Bonus | Rhode Island Pirates

Throughout the late 17th and early 18th century, Rhode Island pirates contributed heavily to the Golden Age of Piracy and became such a nuisance that they almost got the colony's charter revoked.

25 minutes | 1683 - 1723

Hear About:

📜The numerous pirates who lived in Newport during the late 17th & early 18th century. 

📜Why pirates were so beloved by Rhode Island in the late 17th century.

📜What caused the Rhode Island colonists to eventually despise the once beloved pirates.

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Key Historical Figures Introduced
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Thomas Paine

This is NOT the Revolutionary War author you are thinking of.  This Thomas Paine was an extremely successful pirate who lived out most of his life on Conanicut Island.

 

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Thomas Tew

Considered by Forbes to be the 3rd highest pirate in history, Tew simply could not give up the fortunes that came with being a pirate and eventually met his match while at sea. 

 

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Gravelly Point Pirates

The 26 pirates who were hanged at Gravelly Point in 1723 marked a time when the Golden Age of Piracy was coming to a swift end in the American colonies. 

Visit Locations From the Show
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White Horse Tavern | Newport, RI

The history surrounding  the White Horse Tavern seems to be endless.  Not only was it built by the founder of Newport, William Coddington, but the man who contributed to turning it into a public establishment was a former pirate.  His name was William Mayes Jr. and after giving up his life of piracy abroad he went on to start an inn known as the White Horse Inn.  

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Trinity Church | Newport, RI

After hanging up his pirate boots, Thomas Paine of Jamestown went on to help found a congregation in Newport.  That congregation still exists today and they now worship at the Trinity Church. 

Gravelly Point | Newport, RI

Known as Mary Ferrazzoli Park today, Gravelly Point hosted the largest mass execution in Rhode Island history.  It took place in 1723 and by the time it took place the once beloved pirates had officially become a nusciance.  Therefore, local citizens were more than happy to see 26 pirates hanging from the gallows. 

Maps, Graphs, and Images
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Thomas Paine's House aka Cajacet on Jamestown

While some pirates like Thomas Tew could never give up the hard drinking, adventurous life of a pirate, Paine felt otherwise.  Not only did Paine end up marrying the daughter of a future Rhode Island Governor, Caleb Carr, but he also helped to found the congregation that now worships at the Trinity Church.  However, when his friend, the notorious Captain Kidd, needed help hiding his treasure, Paine was willing to lend a hand.  Read below to see what might have happened to Kidd's hidden treasure on Jamestown.

Image source: https://docs.rwu.edu/baker_paine_house/

What This Episode Doesn't Tell You

What might have happened to Captain Kidd's treasure on Jamestown

In 1699, Thomas Paine's old friend and one of history's most infamous pirates, Captain Kidd, visited Paine in Jamestown before turning himself into authorities in Boston.  While there, Kidd asks Paine to hold on to a few items for him.  A letter later found by royal authorities made it clear exactly what Paine was hiding.   In the letter, Captain Kidd's wife, Sarah, asked Paine to send her “24 ounces of gold” and that Paine could keep the rest for himself.  The location of that treasure would go with Paine to his grave when he died in 1715.  The best hint of anyone ever finding the treasure came in the 19th century while renovations were being done on the house.  One of the men working on the house is rumored to have told the owner about an interesting discovery they found in the backyard.  After giving the owner part of what they discovered, the man in charge of the renovations unexpectedly retired from his profession and purchased a farm of his own with cash.  Since the man was not known to be wealthy, it begs one to ask where the sudden injection of cash came from.   

Thomas Paine Saves Block Island from French Privateers

While in the midst of King William's War (1689-97), a team of French privateers spent a week attacking Rhode Islanders living on Block Island.  Since Paine's past sea battles were so well known by local colonists, they thought it prudent to call on the retired pirate for help.  Beforelong, the people of Newport provided Paine with a sloop which he then used to attack the French invaders.  After hours of fighting, the former pirate demonstrated his superior fighting abilities by killing several of the enemy.  Eventually, the French realized that they had gotten what they could from the people of Block Island and decided to escape while they still could.  Legend states that when the French Captain found out that it was Paine who he was fighting he exclaimed that "he would as soon choose to fight the devil as with him".   Paine's victory that day forever made him beloved by the people of Rhode Island. 

Learn More
Books:

  • Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates by Eric Jay Dolin
  • Pirates of Colonial Newport by Gloria Merchant 
Articles: