John Coxon (pirate)
Encyclopedia
Captain John Coxon was a late seventeenth-century buccaneer
who terrorized the Spanish Main
. Coxon was one of the most famous of the Brethren of the Coast
, a loose consortium of pirates and privateers. Coxon lived during the Buccaneering Age of Piracy
.
Coxon's ship, a vessel of eighty tons that carried eight guns and a crew of ninety-seven men, is lost to date, with no traces of its name anywhere.
in the Caribbean
. Coxon was held responsible for abducting the governor and the bishop of Santa Maria to Jamaica
.
. This raid proved to be useful, as the pirates and privateers collected a stash of five hundred chests of indigo dye
, in addition to cocoa, cochineal
, money, plate, and tortoiseshell
.
Shortly afterwards, he made himself an ally of several other important buccaneers of the day, including Cornelius Essex
, Bartholomew Sharp
and Robert Allison. after which they set sail for Porto Bello
. Upon reaching, they travelled for around four days, and on 17 February, they plundered the town carelessly, escaping the Spanish armies. Through this, each man earned, at the very least, one-hundred pieces of eight.
Because of this arduous task, the Governor of Jamaica, Lord Carlisle, issued search warrants for Coxon and his notorious crew. In addition, Henry Morgan
, when acting as governor, issued another warrant for Coxon, but nothing resulted from these writs.
to commit other acts of piracy, shortly after which he crossed the Isthmus of Darien, more commonly known as the Isthmus of Panama
. At Panama
, Coxon and his crew attacked, and eventually took a Spanish fleet
of many a man-of-war. This event was set as one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of buccaneers.
captains resulting in them moving in their separate ways. Coxon, in naught but an Indian canoe, travelled to the Pacific Coast
, and with his crew of seventy, stole two sloops. Coxon then returned, with his crew, to Jamaica, as a legendary pirate.
that were sealed for Robert Clarke
, Coxon continued to commit acts of piracy, sometimes under this disguise.
Coxon was caught and tried several times, but always managed to escape the gallows somehow.
Buccaneer
The buccaneers were privateers who attacked Spanish shipping in the Caribbean Sea during the late 17th century.The term buccaneer is now used generally as a synonym for pirate...
who terrorized the Spanish Main
Spanish Main
In the days of the Spanish New World Empire, the mainland of the American continent enclosing the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico was referred to as the Spanish Main. It included present-day Florida, the east shore of the Gulf of Mexico in Texas, Mexico, Central America and the north coast of...
. Coxon was one of the most famous of the Brethren of the Coast
Brethren of the Coast
The Brethren or Brethren of the Coast were a loose coalition of pirates and privateers commonly known as buccaneers and active in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico....
, a loose consortium of pirates and privateers. Coxon lived during the Buccaneering Age of Piracy
Buccaneer
The buccaneers were privateers who attacked Spanish shipping in the Caribbean Sea during the late 17th century.The term buccaneer is now used generally as a synonym for pirate...
.
Coxon's ship, a vessel of eighty tons that carried eight guns and a crew of ninety-seven men, is lost to date, with no traces of its name anywhere.
John Coxon as a pirate
Very little is known about Coxon's early life. The act that brought Coxon to public notice was his surprising and plundering the Spanish town of Santa MartaSanta Marta
Santa Marta is the capital city of the Colombian department of Magdalena in the Caribbean Region. It was founded in July 29, 1525 by the Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, which makes it the oldest remaining city in Colombia...
in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. Coxon was held responsible for abducting the governor and the bishop of Santa Maria to Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
.
Raid in the Gulf of Honduras
Soon after, Coxon met with many privateers, staging a raid in the Gulf of HondurasGulf of Honduras
The Gulf or Bay of Honduras is a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting the coasts of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. From north to south, it runs for approximately 200 km from Dangriga, Belize, to La Ceiba, Honduras....
. This raid proved to be useful, as the pirates and privateers collected a stash of five hundred chests of indigo dye
Indigo dye
Indigo dye is an organic compound with a distinctive blue color . Historically, indigo was a natural dye extracted from plants, and this process was important economically because blue dyes were once rare. Nearly all indigo dye produced today — several thousand tons each year — is synthetic...
