rich shipping trade off the coast of Brazil, and moved on to the Caribbean. George Roberts, a mate on the British ship King Sagamore , recounted a meeting with Low aboard the Rose Pink . Roberts' ship was captured by Low's fleet, of which he was now styling himself "Commodore". Forty leagues (120 nautical miles or around 220 km) to the east of Surinam , Low and his fleet of two ships (the Rose Pink and
2337-468: The said Island of Blanko, and was found dead with his Pistol burst by his Side." Edward Low Edward Low (also spelled Lowe or Loe ; c. 1690–1724) was a pirate of English origin during the latter days of the Golden Age of Piracy , in the early 18th century. Low was born into poverty in Westminster , London , and was a thief from an early age. He moved to Boston , Massachusetts , as
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2394-408: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_Lowther&oldid=1076697210 " Category : Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
2451-411: The subject of much speculation. According to Charles Johnson's A General History of the Pyrates , Edward Low was born in Westminster , London , England , in 1690. He was described as illiterate , having a "quarrelsome nature", and always ready to cheat, running "wild in the streets of his native parish". As a young man, he was said to be a pickpocket and gambler, playing games of chance with
2508-468: The theft, Low and his crew turned pirate, determined "to go in her, make a black Flag, and declare War against all the World." Low, using his newly captured ship, lay in wait on a popular shipping route between Boston and New York . Within a few days, he and his crew seized a sloop out of Rhode Island and plundered it. His crew cut the rigging away to prevent the sloop returning too quickly to port to raise
2565-459: The time around £15,000) to fall into the sea rather than see it captured. One of Low's most noted episodes of cruelty followed: in his rage, he slashed off the Portuguese captain's lips with a cutlass, broiled them, and forced the victim to eat them while still hot. He then murdered the remaining crew. Low's own men described him as "a maniac and a brute." One story describes Low burning
2622-464: The time, tried to intimidate his victims into surrendering by threatening to kill or torture them. The crew of the targeted ship would hinder their officers from defending her, so afraid were they of reprisals. One failed torture session led to one of Low's crew members accidentally cutting him in the mouth. Botched surgery left Low scarred. A snow called the Unity was added to the fleet and used as
2679-424: The unfortunate could never be assured of safety from them, for danger lurked in their very smiles. Low headed south and began operating in the waters of Grand Cayman , including being lieutenant to the established pirate George Lowther , who captained the Happy Delivery , a 100- ton Rhode Island sloop with eight cannon and ten swivel guns. When she was "destroyed by Indians", Lowther and his crew transferred to
2736-490: The value of a Piece of Eight , & the finder do not deliver it to the Quarter Master in the space of 24 hours he shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and the Majority of the Company shall think fit. V. He that is found Guilty of Gaming, or Defrauding one another to the value of a Royal of Plate, shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and the Majority of the Company shall think fit. VI. He that shall have
2793-483: The vessel took on water and sank, taking two men with her. The Rose Pink had been carrying most of the provisions. Low was captaining a schooner , the Squirrel —and his crew were forced to strictly ration their fresh water to half a pint (around 275 ml ) per man, per day. Failing to reach their initial destination of Tobago due to light winds and strong currents , Low's depleted fleet made it to Grenada ,
2850-464: The whaler's crew adrift with no provisions, intending them to starve to death. They were lucky and reached Nantucket , Massachusetts after a difficult journey. Remaining off the coast of North America , Low's crew took a fishing boat near Block Island . Low decapitated the ship's master, and sent the crew ashore. When he captured two more fishing boats near Rhode Island, his actions became so savage that his crew refused to carry out his orders to torture
2907-574: Was a Captain Massey, along with a company of soldiers under his command. One night, while Captain Russell was offboard, Massey and Lowther decided to set sail without him. Massey intended to return to England, but Lowther, the crew, and Massey's own soldiers disagreed. Lowther was made captain and he renamed the Gambia Castle as Delivery . They attacked many ships but when Massey wanted to pillage
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#17328021798502964-432: Was an infant, and then a daughter named Elizabeth, born in the winter of 1719. Eliza died in childbirth, leaving Low with his daughter. The loss of his wife had a profound effect on Low: in his later career of piracy, he would often express regret for the daughter he left behind, and refused to press-gang married men into joining his crews. He would also allow women to return to port safely. At first working honestly as
3021-480: Was forced to leave some ships and men behind. His crew and supplies were all transferred to the Revenge . In 1722 he sailed to a secluded island called Blanquilla . However, before landing he was spotted by Walter Moore, commander of HMS Eagle . Lowther was able to escape to the island by slipping out of his cabin window, along with a dozen crewmen; only four made it to shore. After an extensive search Lowther's body
3078-560: Was found. He had shot himself in the head rather than be taken prisoner. The Post-Boy newspaper dated 2 May 1724 suggested that Lowther may have escaped. The newspaper reports: The last Letters from S. Christopher bring Advice, that on the 20th of February, the Eagle Sloop, h ted out from that Island, had brought in thither the Pyrate Sloop she had taken from Lowther, with twenty of the Men that were on board, (Lowther himself and many of
3135-402: Was presented with the freedom of the city and a gold snuffbox for his part in bringing some of Low's crew to justice. Low, still captaining the Fancy , sailed north. He captured a whaling vessel 80 miles (130 km) out at sea, and in a foul mood following the encounter with the Greyhound and the loss of Harris, he tortured the captain before shooting him through the head. He set
3192-700: Was sailing for Brazil and another that Low's ship sank in a storm with the loss of all hands. The National Maritime Museum in London states that he was never caught, ending his days in Brazil. Charles Ellms suggests in The Pirates Own Book that Low was set adrift without provisions by the crew of the Merry Christmas in a mutiny brought about by Low's murder of a sleeping subordinate following an argument. His crew elected Captain Shipton to command
3249-483: Was supposedly killed by the indigenous Miskito . Still later in late 1739, a man identified as the "famous Ned Low, formerly well known here for his piracies" was spotted escaping a Spanish fort at Porto Bello . He had been among the fort's gun crews when the city was attacked by British forces during the War of Jenkins' Ear . Initially, Low used the same flag as his associate Francis Spriggs . Later, he used his own flag,
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