Pirate Captain Every

Captain Henry Every was the most successful pirate ever known, though he only made one voyage as a pirate captain. He plied his "trade" in the late 1600's and most of his wealth came from only two conquered ships—The Arab ship, the Gang-j-Sawai, and its escort the Fateh Mohamed.

The Mohamed put up little fight but yielded treasure valued at 50,000 pounds sterling. The Gang-j-Sawai had 62 cannons, 500 musketeers, and 600 passengers. After a fierce two hour battle the "Great Mogul's" ship surrendered. Its treasure was a pirate's dream—500,000 pieces of silver and gold, jewels, and a saddle set with rubies meant as a gift for the Great Mogul.

After this great plunder, Captain Every tried to retire to the Bahamas but the Great Mogul used his power to put a bounty on all of Every's men and threatened to cut off all trade with the East India Company. Purchasing a small sloop, they made their way back to Ireland where Every slipped away and retired a wealthy man. It is also told, however, that Every was cheated by the merchants and died penniless. The truth surrounding Every’s fortune remains a mystery, but it is safe to say that his fame led many others to a life of piracy.

Design by: Qyrs Bennett