Lawrence Prince
Encyclopedia
Laurens Prins known in English as Lawrence Prince (1630s, Amsterdam
- 27 April 1717, off Cape Cod
) was a 17th century Dutch buccaneer and an officer under Captain Sir Henry Morgan
. He and Major John Morris
led one of the columns against Panama
in 1671.
who arrived in the Caribbean in the late 1650s. In 1659, he was one of four men, including John Morris
and Robert Searle, who bought a captured Spanish prize from Commodore Christopher Myngs
following his ten-week voyage. Prior to joining Morgan's forces at Port Royal
in November 1670, he had previously sailed up to Rio Magdalena intending to raid the town of Mompos located 150 miles inland. Prince was forced to retreat, however, when they were surprised by cannon fire from a recently built island fort protecting the settlement. Prince and his men, determined to "make voyage", sailed north to Nicaragua
in August. As in Colombia
, Prince sailed up the San Juan River
, captured a Spanish fort
and paddled by canoe to Lake Nicaragua
where they successfully raided Granada
. This was almost identical to the Morgan's raid in 1664. Official Spanish reports of the incident claimed that Prince "made havoc and a thousand destructions, sending the head of a priest in a basket and demanding 70,000 pesos in ransom."
Arriving in Port Royal weeks later, he and two other captains were reproved by Governor Thomas Modyford
for attacking the Spanish
without a commission or letter of marque
. Modyford thought it prudent not "to press the matter too far in this juncture" and ordered them to join Morgan on his raid against Panama "which they were very ready to do". Impressed by his raid at Granada, Morgan appointed Prince third in command under himself and Captain Edward Collier
. He and Major John Morris
later led the vanguard
, numbering 300 buccaneers, against the Spanish fortress on the morning of January 28, 1671. Prince supported the main force, around 600 men, with Morgan and Collier leading the right and left wings while the rearguard
was commanded by Colonel Bledry Morgan.
In the final advance, he and Morris commanded the left flank. Advancing in a wide sweep around the Spanish right flank, they captured a hill overlooking the Spanish lines. This not only forced the Spanish defenders into committing to an attack, it also disrupted plans by the commander Juan Perez de Guzman to stampede a herd of cattle and other livestock towards the advancing buccaneers. He had kept them behind his infantry line, intending to allow the buccaneers to pass through his lines, and setting them against the attackers. It was assumed this would have disrupted and disorganized their forces just before the Spanish foot made contact with the buccaneering force. Instead, the Spanish cattle drovers were scared away by Prince's attack, allowing the cattle to wander among the Spanish lines. A simultaneous assault on the hill and against Morgan's advancing buccaneers ended in disaster as concentrated volley fire decimated Spanish forces, who suffered 100 casualties in the first volley alone. The wandering cattle and concentrated fire, left between 400 and 500 dead and wounded before the Spanish finally retreated from he field.
He was later appointed a lieutenant
by Modyford's successor, Sir Thomas Lynch
, who replaced Captain John Wilgress, commander of HMS Assistance
, with Major William Beeston
. Lynch may intended to initiate the restructuring of colonial administration, surrounding himself with known associates rather than appointed officials of the British crown. By 1672, using his share from the Panama raid, he became a wealthy landowner on the Liguanea plain
as it was opened up for cultivation and farming.
In 1715, back in Bristol, England, Lawrence Prince was appointed as captain of the galley ship Whydah
, and in the Fall of 1716 the Whydah was commissioned to take goods and treasure to the slave trading port of the African Kingdom of Whydah
in present day Benin. After stuffing the Whydah with over 560 African slaves he traveled across the Atlantic to sell them in Jamaica in the Caribbean islands. But in February 1717, as he passed between Cuba
and Hispaniola
, he was chased by the Sultana captained by the pirate "Black Sam" Bellamy
and the Marianna captained by pirate Paulsgrave Williams. After three days, captain Lawrence Prince surrendered without a fight. After taking command of the Whydah and making it his flag ship, Bellamy gave Prince his original flag ship Sultana along with a small amount of treasure, and sent Prince packing back to England. Lawrence Prince continued several slaving voyages before disappearing into history.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
- 27 April 1717, off Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
) was a 17th century Dutch buccaneer and an officer under Captain Sir Henry Morgan
Henry Morgan
Admiral Sir Henry Morgan was an Admiral of the Royal Navy, a privateer, and a pirate who made a name for himself during activities in the Caribbean, primarily raiding Spanish settlements...
