John Nutt
Encyclopedia
This article is about John Nutt the English pirate. For John Nutt the 18th century English printer, see John Nutt (printer)
.
John Nutt (fl.
1620–1623) was a 17th-century English pirate. He was one of the more notorious brigands of his time raiding the coast of southern Canada and western England for over three years before his capture by Sir John Eliot
in 1623. His arrest and conviction caused a scandal in the English court, Nutt having paid Eliot £500 in exchange for a pardon, and was eventually released by the Secretary of State George Calvert.
, near Exmouth
in Devon
, England
, John Nutt arrived in Newfoundland as a gunner on a Dartmouth
ship around 1620. He decided to settle in the area permanently and moved his family to live in Torbay, Newfoundland and Labrador
. He soon organized a small crew with whom he seized a small French fishing boat as well as two other French ships (another account claims the ships were English
and Flemish
) during the summer of 1621 before returning to the western coast of England. He would continue using unemployed sailors, particularly those conscripted to press gangs, and actually lured away a significant number from the Royal Navy
paying regular wages and commissions. He would also offer his services to protect French and English settlements including the Colony of Avalon
then under the leadership of George Calvert.
He would continue raiding shipping both in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Irish Sea
for over three years, often avoiding attempts to apprehend him, before he requested a royal pardon from John Eliot
, the Vice Admiral of Devon. Eliot agreed in exchange for a £500 bond, however he was arrested by Eliot and imprisoned once back in England. Tried and convicted for piracy, Nutt was about to be hanged when George Calvert, then Secretary of State, intervened on his behalf having been a friend and associate of his while Nutt and his family were living in the Avalon Colony
. Nutt was given his pardon and also granted £100 in compensation while Eliot, for his betrayal, was charged with malfeasance in office
and imprisoned.
John Nutt (printer)
Elizabeth Nutt and John Nutt were printers and booksellers and distributors in London in the early 18th century...
.
John Nutt (fl.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1620–1623) was a 17th-century English pirate. He was one of the more notorious brigands of his time raiding the coast of southern Canada and western England for over three years before his capture by Sir John Eliot
John Eliot (statesman)
Sir John Eliot was an English statesman who was serially imprisoned in the Tower of London, where he eventually died, by King Charles I for advocating the rights and privileges of Parliament.-Family and early life:...
in 1623. His arrest and conviction caused a scandal in the English court, Nutt having paid Eliot £500 in exchange for a pardon, and was eventually released by the Secretary of State George Calvert.
Biography
Born in LympstoneLympstone
Lympstone is a village and civil parish in East Devon in the English county of Devon. It has a population of 1,754. There is a harbour on the estuary of the River Exe, lying at the outlet of Wotton Brook between cliffs of red breccia...
, near Exmouth
Exmouth
Exmouth is a town in Devon. It may also refer to:Places*Exmouth Peninsula in Southern Chile*Exmouth, Western AustraliaPeople*Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth , a British naval officerShips...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, John Nutt arrived in Newfoundland as a gunner on a Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
ship around 1620. He decided to settle in the area permanently and moved his family to live in Torbay, Newfoundland and Labrador
Torbay, Newfoundland and Labrador
Torbay is a town located on the eastern side of the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.The town is located north of the capital city of St. John's and is part of the St. John's Metropolitan Area. Due to the Torbay's close proximity with St. John's, the town's population is...
. He soon organized a small crew with whom he seized a small French fishing boat as well as two other French ships (another account claims the ships were English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Flemish
Flemish Region
The Flemish Region is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Colloquially, it is usually simply referred to as Flanders, of which it is the institutional iteration within the context of the Belgian political system...
) during the summer of 1621 before returning to the western coast of England. He would continue using unemployed sailors, particularly those conscripted to press gangs, and actually lured away a significant number from the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
paying regular wages and commissions. He would also offer his services to protect French and English settlements including the Colony of Avalon
Province of Avalon
Province of Avalon was the area around the settlement of Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, in the 17th century, which upon the success of the colony grew to include the land held by Sir William Vaughan and all the land that lay between Ferryland and Petty Harbour.Sir George Calvert had acquired...
then under the leadership of George Calvert.
He would continue raiding shipping both in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
for over three years, often avoiding attempts to apprehend him, before he requested a royal pardon from John Eliot
John Eliot (statesman)
Sir John Eliot was an English statesman who was serially imprisoned in the Tower of London, where he eventually died, by King Charles I for advocating the rights and privileges of Parliament.-Family and early life:...
, the Vice Admiral of Devon. Eliot agreed in exchange for a £500 bond, however he was arrested by Eliot and imprisoned once back in England. Tried and convicted for piracy, Nutt was about to be hanged when George Calvert, then Secretary of State, intervened on his behalf having been a friend and associate of his while Nutt and his family were living in the Avalon Colony
Province of Avalon
Province of Avalon was the area around the settlement of Ferryland, Newfoundland and Labrador, in the 17th century, which upon the success of the colony grew to include the land held by Sir William Vaughan and all the land that lay between Ferryland and Petty Harbour.Sir George Calvert had acquired...
. Nutt was given his pardon and also granted £100 in compensation while Eliot, for his betrayal, was charged with malfeasance in office
Malfeasance in office
Malfeasance in office, or official misconduct, is the commission of an unlawful act, done in an official capacity, which affects the performance of official duties. Malfeasance in office is often grounds for a for cause removal of an elected official by statute or recall election.An exact...
and imprisoned.
External links
Further reading
- Amery, John S. Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries: A Quarterly Journal Devoted to the Local History, Archeology, Biography & Antiquities of the Counties of Devon and Cornwall. Exeter: James G. Commin, 1900.
- Copplestone, Bennet and Frederick Kitchin. Dead Men's Tales. Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood & Sons, 1926.
- Cordingly, David. Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates. New York: Random House, 1996. ISBN 0-679-42560-8
- Rogozinski, Jan. Pirates!: Brigands, Buccaneers, and Privateers in Fact, Fiction, and Legend. New York: Da Capo Press, 1996. ISBN 0-306-80722-X