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Laurens Cornelis Boudewijn de Graaf ( 1653 – 24 May 1704) was a Dutch
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 ...
,
mercenary A mercenary is a private individual who joins an armed conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military. Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rather t ...
, and naval officer in the service of the French colony of
Saint-Domingue Saint-Domingue () was a French colonization of the Americas, French colony in the western portion of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, in the area of modern-day Haiti, from 1659 to 1803. The name derives from the Spanish main city on the isl ...
during the late 17th and early 18th century. De Graaf was also known as Laurencillo or Lorencillo or simply El Griffe (Spanish), Sieur de Baldran or simply Laurent de Graff (French) and Gesel van de West (Dutch; ''"Scourge of the West"'').
Henry Morgan Sir Henry Morgan (; – 25 August 1688) was a Welsh privateer, plantation owner, and, later, the lieutenant governor of Jamaica. From his base in Port Royal, Jamaica, he and those under his command raided settlements and shipping ports o ...
, the governor of
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
, characterized him as ''"a great and mischievous pirate"''. De Graaf was described as tall, blond, mustached and handsome.''The Buccaneer's Realm: Pirate Life on the Spanish Main, 1674-1688''
by Benerson Little (
Potomac Books The University of Nebraska Press (UNP) was founded in 1941 and is an academic publisher of scholarly and general-interest books. The press is under the auspices of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the main campus of the University of Ne ...
, 2007)
Some Spanish thought he was the
Devil A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...
in person.


Early life

He was reportedly enslaved by Spanish slave traders when captured in what is now the Netherlands and transported to the
Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
to work on a plantation, prior to 1674. During the early 1670s, de Graaf either escaped or was freed, and French historian Pierre de Vaissière recorded that he married his first wife (Francois) Petronilla de Guzmán in 1674 in the
Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
before moving on to the Caribbean.''Pirates of the Americas, Volume 1''
by David F. Marley (ABC-CLIO, 2010)
The
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
governor of
St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Located 40 miles (64 km) south of downtown Jacksonville, the city is on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spani ...
attested to his marriage in a letter written to
Charles II of Spain Charles II (6 November 1661 – 1 November 1700) was King of Spain from 1665 to 1700. The last monarch from the House of Habsburg, which had ruled Spain since 1516, he died without an heir, leading to a European Great Power conflict over the succ ...
in 1682, by referring to de Graaf as a "stranger who was married in the Canaries".


Early pirate career

De Graaf began his pirate career not long after marrying de Guzmán, though no records of his activity were made until 1682 when Sieur de Pouancay, the governor of Saint-Domingue, recorded that de Graaf had been sailing "on the account" since approximately 1675 or 1676 as the captain of a French privateer crew.It was also de Pouancay who recorded that De Graaf had been born in = Dordrecht, Holland There are some later records of his involvement, in March 1672, in a raid on
Campeche Campeche, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Campeche, is one of the 31 states which, with Mexico City, make up the Administrative divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. Located in southeast Mexico, it is bordered by the sta ...
by a band of pirates who attacked and torched a partially built frigate and captured the town.''The Black Middle: Africans, Mayas, and Spaniards in Colonial Yucatan''
by Matthew Restall (
Stanford University Press Stanford University Press (SUP) is the publishing house of Stanford University. It is one of the oldest academic presses in the United States and the first university press to be established on the West Coast. It is currently a member of the Ass ...
, 2009)
The next day, the same pirates captured a
merchant ship A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are ...
loaded with over 120,000 pesos in silver and cargo, when it sailed unknowingly into the harbor.Though de Graaf is historically credited with leading the raid, the timing with respect to his marriage and time in the Canary Islands suggests records may not be entirely accurate. During the late 1670s, de Graaf is reported to have captured a number of vessels, converting each in turn to piracy. Starting with a small vessel he would capture a larger one, then use that vessel to capture a larger one again. Finally, in the autumn of 1679, de Graaf attacked the
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
''
Armada de Barlovento The Armada de Barlovento (Windward Fleet) was a military formation that consisted of 50 ships created by the Spanish Empire to protect its overseas American territories from attacks from its European enemies, as well as attacks from pirates and p ...
'' and captured a
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
of 24-28
guns A gun is a device that propels a projectile using pressure or explosive force. The projectiles are typically solid, but can also be pressurized liquid (e.g. in water guns or cannons), or gas (e.g. light-gas gun). Solid projectiles may be ...
, which he renamed the ''Tigre'' (Tiger). After 1682, records of de Graaf's activities are far more substantial. De Graaf had become so successful that Henry Morgan, governor of
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
, sent the frigate ''Norwich'' pirate-hunting, under command of Peter Haywood, with de Graaf as its primary quarry.It is not reported if Haywood encountered de Graaf.