. He and Major John Morris
John Morris (pirate)
John Morris was a British within the Caribbean during early-1660s until the early-1670s. His son, John Morris the Younger, held a command of his own ship during his father's later expeditions against Portobello and Maracaibo...
led one of the columns against Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
in 1671.
Biography
According to Spanish accounts, Lawrence Prince was a Dutchman from AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
who arrived in the Caribbean in the late 1650s. In 1659, he was one of four men, including John Morris
John Morris (pirate)
John Morris was a British within the Caribbean during early-1660s until the early-1670s. His son, John Morris the Younger, held a command of his own ship during his father's later expeditions against Portobello and Maracaibo...
and Robert Searle, who bought a captured Spanish prize from Commodore Christopher Myngs
Christopher Myngs
Sir Christopher Myngs , English admiral and pirate, came of a Norfolk family and was a relative of another admiral, Sir Cloudesley Shovell. Pepys' story of his humble birth, in explanation of his popularity, is said to be erroneous. His name is often given as Mings.The date of Myngs's birth is...
following his ten-week voyage. Prior to joining Morgan's forces at Port Royal
Port Royal
Port Royal was a city located at the end of the Palisadoes at the mouth of the Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1518, it was the centre of shipping commerce in the Caribbean Sea during the latter half of the 17th century...
in November 1670, he had previously sailed up to Rio Magdalena intending to raid the town of Mompos located 150 miles inland. Prince was forced to retreat, however, when they were surprised by cannon fire from a recently built island fort protecting the settlement. Prince and his men, determined to "make voyage", sailed north to Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
in August. As in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Prince sailed up the San Juan River
San Juan River (Nicaragua)
The San Juan River , also known as El Desaguadero , is a 192.06 km river that flows east out of Lake Nicaragua into the Caribbean Sea. A large section of the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica runs on the right bank of the river...
, captured a Spanish fort
Fortress of the Immaculate Conception
The Fortress of the Immaculate Conception, is a fortification located on the southern bank of the Río San Juan , in the village of El Castillo in southern Nicaragua. The fortress is situated approximately 6 kilometers from the border with Costa Rica, at the Raudal del Diablo rapids of the San Juan...
and paddled by canoe to Lake Nicaragua
Lake Nicaragua
Lake Nicaragua or Cocibolca or Granada or is a vast freshwater lake in Nicaragua of tectonic origin. With an area of , it is the largest lake in Central America, the 19th largest lake in the world and the 9th largest in the Americas. It is slightly smaller than Lake Titicaca. With an elevation...
where they successfully raided Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
. This was almost identical to the Morgan's raid in 1664. Official Spanish reports of the incident claimed that Prince "made havoc and a thousand destructions, sending the head of a priest in a basket and demanding 70,000 pesos in ransom."
Arriving in Port Royal weeks later, he and two other captains were reproved by Governor Thomas Modyford
Thomas Modyford
Colonel Sir Thomas Modyford, 1st Baronet was a planter of Barbados and Governor of Jamaica, 1664-70.Modyford was the son of a mayor of Exeter with family connections to the Duke of Albemarle, who emigrated to Barbados as a young man with other family members in 1647, in the opening stages of the...
for attacking the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
without a commission or letter of marque
Letter of marque
In the days of fighting sail, a Letter of Marque and Reprisal was a government licence authorizing a person to attack and capture enemy vessels, and bring them before admiralty courts for condemnation and sale...
. Modyford thought it prudent not "to press the matter too far in this juncture" and ordered them to join Morgan on his raid against Panama "which they were very ready to do". Impressed by his raid at Granada, Morgan appointed Prince third in command under himself and Captain Edward Collier
Edward Collier
Edward Collier may refer to:*Edwaert Collier Dutch painter*Edward Collier English buccaneer...
. He and Major John Morris
John Morris (pirate)
John Morris was a British within the Caribbean during early-1660s until the early-1670s. His son, John Morris the Younger, held a command of his own ship during his father's later expeditions against Portobello and Maracaibo...
later led the vanguard
Vanguard (military tactics)
The vanguard is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force.- Medieval origins :...
, numbering 300 buccaneers, against the Spanish fortress on the morning of January 28, 1671. Prince supported the main force, around 600 men, with Morgan and Collier leading the right and left wings while the rearguard
Rearguard
Rearguard may refer to:* A military detachment protecting the rear of a larger military formation, especially when retreating from a pursuing enemy force. * Rear Guard , a computer game released in 1982...
was commanded by Colonel Bledry Morgan.
