John Davis was also known as a Buccaneer.
John Davis aka Robert Searle was one of the earliest and most active of the English buccaneers on Jamaica.
Searle's first known ship was the 60-ton, 8-gun Cagway, the largest of three Spanish merchantmen captured by Sir Christopher Myngs as he returned from his raid on Santa Marta and Tolu (Colombia) in 1659. Four years later, Searle captained the Cagway as part of Myng's expedition against Santiago de Cuba. This force of 1,300 men and a dozen vessels sailed from Port Royal, Jamaica on October 1, 1662 and two-and-a-half weeks later disembarked to the east of their intended target. Santiago was taken the following day and a considerable amount of booty carried back to Jamaica.
In 1664, the political situation in Europe and the Caribbean was volatile. Constant raiding by English buccaneers had prompted repeated protests from Madrid. The King of Spain complained to the King of England and also, wrote a letter to the Jamaican Governor Modyford stating his dissatisfaction at the daily complaints of violence and depredation against the Spanish by the ships of Jamaica. Governor Modyford was to inflict serious punishment upon offenders, and to have restitution made to the sufferers. This letter was written in June, just 11 days after Modyford left Spain to become the Governor of Jamaica. It did not arrive until the beginning of September.
It caused something of a panic on the island. There were two rich Spanish prizes from Cuba at anchor in Port Royal's harbor. Both were heavily guarded and prizes to John Davis, who had already landed the boxes and bags of Spanish coin so that the king's share could be calculated. Modyford promptly summoned the Council of Jamaica and showed them the letter.
The alarmed Council decided that the governor of Cuba should be told at once that the captured ships and money were being returned. It was resolved that all persons making further attempts of piracy upon the Spaniards be looked upon as pirates and rebels, and that Captain John Davis' commission be taken from him and his rudder and sails taken ashore for security.
The outbreak of the Second Anglo Dutch War occurred in 1665. In early March of 1666, Davis' ship restored he along with eight other ships and 650 soldiers raised by Colonel Edward Morgan (Sir Henry Morgan's uncle) in an expedition against the Dutch islands of Saint Eustatius and Sabá. These Island were easily taken however, Morgan dropped dead from heat exhaustion. The English force disintegrated because of poor plunder and differences over who should succeed the late Col. Morgan as leader.
The next year, John Davis and a Captain Stedman sailed two small ships and 80 men to the Dutch island of Tobago, near Trinidad, and took the island from end to end. Lord Willoughby, governor of the English colony of Barbados, had also set out an expedition to take Tobago, but the Jamaicans were three or four days before him. The Jamaican crews were busy pillaging when Willoughby arrived and demanded the island in the king's name. The buccaneers condescended to leave the fort and governor's house standing only on the condition that Willoughby gave them liberty to sell their booty in Barbados.
Governor Modyford forbid further raids in June, 1667, and recalled all privateering commissions issued in Jamaica. He had to deal with John Davis, who was to be punished for his deeds. Soon after Sir Henry Morgan's raid on Maracaibo in Venezuela, Davis and his ship were lying at New Providence in the Bahamas when a vengeful Spanish force attacked the English settlement there. This spurred several angry privateers men, among them Davis, to sail for Florida and sack the town of St. Augustine, Florida in May of 1668. Coming so soon after Modyford's proclamation withdrawing all commissions, and so obviously intended as retaliation, the governor decided that he would have to punish the leader, who was John Davis.
St. Augustine was raided before dawn. The towns people awoke to see by torch light wild figures of pirates running through the streets, opening fire with their pistols wounding or killing anyone in their path. Looting took place by the crew while the leaders looked for the governor. He escaped from his home to the fort. After several unsuccessful attacks on the fort, Davis returned to his ship. Soon after he set sail for Jamaica. He anchored just out of reach the the Governor's legal jurisdiction. When he finally did go ashore, he was captured and put in prison. After several months and no word from Spain as to the punishment of Davis he was released and given a ship to help with the raid of Panama City. Sir Henry Morgan was the commander and John Davis became one of his lieutenants. He was given the important task of preventing any Spanish ships from escaping the port. Davis and his crew discovered a ship aground, which the Spaniards had attempted to burn. The pirates were able to extinguish the fire before much damage had been done. This vessel contained many valuable prizes. In a few days, they had captured three other ships. Commanding this tiny flotilla, he scoured the islands which stretched offshore; Perico, Taboga and Tobogilla, and Otoque. They took many prisoners and much property. They also discovered a hidden store of Peruvian wine. By evening most of the crew were totally drunk.
They did not notice a Spanish galleon approaching and anchor. Nor did they see a boat being lowered and rowed to shore full of casks. They first learned of all this when they accidentally surprised and captured the boat's seven-man crew as they looked for fresh water. The Spaniards were taken to John Davis, who threatened them with torture. He discovered that the ship was none other than the 400-ton Santissima Trinidad very richly laden with all the King's Plate and a great quantity of riches of gold, pearls, jewels, and other most precious goods of all the best and richest merchants of Panama. On board this galleon were also the religious women belonging to the nunnery of the said city, who had embarked with them all the ornaments of the church, consisting of a great quantity of gold, plate, and other things of great value.
This single ship, which was reported to be armed with only seven cannon and 10-12 muskets, poorly supplied with food and water, and bearing only the uppermost sails of the main mast, carried the bulk of the gold, silver, and jewels which the government, private citizens, and the Church in Panama had shipped away for safety. Instead of fleeing to Peru, her captain, Don Francisco de Peralta, had simply put to sea. He apparently intended to return to Panama with his cargo and passengers after the buccaneers had left, since he believed they had no ships.
John Davis immediately ordered to his men to seize the galleon, but they were to drunk and unable to obey. De Peralta, alarmed when his men failed to return and suspicious of the ship moored nearby, fled into the night, being out of sight by daybreak. When the crew eventually learned of this missed opportunity, they were outraged.
Davis was bitterly reprimanded by Morgan and never did regain his favor.
In later years, John Davis relocated to Honduras, where he was killed in a duel with an English logwood cutter. The Jamaican buccaneer, Captain John Davis (Robert Searle), met his death near a small sandy islet at the northern end of the Gulf of Campeache, Mexico.
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