Pirates & Privateers: Craig S. Chapman's Books

“As for Captain Lowther, it is said, that he afterwards shot himself upon that fatal Island, where his Pyracies ended, being found, by some Sloop’s Men, dead, and a Pistol burst by his Side.”

Captain Charles Johnson wrote those words in the 1726 edition of A General History of the Pyrates. Ever since, even though this book is a blend of fact and fiction, historians have repeatedly stated that the seaman-mutineer-pirate George Lowther committed suicide in 1723. But what if Johnson, and those who came after him, got it wrong?

While researching Disaster on the Spanish Main (Potomac Books, 2021), Chapman repeatedly came across a name in the correspondence of Admiral Edward Vernon. Sometimes, it was written as “Lowther the pirate,” which sufficiently intrigued Chapman to seek more information. He discovered George Lowther did not die in 1723; he renewed his acquaintanceship with Vernon 1739, and offered his services to the admiral in exchange for a royal pardon.

Chapman begins with Lowther marooned on the deserted island with his surviving men, but the story starts long before that. He
traces Lowther’s path from the time he serves as second mate aboard Gambia Castle and the discord that leads to mutiny, to his collaboration with Captain-Lieutenant John Massey and their inevitable decision to go on the account. Despite their success at pirating, Massey’s guilt and shame lead to a divergence of their association. A new partnership arises when Lowther and Edward Low cross paths. These two pirates and their crews separate and reunite more than once before Lowther ultimately finds himself on that island where he supposedly commits suicide. Sixteen years pass before the opportunity to erase his past presents itself in a Spanish town on the Spanish Main.

The Resurrected Pirate is not just a pirate tale. It explores motivations and reactions that lead Lowther, Massey, and others to do what they do. It’s a stark and realistic account of pirate life, despite the brief interludes of wealth and partying and doing what one pleases. Sooner or later, consequences result from actions taken, and everyone reacts differently to those consequences as Chapman deftly shows.

Chapter subheadings chronologically outline the times and places of mutiny, greed, and brutality. Although there is some reliance on Captain Johnson’s not-always-reliable book, Chapman fact-checks with more reliable sources and incorporates passages from primary documents to further enlighten. He also has a gift for creating vivid visual comparisons in the readers’ minds, For example, he likens the gun barrels of a warship’s broadside to a big mako shark baring its teeth, or the drudgery of endless paperwork and duty to mud clumped on shoes. The book includes nine maps, a list of known members of Lowther’s Company, a glossary, endnotes, and a bibliography. It is also indexed, but in a smaller font size than the rest of the book.

This account of George Lowther’s life reads like a gripping, edgy novel. Chapman provides the necessary background information to ground the reader. At the same time, he skillfully demonstrates that no pirate works alone, and Lowther’s path is intricately entwined directly and indirectly with Admiral Edward Vernon, the Royal African Company, Captain Chaloner Ogle, Edward Low, Charles Harris, Philip Ashton, Francis Spriggs, and Captain Robert Maynard, among others.

The Resurrected Pirate is enlightening, provocative, and tragic. It doesn’t answer every question – How did Lowther escape the desolate island? and “Who was the dead man left in his place?” – but Chapman deftly shows the falsity of Johnson’s claim of suicide and that historians just accepted that as fact even though documentary evidence proves otherwise. A must-read for anyone interested in pirate history.

Meet the author

*In the interest of full disclosure, I was one of the piracy experts consulted during the writing of this book.