Josiah Burgess

Josiah Burgess^[a] (1689–1719) was an English pirate active in the Caribbean. He is best known as one of the heads of New Providence’s “Flying Gang.”^[b]

History

Burgess was leading a pack of four ships near Panama in September 1716.^[1] Outgunned by three Royal Navy warships, he waited until the warships sent crews ashore to gather water. His crew then paddled out of hiding, taking the Navy sailors’ small boat and capturing all of them, leaving the warships undermanned.^{[1][self-published source?]}

Alongside

Woodes Rogers arrived in Nassau in July 1718 to re-announce and enforce the King's pardon. He was greeted by the crews of several pardoned pirates, Burgess' former crew among them.^[3] Burgess himself returned to Nassau where Rogers employed him as a Justice of the Vice-Admiralty Court and a privateer.^[3] In 1719 Burgess' ship was lost at sea off of Abaco, where he drowned. Young sailor and former pirate George Rounsivell also died trying to rescue Burgess; Rogers had pardoned the teenage Rounsivell when he first arrived in Nassau.^[3]

See also

• Admiralty court, the Court which tried Rounsivell and on which Burgess would later serve.

Notes

References