Edward Mansvelt

Infobox Pirate
name = Edward Mansvelt
lived = fl. 1659-1666


caption =
nickname =
type = Buccaneer
placeofbirth = Curaçao
placeofdeath = Isle of St. Catherine
allegiance = England
serviceyears = 1650s-1660s
base of operations = Port Royal
rank = Admiral
commands =
battles =
wealth =
laterwork =

Edward Mansvelt or Mansfield (fl. 1659-1666) was a 17th century Dutch corsair and buccaneer who, at one time, was acknowledged as an informal chieftain of the "Brethren of the Coast". He was the first to organize large scale raids against Spanish settlements, tactics which would be utilized to attack Spanish strongholds by later buccaneers in future years, and held considerable influence in Tortuga and Port Royal. He was widely considered one of the finest buccaneers of his day and, following his death, his position was assumed by his protege and vice-admiral Sir Henry Morgan. [cite web |url=http://www.historynet.com/henry-morgan-the-pirate-who-invaded-panama-in-1671.htm |title=Henry Morgan: The Pirate Who Invaded Panama in 1671 |accessdate= |accessmonthday= |accessdaymonth= |accessyear= |author=Guttman, Robert |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=1991 |month=October |format= |work= |publisher=Military History Magazine |pages= |language= |doi= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Biography

His background is largely obscure, with conflicting accounts as a Dutchman from Curaçao or an Englishman, and is usually referred to by the surnames Mansvelt or Mansfield. He is first recorded accepting a privateering commission from Governor Edward D'Oyley at Port Royal in 1659. Based from Jamaica during the early-1660s, he began raiding Spanish shipping and coastal settlements traveling overland as far as the Pacific coast of South America. In late 1665, he attacked a Cuban village with 200 buccaneers. Soon after this raid, he was offered a commission by the newly appointed governor Thomas Modyford at Port Royal to sail against the Dutch at Curaçao. His men refused to fight the Dutch however, some themselves being Dutchman, while others believed it would be far more lucrative to continue their raids against the Spanish.

In January 1666, Mansvelt and his crew left Jamaica. According to writer and historian Alexandre Exquemelin, Mansvelt led the fleet which captured and looted Granada and the Isle of St. Catherine, although this is disputed. He was, however, elected admiral of the fleet consisting between 10-15 ships and an estimated 500 men. Sailing for Costa Rica in April, he intended to attack Cartago several miles inland but was turned back by heavy resistance from Spanish defenders near Turrialba. Several members chose to leave the expedition to return to Jamaica or Tortuga after this setback, however Mansvelt took what remained of the fleet successfully raiding the Isle of St. Catherine and capturing the island of Santa Catalina. The island was later renamed Providence Island by the English who later established a successful colony there.

After occupying the St. Catharine, Mansvelt sent word to Port Royal for reinforcements in order to use the island as a base to attack the Spanish. The island may have been what is San Andres, located 100 miles off Nicaragua. He failed to persuade the governor in his request, as well as his attempts to use the island as a pirate haven, and died of a sudden illness. Another version, again according to Exquemelin, claims he sailed from the island to Tortuga where he was captured by the Spanish in Cuba and executed for piracy. [cite web |url=http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/5213/rochussn.htm |title=Privateers and Pirates: Edward Mansfield (17th century) |accessdate= |accessmonthday= |accessdaymonth= |accessyear= |author=Bruyneel, M. |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors=Raynald Laprise |date= |year=2005 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Isle of Tortuga |pages= |language= |doi= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Regardless, his authority was assumed by another rising buccaneering captain Sir Henry Morgan following news of his death.

References

Further reading

*Cruishank, E.A. "The Life of Sir Henry Morgan". Toronto, 1935.
*Haring, Clarence Henry. "The Buccaneers in the West Indies in the XVIIth Century". New York: Metheun & Co., 1910.
*Michael Pawson and David Buisseret. "Port Royal, Jamaica". Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1975.

External Link

* [http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Garden/5213/mansvelt.htm Edward Mansvelt Biography]