Edward England
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Edward England (–1721) was an Irish
pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
. The ships he sailed on included the ''Pearl'' (which he renamed ''The Royal James'') and later the ''Fancy'', for which England exchanged the ''Pearl'' in 1720. His flag was the classic Jolly Roger — almost exactly as the one Samuel Bellamy used — with a human skull above two crossed bones on a black background. Like Bellamy, England was known for his kindness and compassion as a leader, unlike many other pirates of the time. He took part in Henry Jennings' expedition for the sunken 1715 Treasure Fleet off the coast of
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
, and then began sailing with Charles Vane in 1718. Upon Vane and other prominent pirates accepting the King's Pardon, England and some of his men sailed for
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
. Along his way he spawned the career of Bartholomew Roberts, among others. In 1720, near the African island of
Comoros The Comoros, officially the Union of the Comoros, is an archipelagic country made up of three islands in Southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city is Moroni, ...
, England and his men got into a violent conflict with James Macrae. After 10 days of hiding on an island, England and Macrae agreed to a peace deal, upsetting England's crew; he was subsequently voted out as captain and marooned on the island of
Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
. After four months, England and the loyal crewman that had been stranded with him managed to build a boat and sail to a pirate safe haven in
Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
. He died sometime in the winter of 1720–21, possibly from
tropical disease Tropical diseases are diseases that are prevalent in or unique to tropical and subtropical regions. The diseases are less prevalent in temperate climates, due in part to the occurrence of a cold season, which controls the insect population by forc ...
.


Early life

Born in Ireland sometime around 1685,Denis Piat, ''Pirates and Privateers in Mauritius'' he was probably raised a Catholic,David F. Marley, ''Pirates of the Americas, Volume 1'' and was said to be an educated man. Occasionally referred to in some sources as "Edward Seegar" (or born as Seegar before changing his name to England), other sources and witnesses confirm "Seegar" was not England's name at all, but was instead a separate pirate ( Jasper Seagar) who sailed under England. England made his way to
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and during the
War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...
he served as a
privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...
. He was captured by the pirate captain Christopher Winter and forced to join the crew. Winter took England to the pirate base on
Nassau, Bahamas Nassau ( ) is the capital and largest city of The Bahamas. It is on the island of New Providence, which had a population of 246,329 in 2010, or just over 70% of the entire population of The Bahamas. As of April 2023, the preliminary results of ...
. England took part in Henry Jennings' assault on the Spanish salvage camp at Palma de Ayz, Florida, stealing £87,000 in gold and silver. England is next reported as Charles Vane's
quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land army, armies, a quartermaster is an officer who supervises military logistics, logistics and requisitions, manages stores or barracks, and distri ...
, in March 1718. Vane's sloop, the ''Lark,'' was captured by the
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, but England and the rest of the crew were released to induce the other pirates of Nassau to accept the King's pardon.


Captaincy – Coast of Africa

England was granted captaincy of his own ship in mid-1718. England decided not to accept the pardon along with Vane and a few others, and after the arrival of
Woodes Rogers Woodes Rogers ( – 15 July 1732) was an English sea captain, privateer and colonial administrator who served as the List of governors of the Bahamas, governor of the Bahamas from 1718 to 1721 and again from 1728 to 1732. He is remembered ...
, they set sail for the coast of Africa. Along the way, he and the crew took several ships. One of the ships was the ''Cadogan'' from Bristol, captained by a man named Skinner. Some of England's crew knew Skinner and recognized him instantly because he never paid them for their work previously. According to Charles Johnson, the crew member said:
Ah! Captain Skinner is it you, I am much in your debt, and now I shall pay you in your own coin.
A group of pirates next grabbed the captain, tied him to the windlass and threw empty bottles at him. Next, because he had been a good master to his men they gave him a quick death by simply shooting him in the head with a flintlock pistol. Given the crew of the ''Cadogan'' was without a captain, England offered them a choice to join his crew. Aboard the crew was Howell Davis who refused to sign the articles of the pirates. Howell said he would rather die than become a pirate, however, England refused to kill him and instead gave command of the captured ship to Davis. This began the start of Davis' pirate career. Davis would go on to spawn the career of Bartholomew Roberts as well, and the careers of many other pirates. After some time, England and his crew captured a larger brig or frigate named the ''Pearl''. Taking the ship as their own, they renamed it the ''Royal James'' (after James Stuart, alluding to the
Jacobitism Jacobitism was a political ideology advocating the restoration of the senior line of the House of Stuart to the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, British throne. When James II of England chose exile after the November 1688 Glorious Revolution, ...
of England or his crew) and in the spring of 1719 went off in search of plunder in Africa. Between the
Gambia River The Gambia River (formerly known as the River Gambra, French language, French: ''Fleuve Gambie'', Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Rio Gâmbia'') is a major river in West Africa, running from the Fouta Djallon plateau in north Guinea westward ...
and the Cape Coast, the pirates seized and looted ten ships. Two of these they kept as prizes, granting them to Captains Robert Lane and Richard Sample, who left England to sail for the Caribbean. After looting the ten ships, England made John Taylor the captain of his next prize, the ''Victory''. After looting two additional ships, England and the crew decided to make port in a small African town. However, the pirates grew increasingly belligerent and conflicts arose with the locals over the treatment of women. Soon a fight broke out, resulting in the pirates burning the entire town and departing.


