Edward Davis (buccaneer) facts for kids
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Edward Davis was a famous English buccaneer. He was active in the Caribbean Sea during the 1680s. He led successful attacks on cities like Leon and Panama in 1685. The Panama raid was one of the last big buccaneer attacks on a Spanish stronghold. A writer named William Dampier wrote a lot about Davis's adventures in his book A New Voyage Round the World (1697).
Early Adventures
Edward Davis first appeared in the Caribbean. He was on a French privateer ship. Later, he joined Captain John Cook's ship. They arrived in Chesapeake Bay in April 1683. There, he met William Dampier, who would later write about him. Davis briefly worked as a navigator. He and others, including James Kelly, left the group. They traveled overland through Panama with John Cook.
Davis and Cook's Journey
On August 23, 1683, Davis decided to join a privateering trip. He became a quartermaster under Captain John Cook. They sailed east and captured a large ship called the Delight. This ship had 36 guns. They sailed to the Pacific Ocean in November 1683. They went around Cape Horn, which is at the southern tip of South America. Another buccaneer, John Eaton, joined them. Together, they raided Spanish cities along the coast of South America.
In March 1684, Cook's ship, the Bachelor's Delight, met Eaton's ship, the Nicholas. They sailed to the Juan Fernandez Islands. There, they found a Miskito Indian who had been left behind. On May 3, Captains Cook and Eaton headed for the Galapagos Islands.
Captain Cook died on July 19, 1684. The crew of the Bachelor's Delight chose Davis to be their new captain. Their trip faced some problems. An attack on El Realejo, Nicaragua, did not work. Eaton left the group after this. Raids on Paita, Peru and Guayaquil, Ecuador, did not find much treasure. However, they captured several ships. From these ships, 15 people joined Davis's crew.
Davis then turned back towards Panama. He raided Spanish ships that carried silver from Peru to Spain. He then joined forces with a fleet of buccaneers. This fleet was led by Francois Grogniet, Pierre le Picard, and Francis Townley. Davis sailed to Port St Helena. He then sailed back towards Ecuador. On October 2, he met the ship Cygnet. This ship was led by Captain Charles Swan and Peter Harris. Davis convinced them to join his expedition.
With the Bachelor's Delight, the Cygnet, and other captured Spanish ships, Davis led a successful attack. They attacked Panama with Charles Swan and others. They planned to attack the Peruvian silver fleet. But Spanish officials moved over 500,000 pesos in two large ships. These ships were guarded by three smaller warships. The Spanish ships sailed a different way and avoided the buccaneers. While waiting for the treasure fleet, Davis and his group met a Spanish patrol on June 8. A Spanish fleet later chased them to Corba Island. At this time, Davis's ship flew a white flag with a hand and sword painted on it. This showed he had a French commission.
Splitting from Grogniet
After their defeat, the buccaneers argued. Many blamed the Frenchman Francois Grogniet. So, Davis left the group on September 3. Swan, Townley, Harris, and William Knight also left. They sailed north with eight ships and 640 buccaneers.
On January 1, 1685, Davis captured a mail boat going to Lima. It had orders about the silver fleet for Panama. On January 7, Davis and Swan sailed to Pear Island. They wanted to stop the silver fleet there. By February 15, the fleet still had not arrived. They almost gave up hope. But on May 28, they finally saw the fleet. It had already dropped its cargo at La Villa. The buccaneers had gathered in Panama Bay. But in the Battle of Panama, the Spanish outnumbered them greatly. The battle did not have a clear winner.
Davis, Swan, and two other ships split from the alliance. Their raids on Leon and Realejo were not very successful. Swan and Townley left for Mexico. Harris left after many of his crew got sick with yellow fever in Honduras. The group split up on August 25, 1685. Dampier sailed west across the Pacific. Davis and William Knight raided towns in Peru and Chile. But food was hard to find. Knight then left for the West Indies. Davis and Knight divided their treasure at the Juan Fernández Islands in November. Each crew member received about £1,150. Davis spent Christmas 1685 at Juan Fernandez Island. His crew felt an earthquake from Callao and Lima, which was 450 miles away.
In March 1686, Davis raided the city of Zaña, Peru. He stole £25,000 in jewels and silver. Later raids brought less wealth. But 39 African people were freed from Paita and joined his group. He raided five more towns in May and June. An attack on La Serena failed. But the defenders of Pisco agreed to pay £5,000 in ransom. Davis continued with 80 men. He looted £10,000 from Arica, Chile in February 1687. He learned that the Spanish planned to send ships from Peru against Captain Pierre le Picard. So, Davis went to Guayaquil in May. He helped defeat the Spanish fleet. He split £50,000 with the French buccaneer.
Leaving Guayaquil on June 12, Davis stopped at the Galápagos Islands and Juan Fernández Islands. He also supposedly saw Davis Land on his way back to the American colonies.
Later Years
Davis and his ship, the Delight, arrived in the West Indies in early 1688. He eventually reached Philadelphia in May. However, he and two others were arrested for piracy in Virginia on June 22, 1688. At his trial, Davis said he had lived in Jamaica for seven years. A servant said this was not true. Davis asked for a royal pardon. He was pardoned under a special law in 1687/8.
In August 1689, Davis and the other buccaneers were ordered to return to England. They arrived in November but without their belongings. In December 1687, Davis's trip had found a piece of land. It was 500 leagues south of the Galapagos. This land was named Davis Land. It is shown in Dampier's book. In 1721, Dutch ships could not find the island. It might have been Easter Island.
Davis returned to England in 1690. He managed to get most of his property back within two years. A royal order in March 1692 agreed to return Davis's money. But £300 was kept by the Crown. He also kept about a quarter of his property in Jamestown. This money might have helped build the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
The Bachelor's Delight ship was sold to some of its former crew. It then sailed to the Indian Ocean.
Edward Davis is believed to be one of the first buccaneers to bury treasure on Cocos Island. He supposedly left several chests there in 1684 and 1702. These chests were said to contain gold, silver, and £300,000 in silver bars. This treasure came from towns in Peru and Chile.
See also
In Spanish: Edward Davis (bucanero) para niños