The Armada de Barlovento

At the same time, the Spanish saw their chance to get revenge for the loss of their frigate and the Armada de Barlovento was also sent to hunt de Graaf down. During a brief stop in
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
, de Graaf was made aware of the plan to seek him out. Rather than waiting for the Armada, de Graaf sailed immediately in search of it. After a running gun battle that lasted several hours, the ''Princesa'' struck her colors (surrendered), having lost 50 men to de Graaf's eight or nine. In an act of kindness, de Graaf put the seriously wounded captain of the ''Princesa'' ashore with his own surgeon and a servant. The ''Princesa'' itself carried the payroll for
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
and
Santo Domingo Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...
; about 120,000 pesos in silver. After sharing out the prize, the
buccaneer Buccaneers were a kind of privateer or free sailors, and pirates particular to the Caribbean Sea during the 17th and 18th centuries. First established on northern Hispaniola as early as 1625, their heyday was from the Restoration in 1660 u ...
s retired to
Petit-Goâve Petit-Goâve () is a coastal List of communes of Haiti, commune in the Léogâne Arrondissement in the Ouest (department), Ouest Departments of Haiti, department of Haiti. It is located southwest of Port-au-Prince. The town has a population of a ...
to celebrate and refit. De Graaf made the ''Princesa'' his new flagship, renaming it the ''Francesca''.


Van Hoorn and Veracruz

De Graaf's next foray was a trip to Cartagena with privateer Michiel Andrieszoon. Finding few potential targets, they departed for the Gulf of Honduras. There they found two empty
galleon Galleons were large, multi-decked sailing ships developed in Spain and Portugal. They were first used as armed cargo carriers by Europe, Europeans from the 16th to 18th centuries during the Age of Sail, and they were the principal vessels dr ...
s and de Graaf decided to wait for them to be loaded with cargo. The buccaneers retired to Bonaco Island to careen. But de Graaf and Andrieszoon had their plans ruined when Nicholas van Hoorn attacked the ships and captured them empty. Having captured the vessels, van Hoorn reached Bonaco Island and proposed to join forces with de Graaf but was turned away. Later de Graaf relented and joined forces with both van Hoorn and Michel de Grammont for an attack on
Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...
. Their raiding party consisted of 5 large vessels, 8 smaller vessels and around 1300 pirates. He rounded up over six thousand local citizens, held them inside churches and denied them food and water for three days and nights. Many were tortured, and a large number of the women were raped. Ultimately, de Graaf was instrumental in the mass kidnapping of over 1,400 people of African descent from Veracruz. The majority of these women, children, and men were sold into slavery in Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti), Jamaica, and Carolina. The pirates arrived off
Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...
on 17 May 1683, leading with van Hoorn's two captured Spanish ships to mislead the town. Meanwhile, de Graaf and Yankey Willems slipped ashore with a small force of men. They proceeded to remove town's
fortification A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
s and incapacitate the town's defensive
militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...
.Most records suggest the raid was conducted during the early morning when most militia members were asleep. Van Hoorn, marching overland, joined with de Graaf and attacked the town.''Blood and Silver: A History of Piracy in the Caribbean and Central America''
by Kris E. Lane (Signal Books, 1999)
On the second day of plundering, the Spanish plate fleet, composed of numerous warships, appeared on the horizon. The pirates retreated with hostages to the nearby Isla de Sacrificios and waited for ransoms. A quarrel erupted between van Hoorn and de Graaf over the treatment of the hostages and the division of spoils. According to some sources the two fought a
duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matched weapons. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and later the small sword), but beginning in ...
on a nearby beach to settle the dispute. Although neither was seriously injured during the duel, van Hoorn did receive a slash across the wrist. The wound later became gangrenous and van Hoorn died as a result of the infection two weeks later. Finally, giving up on further plunder, the pirates departed, slipping past the Spanish without hindrance.


