Philip Roche (pirate)
Philip Roche (1693–1723) was an Irish pirate active in the seas of northern Europe, best known for murdering the crews and captains of ships he and his men took over.
History
Roche was involved in
Newfoundland. Afraid of being discovered, they modified the ship’s appearance, altered the ship’s logbooks, and renamed it Mary before sailing to Rotterdam to sell its cargo.[3]
While there they took more cargo on board along with a cargo master named Annesly.[3] One night later they threw Annelsy overboard and stole the cargo.[1] At a French port they heard rumors about their own exploits and quickly put to sea, sailing to Scotland where they quietly dispersed.[1] Authorities seized the ship but Roche had run away.[2]
Roche was eventually found in
Newgate. Tried for piracy, he was found guilty and hanged in August 1723.[3] The public was disappointed at the execution: Roche "was so ill at the time that he could not make any public declaration of his abhorrence of the crime for which he suffered."[2]
See also
- Admiralty court, the court in which Roche and his associates were tried.
References
- ^ a b c d Johnson, Captain Charles (1724). A GENERAL HISTORY OF THE PYRATES. London: T. Warner. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
- ^ a b c Gosse, Philip (1924). The Pirates' Who's Who by Philip Gosse. New York: Burt Franklin. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
- ^ a b c d Ó Danachair, Donal (2009). The Newgate Calendar - PHILIP ROCHE. Dublin: Ex-Classics. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
