The story of Captain Thomas Tew

The majority of the pirates that stopped at Madagascar were English, French or American and one of the earliest of the more famous pirates to arrive was Thomas Tew in 1693.

Captain Thomas Tew never considered himself a pirate. Tew resented any suggestion that his maritime enterprises involved acts of high seas terror akin to piracy. And he had good reason. From Boston to New York, merchants respected the businessman who brought them essential goods demanded by colonists. His crew never fired a shot against anyone but England’s enemies. Thus, as a privateer, Captain Tew enjoyed a career protected by law, respected through tradition, and maintained with success for the benefit of society, especially well-financed businessmen. However, increased danger and limited profits began to sour Tew’s enthusiasm for his sea trade. Perhaps, he had been too quick in condemning this pirate business, after all.

Tew was master of an 8-gun sloop, the Amity and while England was at war with France in 1692, he received a commission from the governor of Bermuda to travel with another ship to Africa and attack the French slaving stations at Goori in Gambia. During a storm on the way there, Tew lost his partnered ship and decided to turn pirate. He told his men that it was better to risk their lives for plunder rather than for the English government. His men were easily convinced – according to Defoe, they “cry’d out one and all, ‘a gold chain, or a wooden leg, we’ll stand by you.’”

Tew and his crew rounded the Cape of Good Hope and sailed towards the Straits of Bab-el-Mandeb and the Red Sea. Entering the Red Sea, Tew’s ship came upon a mighty Indian ship bound from the Indies to Arabia. She was richly laden and had 300 hundred soldiers onboard, in addition to its crew of seamen. Tew encouraged his men by informing them of the fortunes that the ship was carrying and that they’d have no difficulty in taking her. Although she was full of men and mounted with a great number of guns, he told them, they lacked the two things necessary: skill and courage.

He was proven right, as they managed to board the ship and capture her without loss, the passengers and crew aboard the ship more interested in running from danger than defending the vessel. After examining the cargo, taking what they wanted (gold, silver, jewels and powder) and throwing overboard everything that they didn’t (bales of cloth), each man aboard the Amity received £3,000 as his prize. As captain, Tew received a greater share – the sum of £8,000.

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