In the final advance, he and Morris commanded the left flank. Advancing in a wide sweep around the Spanish right flank, they captured a hill overlooking the Spanish lines. This not only forced the Spanish defenders into committing to an attack, it also disrupted plans by the commander Juan Perez de Guzman to stampede a herd of cattle and other livestock towards the advancing buccaneers. He had kept them behind his infantry line, intending to allow the buccaneers to pass through his lines, and setting them against the attackers. It was assumed this would have disrupted and disorganized their forces just before the Spanish foot made contact with the buccaneering force. Instead, the Spanish cattle drovers were scared away by Prince's attack, allowing the cattle to wander among the Spanish lines. A simultaneous assault on the hill and against Morgan's advancing buccaneers ended in disaster as concentrated volley fire decimated Spanish forces, who suffered 100 casualties in the first volley alone. The wandering cattle and concentrated fire, left between 400 and 500 dead and wounded before the Spanish finally retreated from he field.
He was later appointed a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
by Modyford's successor, Sir Thomas Lynch
Thomas Lynch (governor)
Sir Thomas Lynch was English governor of Jamaica on three separate occasions in the 17th century.He originally came from Galway, and was known as "Buckra Lynch". He was also chief justice of Jamaica for a time.His rival was Henry Morgan....
, who replaced Captain John Wilgress, commander of HMS Assistance
HMS Assistance (1650)
HMS Assistance was a 40-gun fourth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, originally built for the navy of the Commonwealth of England at Deptford, and launched in 1650. By 1677 her armament had been increased to 48 guns....
, with Major William Beeston
William Beeston
William Beeston was a 17th century actor and theatre manager, the son and successor to the more famous Christopher Beeston.-Early phase:...
. Lynch may intended to initiate the restructuring of colonial administration, surrounding himself with known associates rather than appointed officials of the British crown. By 1672, using his share from the Panama raid, he became a wealthy landowner on the Liguanea plain
Liguanea
Liguanea is a historically significant area in the island of Jamaica in the West Indies. Its name came from the language of the pre-Columbian Taino people who inhabited the island and named it after the iguana lizard that is endemic to the island, and an important source of food for the...
as it was opened up for cultivation and farming.
In 1715, back in Bristol, England, Lawrence Prince was appointed as captain of the galley ship Whydah
Whydah Gally
The Whydah Gally was the flagship of the pirate "Black Sam" Bellamy. The ship sank in a storm off Cape Cod on April 26, 1717, taking Bellamy and the majority of his crew with it.-History:...
, and in the Fall of 1716 the Whydah was commissioned to take goods and treasure to the slave trading port of the African Kingdom of Whydah
Kingdom of Whydah
The Kingdom of Whydah , sometimes written Hueda, was a kingdom on the coast of West Africa in the boundaries of the modern nation of Benin. Between 1677 and 1681 it was conquered by the Akwamu a member of the Akan people. It was a major slave trading post...
in present day Benin. After stuffing the Whydah with over 560 African slaves he traveled across the Atlantic to sell them in Jamaica in the Caribbean islands. But in February 1717, as he passed between Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
, he was chased by the Sultana captained by the pirate "Black Sam" Bellamy
Samuel Bellamy
Samuel Bellamy , aka "Black Sam" Bellamy, was an English pirate who operated in the early 18th century....
and the Marianna captained by pirate Paulsgrave Williams. After three days, captain Lawrence Prince surrendered without a fight. After taking command of the Whydah and making it his flag ship, Bellamy gave Prince his original flag ship Sultana along with a small amount of treasure, and sent Prince packing back to England. Lawrence Prince continued several slaving voyages before disappearing into history.
Further reading
- Roberts, Walter Adolphe. Sir Henry Morgan, Buccaneer and Governor. New York: Covici-Friede, 1933.
- Winston, Alexander. No Man Knows My Grave: Sir Henry Morgan, Captain William Kidd, Captain Woodes Rogers in the Golden Age of Privateers and Pirates, 1665-1715. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1969.
- Clifford, Barry and Turchi, Peter. The Pirate Prince: Discovering the Priceless Treasures of the Sunken Ship WHYDAH. New York/London: Simon & Schuster, 1993.
- National Geographic Society and Arts & Exhibitions International and Clifford, Barry and Kinkor, Kenneth and Simpson, Sharon. "Real Pirates: The Untold Story of The WHYDAH from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship". Washington D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2007.
- Perry, Paul and Clifford, Barry. "Expedition WHYDAH: The Story of the World's First Excavation of a Pirate Treasure Ship and the Man Who Found Her". New York: Harper Collins, 1999. Kent, UK: Headline Book Publishing, 1999.