The Pirates' Who's Who Part 19

GIBBS, CHARLES.

Born at Rhode Island in 1794, he was brought up on a farm there. Ran away to sea in the United States sloop-of-war _Harriet_. Was in action off Pernambuco against H.M.S. _Peac.o.c.k_, afterwards serving with credit on board the _Chesapeake_ in her famous fight with the _Shannon_; but after his release from Dartmoor as a prisoner of war he opened a grocery shop in Ann Street, called the "Tin Pot," "a place full of abandoned women and dissolute fellows." Drinking up all the profits, he was compelled to go to sea again, and got a berth on a South American privateer. Gibbs led a mutiny, seized the ship and turned her into a pirate, and cruised about in the neighbourhood of Havana, plundering merchant vessels along the coast of Cuba. He slaughtered the crews of all the ships he took. In 1819 returned to private life in New York with 30,000 dollars in gold. Taking a pleasure trip to Liverpool, he was entrapped by a designing female and lost all his money.

In 1830 he took to piracy once more and shipped as a seaman in the brig _Vineyard_ (Captain W. Thornby), New Orleans to Philadelphia, with a cargo of cotton, mola.s.ses, and 54,000 dollars in specie.

Gibbs again brought about a mutiny, murdering the captain and mate. After setting fire to and scuttling the ship, the crew took to their boats, landing at Barrow Island, where they buried their money in the sand.

He was hanged at New York as recently as 1831.

GIDDENS, PAUL.

One of Captain Quelch's crew. Tried at Boston in 1704.

GIDDINGS, JOHN.

Of York River, Virginia.

One of Captain Pound's crew. Wounded and taken prisoner at Tarpaulin Cove in 1689.

GILBERT, CAPTAIN.

Commanded the schooner _Panda_. On September 20th, 1832, he took and plundered a Salem brig, the _Mexican_, on her way from Salem to Rio de Janeiro. A few months later Gilbert and his crew were captured by Captain Trotter, of H.M. brig-of-war _Curlew_, and taken as prisoners to Salem and handed over to the United States authorities. Tried at Boston in December, 1834. Hanged at the same place on June 11th, 1835. This was the last act of piracy committed upon the Atlantic Ocean.

GILLAM, CAPTAIN JAMES, _alias_ KELLY.

A notorious pirate. When serving on board the East Indiaman _Mocha_, he led a mutiny, and with his own hands murdered the commander, Captain Edgecomb, in his sleep. He came back to America with Captain Kidd, and was hiding, under the name of Kelly, when caught in 1699 at Charleston, opposite Boston, by the Governor of Ma.s.sachusetts, who described him as "the most impudent, hardened villain I ever saw." It was said that Gillam had entered the service of the Mogul, turned Mohammedan, and been circ.u.mcised. To settle this last point, the prisoner was examined by a surgeon and a Jew, who both declared, on oath, that it was so.

GILLS, JOHN.

One of Captain Teach's crew. Hanged in Virginia in 1718.

GLASBY, HARRY.

Sailed as mate in the _Samuel_, of London (Captain Cary), which was taken in 1720 by Roberts, who made Glasby master on board the _Royal Fortune_.

Tried for piracy on the Guinea Coast in April and acquitted. Evidence was brought at his trial to show that Glasby was forced to serve with the pirates, for, being a "sea-artist" or sail-master, he was most useful to them. Twice he tried to escape in the West Indies, on one occasion being tried with two others by a drunken jury of pirates. The other deserters were shot, but Glasby was saved by one of his judges threatening to shoot anyone who made any attempt on him. Glasby befriended other prisoners and gave away his share of the plunder to them. When the _Royal Fortune_ was taken by the _Swallow_, several of the most desperate pirates, particularly one James Philips, took lighted matches with which to ignite the powder magazine and blow up the ship. Glasby prevented this by placing trusted sentinels below.

G.o.dEKINS, MASTER.

This notorious Hanseatic pirate, with another called Stertebeker, did fearful damage to English and other merchant shipping in the North Sea in the latter part of the fourteenth century.

On June 1st, 1395, he seized an English ship laden with salt fish off the coast of Denmark, her value being reckoned at 170. The master and crew of twenty-five men they slew, the only mariner saved being a boy, whom the pirates took with them to Wismar.

These same men took another English ship, the _Dogger_ (Captain Gervase Cat). The _Dogger_ was at anchor, and the crew fishing, when the pirates attacked them. The captain and crew were wounded, and damage was done to the tune of 200 n.o.bles.

Another vessel taken was a Yarmouth barque, _Michael_ (master, Robert Rigweys), while off Plymouth, the owner, Hugh ap Fen, losing 800 n.o.bles.

In 1394 these Hanseatic pirates, with a large fleet, attacked the town of Norbern in Norway, plundering the town and taking away all they could carry, as well as the merchants, who they held for ransom. The houses they burnt.

GOFFE, CHRISTOPHER.

Originally one of Captain Woollery's crew of Rhode Island pirates. In November, 1687, he surrendered himself at Boston, and was pardoned. In August, 1691, was commissioned by the Governor to cruise with his ship, the _Swan_, between Cape Cod and Cape Ann, to protect the coast from pirates.

GOLDSMITH, CAPTAIN THOMAS.

Of Dartmouth in Devon.

During the reign of Queen Anne, Goldsmith commanded a privateer vessel, the _Snap Dragon_, of Dartmouth. He turned pirate and ama.s.sed great riches.

This pirate would have been forgotten by now were it not that he died in his bed at Dartmouth, and was buried in the churchyard there. The lines engraved on his tombstone have been quoted in the Preface, but may be repeated here:

Men that are virtuous serve the Lord; And the Devil's by his friends ador'd; And as they merit get a place Amidst the bless'd or h.e.l.lish race; Pray then, ye learned clergy show Where can this brute, Tom Goldsmith, go?

Whose life was one continual evil, Striving to cheat G.o.d, Man, and Devil.

GOMEZ, JOHN, _alias_ PANTHER KEY JOHN.

Brother-in-law of the famous pirate Gasparilla.

Died, credited with the great age of 120 years, at Panther Key in Florida in 1900.

GOODALE, JOHN.

A Devonshire man.

Goodale, who was a renegade and had turned Mohammedan, held a position of importance and wealth amongst the Moors of Algiers. In the year 1621 he bought from the Moors a British prize called the _Exchange_, and also, for the sum of 7 10s., an English slave, lately captain of an English merchant ship, whom he got cheap owing to his having a deformed hand.

GOODLY, CAPTAIN.

An English buccaneer of Jamaica, who in the year 1663 was in command of a "junk" armed with six guns and carrying a crew of sixty men.

GORDON, CAPTAIN NATHANIEL.

Of Portland, Maine.

Commanded and owned the _Evie_, a small, full-rigged ship, which was fitted up as a "slaver." Made four voyages to West Africa for slaves. On his last voyage he was captured by the United States sloop _Mohican_, with 967 negroes on board. Tried in New York for piracy and found guilty and condemned to death. Great pressure was brought on President Lincoln to reprieve him, but without success, and Gordon was hanged at New York on February 22nd, 1862.