Peter Francisco

Peter Francisco
Miniature portrait, early 19th century
Born	Pedro Francisco July 9, 1760 Porto Judeu, Terceira, Archipelago of the Azores, Portuguese Empire, present-day Porto Judeu, Terceira, Autonomous Region of the Azores, Portugal, Portuguese Republic
Died	January 16, 1831 (aged 71) Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Cause of death	appendicitis
Resting place	Shockoe Hill Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Other names	Virginia Giant, Giant of the Revolution, Virginia Hercules
Occupation	blacksmith, soldier, sergeant-at-arms
Spouse(s)	Susannah Anderson Catherine Fauntleroy Brooke Mary Grymes West
Children	James Anderson and Polly Francisco with Susannah Anderson Susan Brooke Francisco, Benjamin M. Francisco, Peter II, and Catherine Fauntleroy Francisco with Catherine Fauntleroy Brooke

Peter Francisco, born Pedro Francisco (July 9, 1760 – January 16, 1831), was known variously, as the "Virginia Giant", the "Giant of the Revolution" and occasionally, as the "Virginia Hercules", was an American patriot and soldier in the American Revolutionary War.

Francisco's origins are shrouded in mystery. It is believed he was born on July 9, 1760 at Porto Judeu, on the island of Terceira, in the Archipelago of the Azores, under the rule of, Portuguese Empire. According to the traditional version of his biography, he was found at about age five on the docks at City Point, Virginia, in 1765, and was taken to the Prince George County Poorhouse. Not speaking English, he repeated the name "Pedro Francisco". The locals called him Peter. They soon discovered the boy spoke Portuguese and noted his clothing was of good quality.

When able to communicate, Pedro said that he had lived in a mansion near the ocean. His mother spoke French and his father spoke another language which he did not know. He and his sister were kidnapped from the grounds, but his sister escaped, while Francisco was bound and taken to a ship. Historians believe it is possible that the kidnappers intended to hold the children for ransom or that they had intended to sell them as indentured servants at their destination port in North America, but changed their minds. The Azorean legend says the Francisco family had many political enemies and set up Peter's abduction to protect him from accident or death by his parents' foes.

Peter was soon taken in by the judge Anthony Winston of Buckingham County, Virginia, an uncle of Patrick Henry. Francisco lived with Winston and his family until the beginning of the American Revolution and was tutored by them. When he was old enough to work, he was apprenticed as a blacksmith, a profession chosen because of his massive size and strength (he grew to be six feet and eight inches in height, or 203 centimeters, and weigh some 260 pounds, or 118 kilograms, especially large at the time). He was well known as the Virginian Hercules or the Virginia Giant.