serviceyears commands wealth death_date death_place birth_place allegiance birth_date article_title name type
1690 -- 1716 '' '' -lrb- quartermaster -rrb- margaret '' -lrb- captain -rrb- , '' neptune 9.5 11 1716 1650 madagascar new york none c. 1650 samuel burgess
 samuel burgess privateer , later pirate
samuel burgess

captain samuel burgess was a member of captain william kidd 's crew in 1690 when the `` blessed william '' was seized .
in 1693 , edward coates became captain and the former captain burgess left the ship and went to new york .
he arrived in april , bought a house and took on a job with frederick phillips , new york 's wealthiest merchant .
over the next few years burgess made many profitable voyages to madagascar selling supplies and guns to pirates in exchange for gold and slaves .
around september 1699 , burgess was in command of the `` margaret '' .
near saint mary 's island he ran into a british fleet and was offered a pardon for any piratical activities .
several of burgess ' crew accepted and bought passage home with the fleet .
burgess sailed to cape town , south africa , by december he reached his destination .
captain lowth of the east india company , seized burgess ' ship and took it to bombay .
lowth also took its treasure and slaves .
the owners of the `` margaret '' brought suit against the east india company and burgess was taken to london in 1701 and accused of piracy .
with captain robert culliford 's testimony , burgess was convicted .
eventually he secured a pardon for his crimes and signed aboard a privateer , sailing for the pacific .
burgess then became first mate aboard the `` neptune '' and went to madagascar to trade liquor for slaves .
when a sudden storm wrecked the pirates ' ships , burgess helped john halsey seize the `` neptune '' .
burgess was made quartermaster but lost it soon after , when captain halsey died in 1708 .
after losing his position , burgess stayed at madagascar , dealing in slaves with david williams .
following an argument concerning prizes with a black chief , burgess died of poison , presumably at the chief 's hand .