The ''Fortune''

In late November 1683, de Graaf, his compatriots and their fleet of seven ships arrived off Cartagena and held for almost a month. Local governor, Juan de Pando Estrada, commandeered three
slave ship Slave ships were large cargo ships specially built or converted from the 17th to the 19th century for transporting Slavery, slaves. Such ships were also known as "Guineamen" because the trade involved human trafficking to and from the Guinea ( ...
s - the 40-gun ''San Francisco'', the 34-gun ''Paz'' and a smaller 28-gun
galliot A galiot, galliot or galiote, was a small galley boat propelled by sail or oars. There are three different types of naval galiots that sailed on different seas. A ''galiote'' was a type of French flat-bottom river boat or barge and also a fla ...
.''Wars of the Americas: A Chronology of Armed Conflict in the New World, 1492 to the Present''
by David Marley (ABC-CLIO, 1998)
800 Spanish, led by a 26-year-old commander, set out to meet the pirates on
Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas, the festival commemorating nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus. Christmas Day is observance of Christmas by country, observed around the world, and Christma ...
but immediately struggled against De Graaf's more experienced pirates. 90 Spaniards were killed compared to only 20 pirates. The ''San Francisco'' was grounded and the other two ships were captured. De Graaf re-floated the ''San Francisco'' as his new flagship and renamed it the ''Fortune'', later the ''Neptune''. Andrieszoon took the ''Paz'' and renamed it the ''Mutine'' ("Rascal") and Willems was given command of the ''Francesca''. The group released a large number of Spanish prisoners on Christmas Day and sent them ashore with a note for Governor Estrada thanking him for the Christmas presents. The pirates then proceeded to blockade the town. In January 1684, an English convoy, led by the 48-gun HMS ''Ruby'', arrived carrying a note for de Graaf from his wife offering a Spanish
pardon A pardon is a government decision to allow a person to be relieved of some or all of the legal consequences resulting from a criminal conviction. A pardon may be granted before or after conviction for the crime, depending on the laws of the j ...
and
commission In-Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...
. De Graaf ignored the note, not trusting the Spanish to keep their promises, and invited English officers to board his vessels and trade with his men. The English were allowed to pass without incident and soon after, de Graaf and his compatriots left for
Petit-Goâve Petit-Goâve () is a coastal List of communes of Haiti, commune in the Léogâne Arrondissement in the Ouest (department), Ouest Departments of Haiti, department of Haiti. It is located southwest of Port-au-Prince. The town has a population of a ...
. In the summer and fall of 1684, de Graaf remained in Petit-Goâve. He sailed in November 1684, but had little or no success in raiding the shipping lanes.


Campeche

De Graaf was next seen on '' Isla de Pinos'' presiding over a gathering of buccaneers. After his departure, he led yet another raid on Campeche. The pirates attacked on 6 July 1685. After a protracted battle, the Spaniards fled the town, leaving the pirates with a city devoid of plunder. The length of the battle and delay in attacking had allowed residents to move goods away. After two months in the town the pirates, failing to secure a ransom, began to burn the town and execute prisoners. Again, de Graaf stepped in to stop the violence against the hostages. The pirates departed Campeche in September 1685, carrying away many prisoners for ransom.''The French Thorn: Rival Explorers in the Spanish Sea, 1682-1762''
by Robert S. Weddle (Texas A&M University Press, 1991)
The pirates split up and de Graaf fled from a superior fleet off the
Yucatán Yucatán, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 106 separate municipalities, and its capital city is Mérida. ...
. After a day-long battle with two larger Spanish ships, he escaped by dumping all cargo and cannons overboard to lighten his ship. In February 1686, the Spanish staged a raid on de Graaf's property on Saint Dominque. In retaliation, de Graaf raided ''Tihosuco'', where the buccaneers looted and burned buildings. Returning to Petit-Goâve, de Graaf wrecked his ship while pursuing a Spanish
barque A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel with three or more mast (sailing), masts of which the fore mast, mainmast, and any additional masts are Square rig, rigged square, and only the aftmost mast (mizzen in three-maste ...
. Nonetheless, he managed to take the barque with only his ship's long boat.


