Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Hugh Crow (or Crowe; 1765–1829) was an English (Manx) sea voyager, privateer, and slaver. He was captain of several merchant vessels in the African trade; and his ''Memoirs'', posthumously published, are notable for their descriptions of the west coast of Africa.

Life

Hugh Crow was born at Ramsey in the Isle of Man in 1765, the son of the tradesman Edmund Crow (1730–1809) by his wife, Judith (1737–1807). He lost his right eye in infancy, but despite this handicap was apprenticed to a boat builder and adopted a seafaring life. He became captain of a merchant vessel, and was long engaged in the African trade. In 1808 he retired from active service, and resided for some years in his native town, but in 1817 he fixed his residence in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, where he died on 13 May 1829.Cooper 1888, p. 236.

Works

His
Memoirs
', published at London in 1830,

8vo Octavo, a Latin word meaning "in eighth" or "for the eighth time", (abbreviated 8vo, 8º, or In-8) is a technical term describing the format of a book, which refers to the size of leaves produced from folding a full sheet of paper on which multip ...

, with his portrait prefixed, contain descriptions of the west coast of Africa, particularly the Kingdom of Bonny, and of the manners and customs of the inhabitants.

Popular culture

In the mid-1970s, the Manx screenwriter

Nigel Kneale Thomas Nigel Kneale (28 April 1922 – 29 October 2006) was a Manx screenwriter who wrote professionally for more than 50 years, was a winner of the Somerset Maugham Award, and was twice nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best British S ...

made his only attempt at writing a stage play; called ''Crow'', it was based upon the memoirs of Hugh Crow. Kneale was unable to find backing to produce the play for the stage, but sold the script to ATV who put it into pre-production for television. Shortly before filming it was cancelled by ATV's managing director,

Lew Grade Lew Grade, Baron Grade, (born Lev Winogradsky; 25 December 1906 – 13 December 1998) was a British media proprietor and impresario. Originally a dancer, and later a talent agent, Grade's interest in television production began in 1954 ...

, and Kneale was never told why.Kibble-White 2003.

Gallery

File:(2) The WILL, of Liverpool, Capt. Crow, beating off a French Privateer 21st Feby 1800 (cropped).jpg, The ''Will'', of Liverpool, Capt. Crow, beating off a French Privateer, 21 February 1800 File:(3) Storm encountered in the CERES, Capt. Crow, on the passage from Dominica to Liverpool. 1804 (cropped).jpg, Storm encountered in the ''Ceres'', Capt. Crow, on the passage from Dominica to Liverpool, 1804 File:(4) Action, in the night, between the MARY, of Liverpool, Capt. Crow, and Two British Men of War. Decr. 1806 (cropped).jpg, Action, in the night, between the ''Mary'', of Liverpool, Capt. Crow, and Two British Men of War, December 1806 File:(5a) Song. Made by the people of Colour, in Jamaica on Captn Hugh Crow (cropped).jpg, Song. Made by the people of Colour, in Jamaica on Captn Hugh Crow (a) File:(5b) Song. Made by the people of Colour, in Jamaica on Captn Hugh Crow (cropped).jpg, Song. Made by the people of Colour, in Jamaica on Captn Hugh Crow (b)

References

Sources

* * Kibble-White, Jack (November 2003)
"The Magic Word Here is Paradox"
''Off the Telly''. Retrieved 8 October 2022. Attribution: *