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HENRY EVERY
THE LONGEST LIST OF THE LONGEST
STUFF AT THE LONGEST DOMAIN NAME AT LONG LAST
Who was Henry Every?
Henry Every’s life prior to becoming a midshipman in
the English Royal Navy in March 1689, is a bit hazy. Some have his birth as 1653
while another source states his birth as 1659. Either way, we know for sure that
after only 4 months on the HMS Ruppert in 1689, Captain Francis Wheeler promoted
him to chief mate of the 64-gun ship. After this Captain Wheeler was given
charge of the HMS Albermarle in which Henry Every went along in June 1699. In
August of 1690, Henry Every was discharged from the navy.
No mention of Henry Every can be found until 1693
when he is listed as a crewmember on the Charles II. In 1694, Henry Every became
first mate of the armed frigate. Aboard this ship, all crewmembers were hired to
raid Spanish colonies or in some cases, the Spanish hired to attack French
smugglers that were based on Martinique.
On May 7, 1694, Henry Every led a mutiny and seized
the ship. His words after the mutiny were “I am captain of this ship now. I am
bound to Madagascar, with the design of making my own fortune, and that of all
the brave fellows joined with me.”
This is when Every turned pirate. It is believed he
was in his forties, daring, even tempered most of the time, however, could on
occasion be insolent.
Under Every’s command the Charles II was renamed
Fancy. The crew plundered three English ships off the Cape Verde Islands and
captured two Danish ships close by Principe on the western coast of Africa. Some
time after these adventures, Henry Every, left the Fancy at Johanna with a note
to give the ship to the first English ship that docked there. The note read:
To All English Commanders.
Let this satisfy that I was riding here at this instant in the ship Fancy, man
of war, formerly the Charles of the Spanish Expedition who departed from La
Coruņa 7th May 1694, being then and now a ship of 46 guns, 150 men and bound to
seek our fortunes. I have never as yet wronged any English or Dutch, or ever
intend whilst I am commander. [a lie] Wherefore as I commonly speak with all
ships I desire whoever comes to the perusal of this to take this signal, that if
you or any whom you may inform are desirous to know what we are at a distance,
then make your ancient [ship’s flag] up in a ball or bundle and hoist him at the
mizen peak, the mizen being furled. I shall answer with the same, and never
molest you, for my men are hungry, stout and resolute, and should they exceed my
desire I cannot help myself. As yet an Englishman’s friend,
At Johanna, 18th February 1695
Henry Every
After this Henry Every set off on several pirate
adventures. Many of his men were captured over the next few years, however,
Every was never captured. The last anyone really knows about Every is that he
landed at Dunfanaghy, Ireland. Some claim to have seen him in Scotland, Exeter,
Dublin, London, and Plymouth, but the accounts were never proven. Some say Every
died penniless while others do not speculate on his demise.
Henry Every
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