Valladolid

At some undetermined date in the seventeenth century, it is said that he was taken prisoner at the Convento de San Bernardino de Siena in
Valladolid Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
, in the present Mexican state of
Yucatán Yucatán, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 106 separate municipalities, and its capital city is Mérida. ...
.


Later career

In 1687, de Graaf engaged in a battle off southern Cuba with a
Biscay Biscay ( ; ; ), is a province of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Autonomous Community, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the Bay of Biscay, eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilb ...
an
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
and the Cuban ''Guarda del Costa'' (Coast Guard). He sank several '' piraguas'' and took a small ship as prize. De Graaf returned to Saint Domingue, where he defended the harbor at Petit-Goâve against Cuban invaders. In December 1689, he took ships off Jamaica. He went on to blockade the Jamaican coast for more than six months before leaving. Proceeding to the
Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory, and the largest by population. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located so ...
, de Graaf there captured an English sloop. In January 1691, de Graaf attacked near Santo Domingo but was soundly defeated by a Spanish force three times the size of his French forces. He narrowly escaped with his life. In March 1693, de Graaf met and married his second wife, Anne Dieu-le-Veut. He agreed to marry her after she threatened to shoot him for insulting her.According to Vaissière, the two were married in 1693 and their daughter was recorded as twelve years old in 1704. De Graaf spent the summer of 1693 leading buccaneers against Jamaica in several raids; fellow buccaneer Captain Francois Le Sage, who had sailed alongside de Graaf since before Veracruz, was killed in one of the attacks on Jamaica. The English retaliated in May 1695 with an attack on ''
Port-de-Paix Port-de-Paix (; or ; meaning "Port of Peace") is a List of communes of Haiti, commune and the capital of the Nord-Ouest (department), Nord-Ouest Departments of Haiti, department of Haiti on the Atlantic coast. It has a population of 462,000 (201 ...
'' at Saint Domingue, where they sacked the town and captured de Graaf's family.


Disappearance and death

Laurens de Graaf was last known to be near
Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...
, where he was to help set up a
French colony The French colonial empire () comprised the overseas Colony, colonies, protectorates, and League of Nations mandate, mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward. A distinction is generally made between the "Firs ...
near present-day
Biloxi, Mississippi Biloxi ( ; ) is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, United States. It lies on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast in southern Mississippi, bordering the city of Gulfport, Mississippi, Gulfport to its west. The adjacent cities ar ...
. Some sources claim he died there; others claim locations in
Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
, while others maintain that his appearance in Louisiana and Alabama was fictional and that in fact he died in Santo Domingo in 1704.


See also

* List of people who disappeared * Nicolas Brigaut - French buccaneer, present at Campeche; at first quartermaster to Andrieszoon, he later became a Captain and sailed alongside Grammont.


Notes


References


Other reading

* ''Calendar of
State Papers The term state papers is used in Britain and Ireland to refer to government archives and records. Such papers used to be kept separate from non-governmental papers, with state papers kept in the State Paper Office and general public records kept ...
'', Colonial Series * {{DEFAULTSORT:Graaf, Laurens De 1650s births 1700s missing person cases 17th-century French military personnel 17th-century pirates 17th-century slaves 18th-century Dutch criminals People from the Canary Islands Dutch expatriates in Spain Dutch mercenaries French Navy admirals Dunkirk Privateers Pirates from the Dutch Republic Freedmen Missing person cases in the United States People from Dordrecht People of Louisiana (New France) People from pre-statehood Mississippi People from Saint-Domingue Spanish slaves Year of death unknown 17th-century Dutch criminals 17th-century Dutch military personnel