John Bowen

John Bowen (16?? – 17 March 1705) was a pirate of Créole origin active during the Golden Age of Piracy. He sailed with other famous contemporaries, including Nathaniel North (who would succeed him as captain of Bowen's final ship, the Defiant) and George Booth, who was his captain when he was a crewman aboard the Speaker. Over a four-year period, Bowen took about £170,000 in goods and coinage and retired to Bourbon for a brief period of time before his death in 1704. Early life Born on Bermuda, Bowen later moved to the proprietary colony of Carolina, where he signed on an English ship, serving as a petty officer. Bowen's ship was attacked and he was captured by French pirates. The pirates crossed the Atlantic Ocean, heading to Madagascar, but they ran aground near Elesa on the south of the island. Bowen and the other English prisoners managed to seize the ship's longboat and they sailed the 15 leagues (45 miles) to St. Augustine. Bowen remained at St. Augustine for the next 18 months before finally deciding to become a pirate himself. He joined the crew of Captain Read, being elected sailing master by the crew. Following Read's capture of a large Indian ship, Bowen returned to Madagascar and joined George Booth as a crewman. In April 1699, Booth captured a 450-ton, 50-gun former slave ship, the Speaker. Bowen served under Booth's command until 1700, when Booth was killed by Arabs at Zanzibar when negotiating for the resupplying of his ship. Piratical career