Existing comment:
Henry Morgan, Governor of Jamaica:
After a century of harassing the Spanish colony in Jamaica as buccaneers, the English finally conquered Jamaica from the Spanish in 1655 and erradicated [sic] the last Spanish from Ocho Rios in 1658. Sir Thomas Modyford governed between 1664 and 1671 and encouraged English settlement in Jamaica by issuing generous land patents for agriculture. Modyford elevated Henry Morgan, a young, bold Welsh pirate to be the commanding privateer to protect the new colony from the Spanish. In 1668, Morgan as a Vice Admiral commanding 15 ships, had struck terror in the Spanish Main (Central America) winning battles and stealing gold from the Spanish in raids at Porto Bello, Panama, and Maracaibo, Venezuela. In 1670 he took 2000 pirates across the isthmus to Panama City and captured 100,000 pounds worth of silver. Morgan was a wealthy man!
King Charles II rewarded his success appointing Sir Morgan Governor of Jamaica. Sir Morgan ruled over infamous Port Royal, became a sugar planter, married, became gentrified and tried to outlaw piracy in Jamaica! |