View source for Richard Worley (pirate)

{{Short description|English pirate (died 1718/19)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox pirate
|name               = Richard Worley
|image              = Captain Worley, Setting out from New York, from the Pirates of the Spanish Main series (N19) for Allen & Ginter Cigarettes MET DP834999.jpg
|caption            =
|nickname           =
|alias              =
|type               = [[pirate]]
|birth_date         =
|death_date         = 1718/19
|birth_place        = [[England]]
|death_place        = [[South Carolina]], American Colonies
|allegiance         =
|serviceyears       =
|base of operations = [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] of the [[Thirteen Colonies|American colonies]]
|rank               =
|commands           =
|battles            =
|wealth             =
}}
[[File:Richard Worley Flag.svg|thumb|right|Worley's flag design, a variant of the "[[Jolly Roger]]"]]
[[File:Richard_Worley_Second_Flag.svg|thumb|right|Worley's alternate flag design, a death skeleton on a black banner]]
'''Richard Worley''' (died 1718/19) was a [[pirate]] who was active in the [[Caribbean Sea]] and the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] of the [[Thirteen Colonies|American Colonies]] during the early 18th century.
==Piracy==
He is first recorded leaving [[New York City|New York]] with a small boat and a crew of eight men hoping to make their fortune in the so-called [[Golden Age of Piracy]]. However, their first prize resulted in the capture of household goods from a [[shallop]] in the [[Delaware River]] near [[New Castle, Delaware|New Castle]] in September 1718.<ref name="Johnson1725">{{harvnb|Johnson|1725}}</ref> This attack was technically [[burglary]] rather than piracy, as according to British maritime law at the time the attack did not take place in [[international waters]].<ref name="Seitz">{{cite book |title =Under the Black Flag | first =Don Carlos | last =Seitz | year =2002 | publisher =Courier Dover Publications | pages =162–164 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=i7NLrJnuzHQC&q=%22richard+worley%22&pg=PA162 | isbn =978-0-486-42131-5}}</ref> Local authorities mistakenly attributed the attack to Worley's better-known counterpart [[Blackbeard]], who had raided the same waterways earlier in the year.<ref>{{cite book | title =Blackbeard | first =Angus | last =Konstam | year =2006 | publisher =John Wiley & Sons | page =[https://archive.org/details/blackbeardameric00kons/page/207 207] | url =https://archive.org/details/blackbeardameric00kons/page/207 | isbn =0-471-75885-X | url-access =registration }}</ref> Vessels were armed and sent to intercept the robbers but, after cruising for several days without setting sight on Worley, returned empty-handed.<ref name="Johnson1725"/>
Their second prize brought better luck as, upon capturing a [[sloop]] bound for [[Philadelphia]], Worley also gained four additional crew members. A few days later they requisitioned another sloop bound for [[Port of Hull|Hull]] which, as well as being in better condition, was fully provisioned which they had desperate need of.<ref name="Johnson1725"/>
They left the Delaware and set out to sea to the [[Bahamas]], however, [[George I of Great Britain|King George I]] issued a royal proclamation for the capture and execution of pirates who chose not to accept a [[Indemnity Act 1717|royal pardon]] from the British government. Although the 24-gun warship [[HMS Phoenix (1694)|HMS ''Phoenix'']] was sent out after Worley, he and his crew were able to evade capture.
==Sailing the Spanish Main==
After six weeks off the Bahamas, he captured a [[brigantine]] and a [[sloop]], increased his crew to about twenty-five and gained six cannons and numerous small arms.<ref name="Johnson1725"/> The brigantine was released, but the sloop sunk, to prevent it from returning to its home port of New York where it would raise alarm.<ref name="Johnson1725"/> It was during this time that he began flying his official colors of a black flag with a white [[Skull and crossbones (symbol)|Death's Head]] in its centre and the crew agreed upon a set of articles, which included a vow to fight to the death rather than surrender to authorities.<ref name="Johnson1725"/>
==Capture==
Worley's ship ''New York's Revenge'' was sailing alongside a second larger ship under captain [[John Cole (pirate)|John Cole]] called ''New York Revenge’s Revenge''. Cole's ship had been the prisoner transport ''Eagle'', captured by Worley off Virginia the previous month. South Carolina Governor [[Robert Johnson (governor)|Robert Johnson]] sent four ships after Worley and Cole; the pirate hunters split up and chased them down separately, capturing Cole some hours after Worley when Cole tried to flee the battle. Cole's ship was still carrying prisoners, including 36 women destined to be sold into [[indentured servitude]].<ref name="Adams">{{cite book|last1=McIlwaine|first1=Henry Read|last2=Adams|first2=Herbert|title=The Struggle of Protestant Dissenters for Religious Toleration in Virginia|date=1894|publisher=Johns Hopkins Press|location=Baltimore MD|pages=113–123|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UYFMAQAAMAAJ|access-date=3 August 2017|language=en}}</ref>
Two separate accounts of Worley's demise exist; one in [[Captain Charles Johnson]]'s original book and a subsequent one sent to Johnson by an eyewitness.
