Pirate Roster

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

John Bowen

Copyright 2001, David Stapleton

John Bowen, born on the island of Bermuda, first came to public attention off the Malabar coast in 1700 in command of the Speaker with a diverse crew of pirates.  They took several ships and were able to trade the goods in local towns even though the populous knew them for pirates. They captured an English East Indiaman off Callequilon and then carried it into port and sold it to the local merchants. From there they steered for Madagascar, but ran upon St. Thomas' Reef off Maurtius and lost their ship.

Most of the crew and Bowen made it to shore where they were well treated by the governor. After three months they bought a sloop and converted it into a brigantine and in the middle of March 1701, took leave of the island, leaving a generous gift for the governor. Sailing to Madagascar they set down in Maritan on the eastern coast and built a fort and town. In early 1702 a ship, the Speedy Return, set into Maritan along with a brigantine, Content, having just having taken on slaves in St.Mary's. Bowen and some others snuck aboard and took possession of both ships.

After watering and provisioning both ships the pirates set sail, though the brigantine ran on some rock off the west coast of Madagascar and only caught up with larger ship at Augustin Bay. Here the pirates abandoned and burned the brigantine. The pirates then went in search of another set of pirates in an effort to ally. The pirates under Bowen searched from New Methelage to Johanna to Mayota where about Christmas of 1702 they found Prosperous under Captain Howard and the Speedy Return under Captain Bowen joined forces. Staying in this port the pirates took the Pembroke belonging to the English East India company. While the Speedy Return was careening the pirates in the Prosperous made for the Red Sea, where they were eventually joined by Bowen and crew. After taking valuable Moorish prizes the pirates set in at Rajapora and judging their ships to be unsound burned them and moved their crews to the prize, naming it the Defiance, mounted with 56 guns and mustering some 160 plus fighting men.

Sailing later off the Malabar coast the pirates again ran across the Pembroke and plundered her a second time, then returned to Mauritius and put in North-West Harbor, where they lived off their booty for a time. Setting sail they steered for the Mascarenes where Bowen and some 40 other put in, intending to return home and give over piracy. Within six months Bowen died of an intestinal ailment and was buried there.  He was succeeded by Nathaniel North as captain.

The need for accurate charts and maps or a pilot well acquainted with local waters was a necessity for pirates as can be seen from the above account. Lack of them could lead to the loss of a ship and worse. From the time of Francis Drake on one of the more valuable things that a pirate could take from a captured ship was the set of charts. The ability to read them and navigate were often enough to qualify a pirate for captain. While not famously successful Bowen was lucky and skillful enough to live long enough to retire from piracy.