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Hanging of a buccaneer at Execution Dock. Execution Dock was a site on the River Thames near the shoreline at Wapping, London, that was used for more than 400 years to execute pirates, smugglers and mutineers who had been sentenced to death by Admiralty courts. The "dock" consisted of a scaffold for hanging. Its last executions were in 1830.
Mary Critchett (died 1729, first name also Maria, last name also Crichett or Crickett) was an English pirate and convict. She is best known for being one of only four confirmed female pirates from the Golden Age of Piracy, [1] and the only one executed.
After one last act of defiance from their captain, the pirates were executed by a firing squad. [68] News of the event was published in the local government's gazette, along with a warning for anyone interested in piracy. [69] The press of the United States heavily publicized these events, while Porter's trial continued.
Slashing the rigging and sails, the pirates filled the ship's galley with combustibles and set the ship afire with the crew trapped inside. However, the crew managed to break out after an hour and eventually doused the fire, although they continued to let enough smoke billow until the pirates were out of sight.
Shortly before his execution, Jeffers admitted to have been involved in the killing of as many as 400 victims. His confessions during his imprisonment and trial, detailing his career, were recorded and published following his death and remained popular reading throughout the mid-19th century. [ 1 ]
In 1723, Gravelly Point (off of Long Wharf) was the site of the largest public mass execution in American history, when 26 pirates were executed. They were then buried on nearby Goat Island. [2] Various houses in "The Point" were occupied by British and French forces during the American Revolution around the time of the Battle of Rhode Island.
Most pirates in this era were of Welsh, English, Dutch, Irish, and French origin. Many pirates came from poorer urban areas in search of a way to make money and of reprieve. London in particular was known for high unemployment, crowding, and poverty which drove people to piracy. Piracy also offered power and quick riches. [citation needed]
Pirates were given no representation in the new courts and were, therefore, often sentenced to hang. Between 1716 and 1726 approximately 400 to 600 pirates were executed. [ 25 ] Another major attitude change was the policy that if one's ship was attacked by pirates, then one must fight back and attempt to resist to the capture of their ship ...