===Johnson's original account===
Worley soon prepared to make his return to the colonies, where others such as Blackbeard and [[Stede Bonnet]] were enjoying success off [[Virginia]] and [[the Carolinas]]. When Worley pulled into an inlet near [[Charleston, South Carolina]] to clean his ship, the Governor was informed of his presence and sent two provincial naval sloops against him, one fitted with eight guns and the other with six.<ref name="Johnson1725"/> Worley set sail and the sloops followed him north to the coast of Virginia to [[Jamestown, Virginia]]. A later version of ''The General History'' corrected this location, and said the engagement that took Worley's life was in Charleston, S.C. (Charles Town at the time).<ref name="Johnson1725"/> Upon seeing what he assumed were two merchant ships, he hoisted his black flag, causing much alarm amongst the Jamestown residents, who thought they were to be attacked by not one but three pirate ships, and beat to arms to defend themselves.<ref name="Johnson1725"/>
Worley fired a shot at the sloops, but as they drew near he realised his mistake and he and his crew prepared to follow their vow and to all fight to the death.<ref name="Johnson1725"/> One sloop fired a broadside and drew up to his [[Stern|quarter]] and the other to his [[Bow (ship)|bow]] before boarding.<ref name="Johnson1725"/> Worley and his crew, outnumbered by three to one, drew up on the [[Deck (ship)|deck]] to fight a bloody last stand.<ref name="Johnson1725"/> All were killed bar Worley and one other, who were both severely wounded, and brought ashore in irons.<ref name="Johnson1725"/> They were hanged the next day (17 Feb 1719) in public to ensure they received a very visible punishment and didn't instead die of their wounds hidden in jail.<ref name="Johnson1725"/>
===Eyewitness account===
In October 1718 the Governor of Charles Town, [[Robert Johnson (governor)|Robert Johnson]] was informed that a pirate ship commanded by Capt. [[William Moody (pirate)|William Moody]] (but actually commanded by Worley) had been sighted off the bar of Charles Town and carried fifty guns and two hundred men.<ref name="Johnson1726">{{harvnb|Johnson|1726}}</ref> The Governor and his council decided to [[commandeer]] the 30-gun ''King William'' [[galley]], the 24-gun ''Mediterranean'' galley, the eight-gun ''Revenge'' sloop (formerly belonging to [[Stede Bonnet]]) and a six-gun sloop ''Sea Nymph'' to attack the pirate and offered a share of their cargo as incentive.<ref name="Johnson1726"/>
Canoes from South Carolina's [[Vedette (sentry)|scout boat]] navy were sent out to track the pirate and to prevent him from entering Charles Town port.<ref name="Johnson1726"/> Several weeks passed before a ship and a sloop approached the harbour, weighed anchor and signalled for a [[Maritime pilot|pilot]].<ref name="Johnson1726"/> None was sent as they suspected it to be Moody and several days elapsed during which time the pirates attempted to land on [[Sullivan's Island, South Carolina|Sullivan's Island]] to find fresh water, but were obstructed by the scout ships.<ref name="Johnson1726"/>
The Governor decided that his fleet of four ships and 300 men was a match for the pirate ship and sloop so sailed towards them with his soldiers and arms concealed.<ref name="Johnson1726"/> As they neared the pirate sloop it raised its black flag, started to manoeuvre and was soon copied by the pirate ship.<ref name="Johnson1726"/> When the Governor's fleet came within range he hoisted his colours and his men rushed upon the decks and gave the pirates a broadside who immediately tried to run.<ref name="Johnson1726"/> The pirate sloop was pummelled with broadsides and most of its men fled into the [[Hold (ship)|hold]] with the exception of Worley and a few others who died in the cross-fire upon deck.<ref name="Johnson1726"/>
The other pirate ship was boarded and found to be a [[convict ship]] formerly called the ''Eagle'' which had been sailing from London to Virginia with convicts but had been captured by Worley.<ref name="Johnson1726"/> It carried a hundred or more men who had joined the pirate and were taken ashore and hanged.<ref name="Johnson1726"/> Thirty convict women were also on board and it was decided to send them to [[the Bahamas]] but they died through lack of provisions before this could be done.<ref name="Johnson1726"/>
As for Moody, according to ''[[A General History of the Pyrates]]'' he received word of the Governor's fleet and set sail for [[New Providence]] and was to later accept the 1718 [[1717–1718 Acts of Grace|King's pardon]];<ref name="Johnson1726"/> other sources have Moody active as a pirate as late as November 1718.<ref name="Grey - Eastern Seas">{{cite book|last1=Grey|first1=Charles|title=Pirates of the eastern seas (1618–1723): a lurid page of history|date=1933|publisher=S. Low, Marston & co., ltd|location=London |url=http://www.sabrizain.org/malaya/library/documents/1D30004CA384A81381DD3C8F45CAE3B216713B01.html|access-date=26 June 2017}}</ref> The Governor disbanded his fleet and shared out the booty between his men.<ref name="Johnson1726"/>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
==Bibliography==
* {{cite book
| title=[[A General History of the Pyrates]]
| first=Charles
| last=Johnson
| year=1725
| volume=I
| edition=3
| publisher=T.Warner
| location=London
}}
* {{cite book
| title=[[A General History of the Pyrates]]
| first=Charles
| last=Johnson
| year=1726
| volume=II
| publisher=T.Woodward
| location=London
}}
* {{cite book
| title=[[A General History of the Pyrates]]
| first=Charles
| last=Johnson
| editor-first=Manuel
| editor-last=Schonhorn
| year=1999
| publisher=Dover Pubs Inc.
| location=Mineola, N.Y.
}}
==External links==
*[http://ageofpirates.com/article.php?Richard_Worley AgeofPirates.com – Pirate Encyclopedia: Richard Worley]
{{pirates}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Worley, Richard}}
[[Category:British pirates]]
[[Category:Deaths by hanging]]
[[Category:18th-century pirates]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]