Peter Easton - Becoming A Pirate

Becoming A Pirate

The turning point in Easton's career came in 1603 when Elizabeth I was succeeded by James I. The king sued for peace with Spain and cancelled all letters of commission to privateers. Easton continued his attack on vessels as though nothing had changed. In so doing, he had crossed the line into piracy.

Easton attacked Spanish ships for gold in the West Indies and the Mediterranean while in the meantime demanding and receiving protection money from English ships. In 1610, he blockaded the Bristol Channel, effectively controlling the shipping entering and leaving the western English ports. For the most part, he was acting on behalf of the powerful family of the Killigrews from Falmouth, Cornwall. They financed his expeditions and also took share in his profits.

By 1612 Easton was in charge of ten pirate ships and had his headquarters at Harbour Grace. He raided and plundered both English and foreign vessels and the harbours of Newfoundland, press-ganging fishermen into his service along the way.

On one expedition, he plundered thirty ships in St. John's and held Sir Richard Whitbourne prisoner, releasing him on the condition that Whitbourne go to England and obtain a pardon for Easton. The pardon was granted, but by this time, Easton had moved on to the Barbary Coast to harass the Spanish.

While in Newfoundland, Easton is estimated to have taken as many as 1,500 fishermen for his ships, some voluntarily, but perhaps the majority by force. Easton continued to protect John Guy's colony at Cuper's Cove but did not allow him to establish another colony at Renews.

On one of his raids to the Caribbean, he reputedly breached the supposedly unassailable Fort San Felipe del Morro, Puerto Rico, which had once withstood a siege by Sir Francis Drake. Easton captured the Spanish ship San Sebastian, which was full of treasure and took it back to Harbour Grace.

Oderin is an island in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland. It was also a home base for Peter Easton in the 1600s. Oderin is horse-shoe-shaped and its sheltered harbor once accommodated many of Easton's ships. With its high hills it would have made a perfect hiding place as ships masts would have remained concealed from nearly all approaches to the harbour. The island is reported to have been fortified when seen by Captain Tavener when he surveyed the island in 1713. Many of the older residents of Oderin attest to having seen the remnants of the fortifications well into the 20th century.

On the north side of the island is a mysterious pond. It measures 35 metres {114 feet and almost 10 inches} long by 20 metres {65 feet and almost 7.5 inches} wide. Its flooring is rumoured to be covered with oak planks 18 feet below. Since the pond is below sea level it is all but impossible to drain it. There is believed to be pirate's treasure down below. Several period vessels have been found by local divers on the bottom of Oderin Harbour. After a successful raid in the Caribbean, Easton returned to Oderin. His ships were laden down with Spanish gold. During his absence, legend has it that one of his ships had been attacked and sunk off Cape Roger Head. There is a three-masted vessel that sank about ten kilometres away from Oderin near Cape Roger Head and there are mysterious ring bolts in the cliff of nearby Cape Roger Harbor.

Easton eventually settled in Villefranche, Savoy with two million pounds of gold, acquiring the title Marquis of Savoy.