Thomas Pound facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Pound
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|---|---|
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| Born |
(presumed) England
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| Died | 1703 |
| Piratical career | |
| Years active | 1689–1690 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Base of operations | Coast of New England |
Thomas Pound (sometimes called Thomas Pounds or Thomas Ponnd) was an English officer in the Royal Navy. He became a pirate for a short time in 1689. He sailed along the coast of New England. Even though he was found guilty of piracy, he was later forgiven. He then went back to serving in the Royal Navy.
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Who Was Thomas Pound?
Thomas Pound was born in England. He joined the Royal Navy and became a junior officer. He was also a naval cartographer, which means he made maps of the sea. He worked in the colonial port of Boston, Massachusetts. One of his old maps is still kept safe today. It shows the coastline of New England. This map stretches from Cape Cod all the way to "Cape Sables" (which is now Sable Island).
Becoming a Pirate
On August 8, 1689, Thomas Pound was on a small boat. This boat belonged to a man named Thomas Hawkins. There were six other people with them. Their boat stopped near Lovell's Island. Five more men came aboard the ship.
Pound and these new men had planned something. They took over the ship. Hawkins decided to join them and become a pirate too. Sometimes, people even called Hawkins the leader instead of Pound.
Pound's first adventure as a pirate was not very exciting. He sailed along the Massachusetts Coast. He saw a fishing boat but did not attack it. Instead, he pulled his boat next to it. He bought some mackerel fish for eight pennies.
More Pirate Adventures
Pound then sailed north to Falmouth, Maine. There, he found more people to join his small crew. These were soldiers who had left their army jobs. Back at sea, Pound and his crew attacked other ships. They attacked the sloop Good Speed near Cape Cod. They also attacked the brigantine Merrimack. They attacked other ships in the New England area too.
Captured!
The governor of Massachusetts heard about Pound's pirate activities. He quickly sent out an armed ship called the Mary. On October 4, the Mary found Pound's ship. It was anchored near Naushon Island. A big fight broke out between the two ships.
During the fight, Pound was shot and hurt. The captain of the Mary, Samuel Pease, was killed. Pound and his crew were outnumbered. They did not have as many guns as the Mary. So, they had to give up. They were taken back to Boston for a trial. On January 13, 1690, Pound and Hawkins were found guilty of piracy. They were sentenced to death.
A Second Chance
Pound was put on a ship called HMS Rose. This ship was sailing to England. His death sentence was supposed to happen there. But during the trip, a French privateer attacked the ship. A privateer was like a pirate, but they were allowed to attack enemy ships by their government.
The captain of HMS Rose died during the fight. Pound was let out to help defend the ship. He fought very bravely for the people who were holding him captive. When the ship arrived in England, Pound's sentence was changed. He was let out of prison after only a short time. Hawkins had been on the same ship. But he was killed during the fight with the French privateer.
Pound got his old job back in the Royal Navy. He was even given command of his own ship later on. It seemed like his short time as a pirate was forgotten. Thomas Pound died in the year 1703.
See also
- Woods Hole Museum, "Pursuit and Capture of a Privateer off Woods Hole, 1689" - This link shows two paintings by Franklin Gifford. They show Pound being captured by the ship Mary.
- William Coward - This pirate also took a ship in the same area. He was jailed and tried at the same time as Hawkins and Pound.
