A Caribbean Pirate was sometimes the last thing seen from the end of a plank.
Thomas Tew known as the Rhode Island Pirate was a 17th century English privateer turned pirate. He immigrated to the colonies as a child with his family. He lived in Newport, Rhode Island. Thomas Tew was married and had two daughters; wife and children all greatly enjoyed the New York City social scene particularly after Tew struck it rich. Around 1690, Tew moved to Bermuda. By this time he had simply engaged in legitimate privateering against French and Spanish ships.
He made only two major voyages and was killed on the second. He established the route that became known as the Pirate Round. Many other famous pirates followed this route, which included Henry Avery and William Kidd.
Tew obtained a letter of marque from the governor of Bermuda, in 1692. Various backers in Bermuda provided him with a vessel. It was the seventy-ton sloop Amity, armed with eight guns and crewed by forty-six officers and men. Tew set sail in December. He was to serve as a privateer against the French in Gambia . But not long out of Bermuda, Tew announced his intention of turning to piracy, asking the crew for their support since he could not enforce piracy without their consent. His crew was in total agreement. The new pirates proceeded to elect a quartermaster, a common pirate practice to balance the captain's power.
Some time in late 1693, Tew got to the Red Sea and captured a Indian ship. They had very little resistance, in spite its enormous crew of 300 soldiers, the Indian ship surrendered. There were no casualties on the part of the assailants. Tew's pirates helped themselves to the ship's rich treasure, worth 100,000 in gold and silver alone, not counting the value of the ivory, spices, jewels and silk taken. Tew's men afterward shared out between 1,200 and 3,000 per man. Tew himself claimed about 8,000. He then headed back to the Cape of Good Hope, stopping at the island of St. Mary 's on Madagascar for repairs.
In April, 1694, Tew reached Newport. Benjamin Fletcher, the royal governor of New York, became good friends with Tew and his family. Tew paid off the backers of the Amity. They received fourteen times the value of the vessel.
In November of 1694, Tew bought a new letter of marque from Fletcher and set out for another pirate cruise. His crew numbered thirty to forty men at departure this time. However, by the time he reached Madagascar, he had increased his crew to 50 or 60 men.
In August, 1695, Thomas Tew arrived at the Mandab Strait at the mouth of the Red Sea. He found several other pirates hoping to duplicate his prior success, including Henry Avery in the powerfully armed warship Fancy . Tew and the other pirate captains decided to sail together.
In September of 1695, a 25ship Mughal convoy approached the Mandab Strait, during the night. They slipped past the pirates.Tew and his fellow pirates aboard the Amity overtook one of the Mughal ships, believed to be the Fateh Muhammed , and attacked it. Tew was killed in this battle. Tew's crew surrendered immediately, though they were freed later when Avery's Fancy captured the Fateh Muhammed.
The final resting place of Thomas Tew's remains is unknown. Captain William Kidd, before he turned pirate, was commissioned by King William III to hunt Tew down. Unknown to Kidd or the King, Tew was already dead when the commission was issued.
Thomas Tew's sea chest is the only known sea chest with origin leading back to a pirate, and can be seen in Pirate Soul, a pirate themed museum in the Florida Keys .
For the past 16 years, Croce has also been collecting pirate artifacts,
indulging a childhood fascination with the swashbucklers and amassing
a treasure trove of objects: the journal from Captain Kidd's last voyage;
one of only two known authentic Jolly Roger flags; and a treasure chest
once owned by Capt. Thomas Tew, said to be the only one in existence
directly traceable to a pirate.
For years, the 51-year-old Croce hid the loot in his home. In January 2005, however, he began sharing the booty with the public, opening a $10 million museum called Pirate Soul in downtown Key West. In February, Croce opened a pirate-theme restaurant called Pat Croce's Rum Barrel, next to the museum.
PIRATE FACTS and TRIVIA.....more
Activities: What do you want to do? Snorkel, golf, the list goes on.
Northshore Beaches: Some have smooth sandy bottoms ideal for swimming, and others have rock and coral-lined entries perfect for snorkeling! Many beaches on St. Croix are continuous with other beaches having a different name.Southside Beaches : The south shore is dotted with so many little beaches that you just happen onto, that is highly unlikely that we have found them all.
East End Beaches : There are many beaches East of Christiansted on St. Croix . Some are a bit harder to get to but usually not as crowded.
West End Beaches : St. Croix offers a large number of beaches and water activities. Try a few for a fun and memorable vacation. All of the beaches in the US Virgin Islands are accessible to the public.
Beach Pictures: Other beach pictures and more.
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Flora/Fauna of St. Croix: Check out pictures and info on what you will enjoy seeing.
Our Condo – Caribeblue: Check out what our "Paradise" looks like. And check the view!
Rum Punch: There is more than just punch here.
Caribbean Recipes: Try something new and bring back an island memory. Or have a Caribbean party.
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Last updated 2008-05-15
