Thomas Paine was a colonial American privateer who, during the late 17th century, raided several Spanish settlements, including his raid with Jan Willems who together looted Rio de la Hacha in 1680 as well as driving the French out of Block Island. Although a subject of Great Britain, he was associated with many prominent Dutch privateers of the day including Jan Corneliszoon. A resident of Jamestown, Rhode Island, he had received a commission from Jamaica's governor Sir Thomas Lynch which instructed him to “seize, kill, and destroy pirates” however, in 1683, he joined privateers John Markham, Jan Corneliszoon, Conway Woolley and a French Captain Bréhal in a raid against the Spanish town of Saint Augustine, Florida in March 1883. In command of an 8-gun bark, the Pearl, Thomas Paine led his crew of sixty men under the command of Captain Bréhal who possessed a French privateering commission, obtained from Jacques Nepveu, sieur de Pouanéay and governor of Saint Domingue. As did the others, Paine sailed under a French flag as the fleet arrived off the Florida coast. However, finding the Spanish had prepared for their arrival in advance, they were forced to withdraw eventually abandoning their raid after looting the surrounding area (although they did release several captive before their departure) . Returning with Bréhal and Markham to New Providence, they were reportedly wanted by governor Robert Lilburne who wanted to detain both Markham and Paine for violating England's peace agreement with Spain however he was unable to do so “for want of a force” and they eventually left the Bahamas to join Corneliszoon and Woolley who were working to salvage the wrecked Spanish treasure galleon, the Nuestra Seiiora de las Maravillas. Their efforts apparently met little success and he and Bréal sailed north to resupply at Rhode Island. Although New England was traditionally friendly towards privateers, the two were arrested on orders by visiting governor Edward Cranfield who charged Paine with carrying a counterfeit commission. Paine was eventually cleared and Brehal allowed to leave. Paine stayed in Rhode Island and eventually went into semi-retirement becoming involved in the cargo and resaling for local pirates including Captain William Kidd who visited Paine in 1699.
Further reading
- Clifford, Barry and Kenneth Kinkor. The Lost Fleet: The Discovery of a Sunken Armada from the Golden Age of Piracy. Harper Paperbacks, 2003. ISBN 0060957794
- Field, Edward, Henry Perry Smith, Charles Value Chapin, Daniel Goodwin, Robert Grieve, William Eaton Foster, George Grafton Wilson, Howard Kemble Stokes, James Hill Nutting, Clarence Saunders Brigham, Edward C. Stiness and Josiah Browne Bowditch. State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at the End of the Century. Mason Publishing and Printing Co., 1902.
- Zacks, Richard. The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd. New York: Hyperion, 2003. ISBN 0-7868-8451-7