Indian Ocean

By 1720, England had reached the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
, where he met with fellow pirate Captain Oliver la Buse. England captured a thirty-four gun Dutch ship, which he named ''Fancy'' in honour of English pirate Henry Every, and he made the ''Fancy'' his new flagship. England decided to attack an East Indiaman under the command of James Macrae, the ''Cassandra'', near the island of
Comoros The Comoros, officially the Union of the Comoros, is an archipelagic country made up of three islands in Southeastern Africa, located at the northern end of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city is Moroni, ...
. A long and bloody battle ensued, and both ships ran aground. Macrae and his surviving crew escaped and hid on the island for ten days. Finally Macrae, who was injured, tired, and hungry, went aboard England's consort the ''Victory'', hoping for mercy, and surrendered to the pirates. The cargo of the ''Cassandra'' was valued at £75,000. Ninety of the ''Fancy's'' crew died in the attack on the ''Cassandra''. England had a good nature and unusual kindness, in that he did not believe in torturing captives unless they could not otherwise be persuaded. England ordered Macrae's life spared, and the pirates kept the ''Cassandra'' and gave the heavily damaged ''Fancy'' to Macrae. England's quartermaster, John Taylor, who was now captain of the ''Victory'', resented this choice, and only agreed after England got him drunk. England then captured a small English ship near
Cochin Kochi ( , ), formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala. The city is also commonly referred to as Ernaku ...
, the drunk captain reporting a false rumour that Macrae was preparing a fleet to chase the pirates. This enraged the pirates, particularly Taylor, who had wanted to kill Macrae. Around this time, Taylor organised a vote to remove England from command. The new captain a former member of the ''Fancy'' crew named Jasper Seagar marooned England and three others on the coast of Mauritius, before taking ''Cassandra'' and ''Victory'' north in the hunt for more prizes. Seagar died in 1721, with ''Cassandra'' eventually passing to Taylor who took her to the Caribbean.


Marooning in Mauritius

England and his three companions were put ashore without adequate provisions, and were forced to scavenge. After about four months, the men built a small boat and managed to sail to the pirate haven of St. Augustine's Bay in
Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
.


Legacy

After arriving at St. Augustine's Bay, England survived for a while on the charity of other pirates, possibly some of Henry Every's old crew. He died in late 1720 or early 1721, possibly from a
tropical disease Tropical diseases are diseases that are prevalent in or unique to tropical and subtropical regions. The diseases are less prevalent in temperate climates, due in part to the occurrence of a cold season, which controls the insect population by forc ...
.''The Book of Pirates'' by Michael MacLeod, Christine Lampe and Jamaica Rose England's son John eventually did as his father had wished and named his son John as well. This tradition continued among England's descendants. Edward England is known today as one of the more humane pirate captains of the Golden Age of Piracy. According to Captain Charles Johnson,
He had a great deal of good Nature, and did not want for Courage; he was not avaritious, and always averse to the ill Usage of Prisoners received : He would have been contented with moderate Plunder, and less mischievous Pranks, could his Companions have been brought to the same Temper, but he was generally over-rul'd, and as he was engaged in that abominable Society, he was obliged to be a Partner in all their vile Actions.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:England, Edward 1680s births 1721 deaths 17th-century Irish people 18th-century Irish people 18th-century pirates British military personnel of the War of the Spanish Succession Castaways Irish pirates English privateers