Famous Pirate: Christopher Myngs

Buccaneer Idol

Christopher Myngs was born in Norfolk around 1625. As a relatively young man he joined the British Royal Navy and served as an ordinary sailor with the buccaneers . Throughout years, his fleet was having many successful battles . He gained experience, became more skillful and rose through the ranks. Soon Myngs got his own ship and became a very successful captain . His buccaneers participated in a few successful actions. They attacked and plundered several Spanish prize ships in the Caribbean, which leaded Myngs to the next big step in his career.

The destination was recently occupied Jamaica. From his new base, Myngs had a few more successful attacks and his reputation was rapidly increasing. In following period, Spanish attacks were focused on that island, so Myngs got a new assignment . His new duty was to organize the defense of Port Royal against Spanish raiders. He acquired the brand-new powerful frigate "Marston Moor" which equipped 52 guns " . Also, a group of few small vessels was always with Myngs' flagship.

By using the tactic of attacking instead of defending , his buccaneers defeated countless Spanish attempts of capturing Port Royal. Every potential attack was cut down from the beginning, as Myngs counter-attacked and defeated nearby enemy ports. The most famous of all those targets was Santa Marta, Venezuela in 1956.

After all this achievements, Myngs got another promotion . He became the commander of entire naval fleet of Port Royal in 1957. His attacks on Spaniards throughout the Caribbean were drastically increased . In May 1658, Myngs invaded some rich big towns in northern part of South America. Tolu in Columbia and, again, Santa Marta were among them. However, that was not all of his terror on the Spanish colonies in that region. Cumana, Puerto Caballos, and especially Coro of Venezuela were plundered and devastated in the following year, all by the same mighty buccaneers of Port Royal. Myngs returned to Jamaica with an enormous amount of silver and many other values.

A big problem was that Myngs' soldiers were not pirates. All those attacks were legal, under government, but big percentage of all the plundered treasure belonged to authorities. This time Myngs didn't want to share anything with them. Loot was shared between him and the buccaneers. Therefore, Myngs was arrested by the governor of Jamaica for the act of piracy and sent back to England to stand a trial as an ordinary pirate. Fortunately for him, the restoration of the monarchy began soon after. And in all that political chaos and confusion his case was dropped .

In 1662, Myngs returned to the Caribbean with his new flagship HMS "Centurion". He resumed his old duty and attacked the Spanish colonies form Port Royal despite truce between England and Spain. Already in October, the first buccaneers' target, Santiago in Cuba, fell easily and brought much loot. Many other legendary buccaneers such as Henry Morgan and Edward Mansfield admired Myngs' personality. In 1663, they accompanied him on next big expedition, as many other Dutch and French soldiers.

In fact, there were over 1000 buccaneers gathered in Port Royal, assembling powerful fleet of 12 ships. All together, they attacked Bay of Campeche and conquered San Francisco. And that was the last raid of captain Myngs, because the new governor of Jamaica, Modyford, prevented any further buccaneers' attack.

Hot-blooded Myngs was still ambitious, so he left Caribbean in 1665 and returned to England . Government promoted him to vice-admiral and he battled Dutch fleets there. However, that was the place of his doom. He died in gunfire , by a cannon ball. That was the end of one great leader who was a role-model to many other successful buccaneers and pirates.