Nathaniel North
| Nathaniel North | |
|---|---|
| Born |
c. 1671 Bermuda |
| Died | 171? Madagascar |
| Piratical career | |
| Type | Privateer / Pirate |
| Years active | c. 1689- 1703/4 1707-171? |
| Rank | Quartermaster / Captain |
| Base of operations | Atlantic Ocean, Red Sea, Indian Ocean |
| Commands |
Brigantine Defiant Frigate Charles |
| Later work | Occasional slaver |
Brigantine Defiant
Nathaniel North (ca. 1671 - ca. 171?) was a Bermuda-born pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy, operating in the Indian Ocean under John Bowen and then as captain of the Defiant following Bowen's retirement in 1704. After losing the Defiant he ruled a pirate colony at Ambonaivo made up of his former crew before returning to sea. Retiring with great wealth in 1709, North settled in Madagascar and married a local woman, but was murdered by her family.
In 1689 North was a crewman aboard an English privateer attacking French shipping during the War of the Grand Alliance. He was impressed into the Royal Navy but made his way to Jamaica. There he again met British press gangs, but escaped by jumping overboard and swimming to shore. By 1696 North was a crewman in a band of privateers (which included future captain George Booth) who captured the 18-gun Brigantine called Pelican off Newfoundland. While the privateer under new captain Robert Colley obtained a commission to attack French holdings in West Africa, they instead travelled to Madagascar where they searched for Arab and Swahili-coast based ships to take. When they failed to find any ships, the Pelican instead raided villages on the Comoro Islands.
Upon returning to Madagascar, North was elected quartermaster by the crew after Colley and a number of others died of illness; ship's cooper Joseph Wheeler was made captain. The Pelican then joined Dirk Chivers and Robert Culliford and the three ships together captured the Great Mohammed. Chivers and Culliford however refused to share the spoils from the Great Mohammed, claiming that the Pelican had not taken part in the battle. Following this event, the Pelican left the trio and later captured three small ships, keeping one and renaming her Dolphin. Damage caused to both ships in a hurricane forced a return to Madagascar, where the plunder was divided, with each of the pirates receiving around £700.
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