Adam Baldridge
Encyclopedia
Adam Baldridge was an English pirate and one of the early founders of the pirate settlements in Madagascar
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Fleeing from Jamaica after being charged with murder, Baldridge sailed to Madagascar and, by 1685, had established a base of operations on the island of St. Mary's
. By the following year, Baldridge controlled the inland waterway into St. Mary's having established a virtual stronghold overlooking the island harbor as well as protecting the settlements' warehouses. After subduing the local tribes, native chieftains would be forced to pay Baldridge to mediate between warring tribes.
By the 1690s, Baldridge's settlement had become a popular haven among pirates of the Mediterranean with Baldridge supplying pirates in exchange for high fees. Baldridge reportedly lived a luxurious and extravagant life on the island, which included his own harem of island girls, until 1697 when he was forced to flee to the American colonies after the local tribes discovered he had sold a group of natives as slaves.
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
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Fleeing from Jamaica after being charged with murder, Baldridge sailed to Madagascar and, by 1685, had established a base of operations on the island of St. Mary's
Île Sainte-Marie
Île Sainte-Marie, known as Nosy Boraha , is an island off the east coast of Madagascar. The main town is Ambodifotatra. The city covers an area of 222 km2, and had a population estimated at 16,325 in 2001.- City :...
. By the following year, Baldridge controlled the inland waterway into St. Mary's having established a virtual stronghold overlooking the island harbor as well as protecting the settlements' warehouses. After subduing the local tribes, native chieftains would be forced to pay Baldridge to mediate between warring tribes.
By the 1690s, Baldridge's settlement had become a popular haven among pirates of the Mediterranean with Baldridge supplying pirates in exchange for high fees. Baldridge reportedly lived a luxurious and extravagant life on the island, which included his own harem of island girls, until 1697 when he was forced to flee to the American colonies after the local tribes discovered he had sold a group of natives as slaves.
Further reading
- Botting, Douglas. The Pirates (The Seafarers; v. 1). Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life Books, 1978. ISBN 0-8094-2652-8