An 1861 article from the Philadelphia Ledger announced that three coffins containing the remains of pirates hanged in 1800 for stealing cargo were found on Windmill Island (a now non-existent island in the Delaware River which had extended from Race Street to South Street) by some workers loading coal in the area. “The coffins were in an excellent state of preservation, and the skeletons within them were perfect, with the exception of two of them being without the skulls.”1
Pirates not only walked the streets of Philadelphia, they also played a significant role in the city’s history, particularly in the first half of the eighteenth century. In 1699, four of Captain Kidd’s crew members were arrested and tried in Philadelphia. Around the same time, the pirate Henry Avery frequented the city. One of his men married the daughter of Pennsylvania’s Acting Governor William Markham and another entrusted his money to Governor Markham’s safekeeping when he was imprisoned in Philadelphia. Blackbeard reportedly stayed at an inn located at Second and High (now Market) Streets in Philadelphia during his visits from 1716-1718. “He is said to have made repeated visits to Philadelphia, and to have been countenanced and abetted by men in respectable repute.”2
The examples above illustrate one of the difficulties in eradicating pirates in Philadelphia - many influential and wealthy people were colluding with them. “…[In] the Quaker town of Philadelphia, the pirates did not lack for friends and helpers, who were willing to gain devious profit from piratical goods that came in without being burdened by the king’s customs.”3 Pirate goods were much cheaper than those obtained legally, and they often included exotic wares from the East Indies: silks, precious stones, and gold coins from the Orient which were not otherwise available.
The people who lived along or near the Delaware River in Pennsylvania and present-day Delaware, however, complained about the frequent plundering and looting of their towns. On land or sea, when pirates attacked, they took every last bit of property they could get their hands on, including slaves. A Philadelphia pilot was coming up the bay when he was surprised by pirates. “… [A] number of Spaniards came on board, and, with little ceremony, took his ring from his finger, his buckles and over three pounds in money. They also carried off his clothes, all the food on board, and all the sails belonging to the boat. They left him some mouldy bread and greasy water and then retired, firing at him as they left.”4
William Penn’s secretary, James Logan, wrote in 1717, “We have been extremely pestered with pirates, who now swarm in America, and increase their numbers by almost every vessel they catch [compelling them to enter by coercion or otherwise]. If speedy care be not taken, they will become formidable, being now at least fifteen hundred strong.”5 William Penn earnestly tried to deal with the problem, leading the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1700 to combat piracy by enacting strict measures, which were effective for a time, but he was hampered by a lack of commitment from the British government which meant not enough funds to fight the problem and half-hearted enforcement attempts. When the pirates Brandingham and Stanton were arrested, the sheriff was accused of being too lenient with them. “That [sheriff] admitted that the prisoners were allowed to stroll about the town, but never without his leave and a keeper, and added by way of apology, that he thought this might be allowed in ‘hot weather.’”6
Corrupt officials and lack of funding were only part of the problem. A Quaker majority in the Assembly made it difficult to pass any measures to combat piracy, as they were not allowed to bear arms, even in defense. Peace-loving Quakers could not support raising a militia, providing citizens with weapons to defend themselves, or building a defensive fort on the river. This created a lot of tension with the non-Quakers who wanted to fight piracy, and the Assembly was plagued with inactivity and indecision for nearly a century.
While the Golden Age of Piracy ended around 1730, it was still a problem for Pennsylvania residents until the end of the century when a strong military presence finally enforced zero tolerance.
-- More written by the author can be found at www.marianneruane.com
Sources:
Discovery of the Remains of Pirates Near; Philadelphia (New York Times, 1861)
Mock Pirates Skirmish on the Delaware at Seaport Festival (Philly.com, 2011)
A Short History of the City of Philadelphia: From its Foundation to the Present Time, Susan Coolidge, Roberts Brothers, 1887.
Story of Philadelphia, John St. George Joyce, Rex Print House, 1919.
Delaware Roots, Chapter 10: Pirates and Privateers
Endnotes:
1 Discovery of the Remains of Pirates Near; Philadelphia (New York Times, 1861)↩
2 A Short History of the City of Philadelphia: From its Foundation to the Present Time, Susan Coolidge, Roberts Brothers, 1887.↩
3 Story of Philadelphia, John St. George Joyce, Rex Print House, 1919.↩
4 Delaware Roots, Chapter 10: Pirates and Privateers↩
5 A Short History of the City of Philadelphia: From its Foundation to the Present Time, Susan Coolidge, Roberts Brothers, 1887.↩
6 Delaware Roots, Chapter 10: Pirates and Privateers↩
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