Thomas Tew

Jolly Roger Tews

Thomas Tew (* in Rhode Iceland , † the beginning of 1695 ), due to his birthplace, also known as "The Rhode Iceland Pirate" , was one of British North America originating pirate .

The governor of Bermuda commissioned Tew at the end of 1692 to use two ships to attack and plunder the French trading post in Gorée at the mouth of the Gambia River . For this job, Tew received a letter of security , and this expedition was financed by several Bermuda businessmen. After Tew had lost a ship by breaking a mast in June 1693, he persuaded the remaining crew to make booty with him as captain on their own account in the Indian Ocean : “I am heading for Madagascar with the intention not only to make my fortune, but also that of the brave men who have joined me. ”Together the crew swore:“ Whether gold chain or wooden leg, we stand by you. ”

Tew sailed around the Cape of Good Hope with the "Amity" . After taking provisions and water on board in Madagascar, they sailed in July 1693 to the Strait of Bab el Mandeb , the gateway to the Red Sea . There they waited for the next ship of the Great Mogul of India. Tew and his men succeeded in boarding a pilgrim ship of the Grand Mogul, which, in addition to the ship's crew, was manned by 300 soldiers - to protect itself against pirate attacks. The pirates looted goods worth 100,000 pounds, including gold, silver, ivory and precious stones. Each man received a share of the booty between 1,200 and 3,000 pounds, Tew himself is said to have received 10,000 pounds. Tew also repaid the Bermudian businesspeople ten times their advanced capital.

Part of his team decided to stay in Madagascar. With the rest of the crew he sailed to Newport, Rhode Island . Tew sold some of his booty cheaper to the poor and needy. That is why he was considered an honorable man by many of his American contemporaries. Tew sailed from Newport to New York . Governor Benjamin Fletcher protected pirates and issued Tew a letter of piracy. In November 1694 Tew sailed again to Madagascar. There he met the pirate Henry Every . Together they sailed to the Red Sea to ambush ships of Islamic Mecca pilgrims from India. In the early hours of the morning the pirates saw two ships, the "Fateh Mahomed" and the "Gang-i-Sawai".

Tew followed the “Fateh Mahomed” with his “Amity” and reached it after a while. As the crew of the pirate ship was preparing to board, the "Fateh Mahomed" fired a full broadside at the pirate ship. Tew was fatally injured. A little later, Every managed to force the "Fateh Mahomed" to hand over. After several hours of cannon fire, the "Gang-i-Sawai" was also defeated. The pirates stole a fairytale treasure, the simple share for each of the 180 men was 1,000 pounds.

literature

• David Cordingly (Ed.): Pirates - Fear and Terror on the Oceans. vgs, Cologne 1997, ISBN 3-8025-2708-9 .
• Heinz Neukirchen: Pirates - piracy on all seas. transpress, Berlin 1976.
• Captain Charles Johnson : A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates. London 1724/1728. Reprint: The Lyons Press 2002, ISBN 1-585-74558-8 .
  German edition: Comprehensive history of the robberies and murders of the notorious pirates . Robinson, Frankfurt am Main 1982, ISBN 3-88592-009-3 .