Pirate Captain Jphn Phillips Last update 16th February 2002

Phillips, John - English pirate, he began piracy after being captured by Thomas Anstis, and made their carpenter. When Anstis split his crew in Tobago, Phillips returned to England where he heard some of his shipmates were being rounded up and tried for piracy. He fled to New Foundland where he began his own career as captain on the 29th August 1723. His flag is variously described as a black flag, and a piratical flag. He was killed in a mutiny, 18th April 1724, having too many pressed men in his service.

Ships Sailed (Articles)

• 29th August 1723 Unknown ship stolen in New Foundland owned by a Mr Minors. Careened in Tobago. Kept for the duration of his career
• 25th March 1724 Prize ship taken from Captain Robert Mortimer, and released to take the next prize
• 4th April 1724 sloop captured off Isle of Sables under Master Salter. It was released to take the next prize
• 14th April 1724 sloop from Cape Ann under Master Andrew Harradine

 

Ships captured (at least 29)

• August 1723. A number of fishing boats around New Foundland.
• French ship from Martinique of 12 guns and 35 crew. From it they took four men and supplies
• sloop from New York
• ship from Virginia under a Master Haffam
• Snow with small crew
• Portugese ship bound for Brazil
• 2 or 3 sloops from Jamaica
• 25th March 1724 Two ships from virginia bound for London, one under John Phillips master, the other Captain Robert Mortimer, which they kept as a prize after Mortimer was butchered
• Sailed toward NewFoundland, plundering several vessels on the way
• 4th April 1724, sloop off the Isle of Sables which they kept as a prize. Then took a schooner under Master Caldwell, owned by Mr Minors. They originally intended to scuttle it, but Phillips, on hearing the owners named, repreieved the ship and let it go. Ship from New England under Master Dependance Ellery. He tried to outrun the pirates, and when they captured him, they forced him to dance until he dropped.
• Over the next few days they captured 10 vessels under the following masters: Joshua Elwell, Samuel Elwell, Mr Combs, Mr Lansley, James Babston, Edward Freeman, Mr Start, Obadiah Beal, Erick Erickson and Benjamin Wheeler.
• 14th April 1724 captured and took as a prize a sloop from Cape Ann under Master Andrew Harradine. Harradines crew were sent away in the prior prize

 

Crewmen

• The four crew he started his career with are highlighted in red. The seven men involved in the final mutiny were all acquitted of piracy. They are highlighted in italics.
• Archer, John Rose - Quartermaster. Overpowered in the mutiny, kept as a witness to the mutineers innocence of piracy. Executed 2nd June 1724 at Boston
• Baptis, John - impressed Frenchman, acquitted at trial
• Boatswain - unnamed in the documents, but killed in the mutiny
• Bootman, John - involved in the mutiny
• Cheeseman, Edward - impressed carpenter. Taken from a Virgina ship under Master John Phillips. He was instrumental in the mutiny, killing Phillips and throwing Nutt overboard
• Combs, John - ships master detained on board and involved in the mutiny
• Fern, Thomas - Carpenter - attempted to desert on a captured snow, but was captured
• Francisco - impressed negro, acquitted at trial
• Giles, Harry/Henry - a young lad. Impressed into service, he suggested they keep Archer as a witness to their innocence
• Harradine, Andrew - former sloop's master, captured 14th April 1724. He was instrumental in the mutiny. He is not listed in the final trials as a defendant
• Ivymay, Charles - a conspiritor in the mutiny
• Lassen, Isaac - impressed Frenchman aquitted at trial
• Nutt, John - Master. He was thrown overboard by Cheeseman in the mutiny and not seen again
• Payne, Henry - involved in the mutiny
• Pedro - a marooned negro rescued on Tobago. Acquitted at trial
• Phillips, William - attempted to desert with Thomas Fern, and was shot in the leg, which was amputated. Condemned at trial, but reprieved
• Philmore, John - from Ipswich. He was instrumental in the mutiny
• Pierro - impressed negro acquitted at trial
• Salter, - captured master from a sloop near NewFoundland 4th April 1724
• Sparks, James - Gunner. Thrown overboard in the mutiny
• Taffery, Peter - impressed Frenchman aquitted at trial
• Taylor, William - attempted to desert with Thomas Nutt. Condemned at trial but reprieved
• White, William - sailor. Executed 2nd June 1724 in Boston
• Wood, - attempted to desert with Thomas Nutt and killed in the chase

 

Died by

• At the hands of impressed sailors during a mutiny about noon, 18th April 1724

 

History

John Phillips started his career as a carpenter. He was initially working on a West Country ship under Captain Roberts, bound for New Foundland, when it was taken by Thomas Anstis in his ship Good Fortune. Phillips was impressed, and soon fell into pirating ways, being appointed ships carpenter. When Anstis was captured at Tobago in April 1723, and his crew split up, Phillips returned to Bristol with others in a sloop. When he heard others of the same ship were being rounded up for piracy, he fled to New Foundland. He worked briefly as a fish splitter before a suitable opportunity presented itself for him to return to pirating.

Knowing a suitable number of like minded, a plan was hatched to steal a suitable ship on the night of the 29th of August 1723. Of the 16 who hatched the plan, only five showed up. Phillips gave them a speech that they should continue the venture, for their numbers would surely soon swell. They stole a vessel and sailed to sea, writing a set of articles which they swore to on the head of an axe for want of a bible. Within the New Foundland fishing grounds they took a number of fishing boats and added new crew members, some Frenchmen and some English including John Rose Archer, a former member of Blackbeard's crew. He was made quartermaster with some rumblings from the longer serving crew members. They headed off for the West Indies.

For three months they sighted no other vessel and were on the verge of starving when they ran into a large french Martinico man of 12 guns and 35 men. They boldly attacked the larger vessel, which surrendered in fear with no resistance. From it they plundered needed supplies and 4 men. They took 2 more vessels and decided to careen, Phillips suggesting Tobago where Anstis had careened and where a number of marooned men were said to be.

Here they found only one marooned negro who said the rest had been taken by a man o war who searched for them. Just as they finished careening, a warships boat rowed into the harbour. They quickly fled, leaving the 4 recently captured Frenchmen behind.

They shortly took a lightly manned snow, which was to be taken as a prize by Thomas Fern. With the three other men sent to claim it, he resolved to desert. Phillips saw what they were doing and gave chase, capturing them. They captured a number of ships, and Fern was killed by Phillips while trying to desert again. Another crewman was killed several days later while also trying to desert.

A number of his crew were of the inclination to desert and commenced to draw up plans to escape the pirate life.

They captured two ships, one under Captain Robert Mortimer. In a stroke of fate and bad pirate planning, he attempted to wrest control of his ship while they were transporting the plunder off, with only three pirates were aboard her, which inlcuded Phillips himself. Mortimer struck Phillips, but did not kill him. Phillips fought back and Mortimer was butchered, while his own crew did nothing at all. Mortimers crew and ship were kept.

They sailed off to New Foundland, Phillips planning on acquiring more crewmen there. They plundered many vessels and detained some crew. These, with existing disgruntled sailors, organised a mutiny.

Phillips and others were killed, the mutineers sailing for Boston. The remaining 4 pirates were tried on the 12th May 1724and convicted. Two were reprieved for a year and a day, two were hung 2nd June 1724.