Woodes Rogers (* 1679 in Bristol, England; "† 16 July 1732 in Nassau, the Bahamas) was of Freibeuter tolerated by the English admiralty, at the beginning 18. Century attacked and robbed Spanish trading vessels. Later it than governor of the Bahamas fought the Piraterie energetically with a combination of pardons and military strength. Its slogan Expulsis Piratis Restituta Commercia (dt. "Piraten driven out, trade restored") remained up to independence 1973 the national slogan of the Bahamas.

Raid around the world 1708 - 1711

Woodes Rogers orbited the globe as commander and a captain of the Duke (320 tons, 30 cannons and 117 men) and the Duchess (260 tons, 26 cannons and 108 men) on raid 1708-1711 and brought in plentifully booty. The raids stood in connection with the Spanish succession war, which had begun 1701 and until 1714 persisted. The English crown authorized an applying of opposing ships and required a fifth of the booty as commission. 1708 were painted this portion. Of it Woodes Rogers wanted to profit, when he stung on 2 August 1708 in Bristol in lake. Besides the dealers wanted to break this time the Spanish trade monopoly with the South American Pacific coast. On 11 September they brought a Barque to 1708 with 45 passengers up. Afterwards they prepared for the Umsegelung cape of the Hoorn.

Meeting with Robinson Crusoe

Navigator on board was William Dampier. This had undertaken as a captain with the pc. George and the Cinque of haven (under the command of Thomas Stradling) 1703-1707 a raid around the world, however thereby had already failed since he was not able it to keep as a captain the crew. On the journey it came 1705 to the freiwilligen suspension of Alexander Selkirk on an uninhabited Juan island (since 1966 Isla Crusoe). Selkirk had been sail master on the Cinque of haven. Rogers took during its travel surprises this Alexander Selkirk with an intermediate stop on 2 February 1709 for fresh water replenishment on board and reported in England of its Insulaner existence. Its memoirs of 1712 with the title A Voyage Around the World are seen as collecting main for Daniel Defoes "Robinson Crusoe".

The journey continues

Around the 16. March 1709 the two ships before the coast of Peru brought within a monthly of 5 Spanish ships between 16th and to 500 t up. After these successes they attacked the city Guayaquil and required 30,000 silver peso ransom. The sea-engagements did not run however always problem-free. In combat before California Woodes Rogers was heavily wounded:

I became through-shot, the ball struck a large part of my Oberkiefers away and some my teeth, whereby parts of it fell on the deck, where I went to soil.

Until had they further ships captured July, a further in August, and still one on 22 December 1709. The crew hoped to place the Begonia a ship of 900 t with 60 cannons, which was in the area. Actual ones met it it on 26 December. They had to state however after a hard fight that the Begonia was too strong, and the fight to break off. Woodes Rogers was again wounded. A Holzsplitter destroyed its heel bone.

In October 1710 reached they Texel in Holland. The Netherlands east India company wanted to seize the ships because of alleged injury of their commercial laws, but after a delay they segelten finally on 14 October 1711 the Themse up. The journey, which had cost 14,000 Pound, furnished net proceeds over 170.000 Pound. Woodes Rogers established itself for a while at the Queen Square 19 in Bristol, but he had large plans for the settlement of Madagascar and the Bahamas.

Governor of the Bahamas

1717 he was appointed the governor by new Providence and the remainder of the Bahamas. It applied on 11 April 1718 there. In the luggage it had a royal Pardon for all Piraten, which resulted before 5 September 1718. It traveled on board the Delicia, which were accompanied by the warships HMS Milford and HMS rose as well as the two Schaluppen Shark and Buck. On 26 July 1718 it reached new Providence Iceland. When it approached the port, it found a burning ship, which had been by Charles Vane in hope into fire to attract one of the warships. When however all approached, it fled. Immediately after the landing Woodes Rogers made itself to the repair of the Forts, which had purged, and sent to Blackbeards old Mentor captain Benjamin Hornigold, which had accepted the royal Pardon, on the hunt for Charles Vane.

Hornigold succeeded it on the island Exuma, 130 nautical miles southeast from new Providence to take a group prisoner of 10 Piraten. Woodes Rogers decided to set an example and 8 of them was gehenkt on 12 December. Diseases and shortage of money forced him however to give its extensive projects up because soon the government sent no more money and reacted also not more to its assistance request. 1720 it returned therefore to London. Its successor George Phenney was however so unable that Rogers returned on request of the island inhabitants with son and daughter 1729 on the Bahamas. Although it much of not reached, what it had planned, he drove nevertheless the Piraten out of the Bahamas and fallow the stranglehold, which these had put around the Karibik. It died on 15 July 1732 in Nassau on the Bahamas.

It is to have begnadigt allegedly the notorious Piratin Anne Bonny only therefore, because it was drunk at the time.

Literature

• Bryan Little: Crusoe's Captain. Being the life OF Woodes Rogers, seaman, more trader, colonial gouvernor, Othams press, London 1960
• Alexander Winston: NO purchase, NO pay. Sir Henry Morgan, Captain William Kidd, Captain Woodes Rogers into the great age OF privateers and of pirates, 1665-1715 '', Eyre & Spottiswoode, London 1969

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