John Fenn (died May 1723) was an early 18th-century English

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 other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...

who sailed with Captain

Bartholomew Roberts ) , type=Pirate , birth_place = Casnewydd Bach, near Puncheston, Pembrokeshire, Wales, Kingdom of England , death_place = At sea off of Cape Lopez, Gabon , allegiance= , serviceyears=1719–1722 , base of operations= Off the coast of the Americ ...

and later had a brief partnership with Thomas Anstis.

Biography

Although much of his early career is unrecorded, he was a member of Captain Roberts's fleet in June 1719 to April 1720, until leaving with fellow member Thomas Anstis, who was awarded command of the 21-gun ''Morning Star'' shortly before leaving the West Indies for the West African coast during the night of 21 April 1721. Remaining with Anstis in the Caribbean, Fenn participated in the capture of three or four merchant ships near Hispaniola,

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

and

Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in ...

during the month of June before being given command of the 21-gun ''Morning Star''.Some accounts have Anstis keeping ''Morning Star'' and granting his own ship ''Good Fortune'' to

Brigstock Weaver Brigstock Weaver (born 1686 – died 1767) ( fl. 1720–1725, first name occasionally Bridstock) was an English pirate active in the Caribbean. He is best known for his association with fellow pirates Thomas Anstis and Bartholomew Roberts. Hi ...

; and according to Henry Treehill, who testified at Brigstock Weaver's trial, John Fenn was elected captain of the Antelope after Anstis' crew committed mutiny following the loss of the ''Morning Star''. See: After quarrelling for some time, Anstis and Fenn decided to end their piratical careers and petitioned King

George I George I or 1 may refer to: People * Patriarch George I of Alexandria (fl. 621–631) * George I of Constantinople (d. 686) * George I of Antioch (d. 790) * George I of Abkhazia (ruled 872/3–878/9) * George I of Georgia (d. 1027) * Yuri Dolgor ...

for a royal pardon claiming they had been forced into piracy by Roberts. After nine months camped in an uninhabited island off the coast of Cuba, having received no response from the British government, they decided to resume their piracy in August 1722. However, running into a violent storm shortly after their departure, Fenn's ship was wrecked on

Grand Cayman Island Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands and the location of the territory's capital, George Town. In relation to the other two Cayman Islands, it is approximately 75 miles (121 km) southwest of Little Cayman and 90 miles (1 ...

(it may have been during this storm and wreck that Fenn lost his right hand). Anstis, in the process of rescuing Fenn and his crew, many pirates were still ashore when two British warships hove into sight. Chased by the Royal Navy men-of-war, the pirates were able to escape after the winds died down to a

dead calm Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

, rowing the ''Good Fortune'' to safety. After their flight to the Bay of Honduras, a frigate was captured to replace the lost ''Morning Star'' and the two met with success capturing several ships in the Bahamas during the next several months. However, while careening their ships at

Tobago Tobago () is an List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, island and Regions and municipalities of Trinidad and Tobago, ward within the Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located northeast of the larger island of Trini ...

in April 1723, they were surprised by the British warship during which Fenn's ship was lost. Forced to run into the wooded interior of Tobago, he was captured a day later and brought back to Antigua where he was found guilty of piracy and hanged with six of his crew the following month.

Biography

References

Further reading