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Joseph BannisterEnglish pirate
Country:
 Great Britain |
Content:
- Early Life and Career
- Incidents at Sea
- Escape and Impersonation
- Piracy and Conflict
- Alliances and Confrontations
- Capture and Execution
Early Life and Career
Little is known about Joseph Bannister before his involvement in piracy. According to the earliest record, Bannister captained a merchant vessel engaged in the trade of logwood. It was likely Dé Gramont who persuaded Bannister to turn to piracy, promising him a letter of marque. However, the governor of Petit-Goâve declined to issue the document, and the buccaneer set out to raid Spanish ships without authorization.
Incidents at Sea
For a time, Bannister sailed alongside Dé Gramont off the coast of Cuba. However, he later sailed to the Cayman Islands to replenish supplies. Here, he and most of his crew were captured by two naval sloops, Rubí and Bonetta, and transported to Port Royal. Bannister faced charges of piracy, but Spanish witnesses were persuaded not to testify. The court acquitted him, but the governor of Jamaica insisted on his prosecution and demanded that the case be heard in a special court.
Escape and Impersonation
Determined to avoid a guilty verdict, Bannister escaped and fled to his 30-gun ship Golden Fleece on the night of February 11-12, 1685. Joining Dé Gramont's squadron, Bannister sailed to Isla de Pinos, near Panama. Here, he encountered the warship Rubí once again, which was bound for Cartagena. To evade confrontation with the man-of-war, Bannister resorted to deception. When the captain of Rubí inquired why the English ship was flying the French flag, the pirates produced a bill of sale indicating that Golden Fleece had been sold to a French captain, and that Captain Bannister was merely waiting for full payment.
Piracy and Conflict
From there, the buccaneers sailed to the port of San Francisco de Campeche, which Dé Gramont's fleet captured and plundered for nearly two months. Finding the venture with Dé Gramont to be insufficiently profitable, Bannister, along with De Graff, Pierre le Barre (Bray), and others, parted ways. During this time, they encountered ships from the Armada de Barlovento. Fortunately, Bannister's vessel escaped an encounter with these warships and made its way to Cape Catoche. On the north shore of Jamaica, the buccaneers careened their ships and left before Rubí, which had been dispatched in pursuit, arrived.
Alliances and Confrontations
Upon reaching Petit-Goâve, Bannister had another falling out with the French governor, de Cussy, and sailed to the rendezvous island of Vache. There, he formed an agreement with the French buccaneer L'Agarde, who also lacked privateering documents, to prey upon all ships, regardless of nationality. Their combined operations were highly successful. In response, a French frigate, La Subtile, was dispatched to capture Bannister and his crew. However, during their search, the frigate encountered an English fleet also seeking the pirates. The ensuing search proved fruitless.
Capture and Execution
In the spring of 1686, news reached authorities that Bannister's and L'Agarde's ships were refitting in Samaná Bay on the island of Hispaniola. Two warships were sent from Port Royal to apprehend the pirates. Upon reaching Samaná Bay, the warships opened fire, severely damaging Golden Fleece over the course of a day and a half of bombardment. However, landing troops proved impossible due to a gun battery the pirates had set up on the shore. With insufficient supplies to sustain a prolonged siege, the warships returned to Port Royal. Golden Fleece was beyond repair, and Bannister transferred to the Dutch ship St. Nicholas, which was also careening in the bay.
For several months, Joseph Bannister hid among the Mosquito Indians in Honduras, conducting piratical raids under aliases. The governor of Jamaica dispatched the naval sloop Drake to apprehend the buccaneer. Captain Spragg was authorized to capture the pirate and execute him for resisting. In February 1687, Drake returned to Port Royal, and the bodies of four hanged pirates, including Bannister and three of his associates, were seen dangling from the yardarm.