, in addition to cocoa, cochineal
Cochineal
The cochineal is a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which the crimson-colour dye carmine is derived. A primarily sessile parasite native to tropical and subtropical South America and Mexico, this insect lives on cacti from the genus Opuntia, feeding on plant moisture and...
, money, plate, and tortoiseshell
Tortoiseshell material
Tortoiseshell or tortoise shell is a material produced mainly from the shell of the hawksbill turtle, an endangered species. It was widely used in the 1960s and 1970s in the manufacture of items such as combs, sunglasses, guitar picks and knitting needles...
.
Shortly afterwards, he made himself an ally of several other important buccaneers of the day, including Cornelius Essex
Cornelius Essex
Cornelius Essex was an English buccaneer who took part in Captain Bartholomew Sharp's privateering expedition, the "Pacific Adventure", during the late 1670s....
, Bartholomew Sharp
Bartholomew Sharp
Bartholomew Sharp an English buccaneer whose pirate career lasted only three years . His flagship was the Trinity....
and Robert Allison. after which they set sail for Porto Bello
Porto Bello
Porto Bello was the hunting lodge of the last Royal Governor of the British Colony of Virginia, John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore. Dunmore fled to Porto Bello to escape the early stages of the American Revolution in Williamsburg, Virginia...
. Upon reaching, they travelled for around four days, and on 17 February, they plundered the town carelessly, escaping the Spanish armies. Through this, each man earned, at the very least, one-hundred pieces of eight.
Because of this arduous task, the Governor of Jamaica, Lord Carlisle, issued search warrants for Coxon and his notorious crew. In addition, Henry Morgan
Henry Morgan
Admiral Sir Henry Morgan was an Admiral of the Royal Navy, a privateer, and a pirate who made a name for himself during activities in the Caribbean, primarily raiding Spanish settlements...
, when acting as governor, issued another warrant for Coxon, but nothing resulted from these writs.
Against a Spanish fleet
Due to the carelessness and the scarce treasure that Coxon and his crew plundered at Porto Bello, Coxon proved to be quite angered, therefore returning to Santa MartaSanta Marta
Santa Marta is the capital city of the Colombian department of Magdalena in the Caribbean Region. It was founded in July 29, 1525 by the Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, which makes it the oldest remaining city in Colombia...
to commit other acts of piracy, shortly after which he crossed the Isthmus of Darien, more commonly known as the Isthmus of Panama
Isthmus of Panama
The Isthmus of Panama, also historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North and South America. It contains the country of Panama and the Panama Canal...
. At Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, Coxon and his crew attacked, and eventually took a Spanish fleet
Naval fleet
A fleet, or naval fleet, is a large formation of warships, and the largest formation in any navy. A fleet at sea is the direct equivalent of an army on land....
of many a man-of-war. This event was set as one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of buccaneers.
Heated arguments
Having done both of these feats, Coxon quarreled with the other buccaneerBuccaneer
The buccaneers were privateers who attacked Spanish shipping in the Caribbean Sea during the late 17th century.The term buccaneer is now used generally as a synonym for pirate...
captains resulting in them moving in their separate ways. Coxon, in naught but an Indian canoe, travelled to the Pacific Coast
Pacific Coast
A country's Pacific coast is the part of its coast bordering the Pacific Ocean.-The Americas:Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western border.* Geography of Canada* Geography of Chile* Geography of Colombia...
, and with his crew of seventy, stole two sloops. Coxon then returned, with his crew, to Jamaica, as a legendary pirate.
Disguise
Having robbed letters of marqueLetter of marque
In the days of fighting sail, a Letter of Marque and Reprisal was a government licence authorizing a person to attack and capture enemy vessels, and bring them before admiralty courts for condemnation and sale...
that were sealed for Robert Clarke
Robert Clarke
Robert Irby Clarke was an American actor best known for his cult classic science fiction films of the 1950s.-Early life:...
, Coxon continued to commit acts of piracy, sometimes under this disguise.
Coxon was caught and tried several times, but always managed to escape the gallows somehow.