Early Pirates of Newfoundland

One of the earliest known records of piracy in and around Newfoundland dates back to 1582. It is recorded in that year, that the Englishmen Henry Oughtred and Sir John Perrot launched a raid on Portuguese and Spanish fishermen around the Avalon peninsula.

In hopes of protecting their vessels from these and various other other trepidations, many Basque fish merchants began to apply for passports from the Lord Admiral of England.

In 1610 John Guy founded a settlement at Cupids (also known as Cupers Cove). However, there were already settlers in the area. Most notably "The Pirate Admiral" Peter Easton and around 5000 pirate sailors who served under him at some time in the area of what is now known as Harbour Grace.

Easton carried out many raids on ships and communities along the east coast of the Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland during his time there. In 1611 the French sent a squadron of warships into the cove to capture Easton but were ultimately destroyed. A model replica of Eastons flag ship the "Happy Adventure" can be seen at the Harbour Grace Museum in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland.

Easton was followed by the dashing and charismatic Henry Mainwaring. Mainwaring was an Oxford graduate a member of the bar and a master mariner.

Mainwaring had originally been dispatched to Newfoundland to arrest Peter Easton. However, Easton had already left Newfoundland by the time he had arrived. Mainwaring apparently occupied Easton's abandoned settlement. Following in Easton's footsteps, Mainwaring turned to piracy.

After a successful career as a Newfoundland pirate, Mainwaring returned to England. On his return voyage he intercepted and protected an English convoy sailing to Cadez. Despite his piracy and (presumably) in gratitude for protecting the convoy Mainwaring was welcomed back to England.

Mainwaring went on to become the Chancellor of Ireland. In his old age he went into exile in France following the English Civil War.

Two contemporaries of Easton and Mainwaring were the Pirate Captain John Nutt (1620-23), and the gentleman Buccaneer David Kirke (1597-1654).

David Kirke was an English buccaneer who, in 1628, attacked Quebec, but was repulsed by Champlain. In the same year, he captured a French fleet of 18 French ships in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence. Kirke was also a prominant figure in the establishment of the Scottish colony of Nova Scotia.

For his services to the English Crown, Kirke was appointed Governor of Newfoundland under a Royal Charter granted to the Company of Adventurers. In 1639, Kirke took possession of the Colony of Avalon at Ferryland.

English pirates were followed by French pirates, including the Marquis de la Rade (1628).

In later years Dutch Piracy plagued Newfoundland settlers. Most notably under Admiral De Ruyter and Captain Jacob Overson. In the summer of 1696 a French naval squadon under Chevalier Nesmond sailing from Plaisance unsuccessfully laid seige to St. John's. While during the American Revolutionary War, American privateers raided and sacked Cartwright, Labrador and were a very real threat to Newfoundland.