How Henry Every Stole $200M, Got Away and Became a Superstar (Video)
On April Fool's Day in 1696, amidst the turmoil of the England-France conflict, Governor Nicholas Trott of the Island of Providence faced a grave predicament. Abandoned by the navy and plagued by desertion, the colony's defenses were in shambles. It was in this vulnerable state that Henry Bridgeman, later revealed as Henry Every, arrived on the scene with his ship, the Fancy.
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Every's arrival was anything but ordinary. His crew, dressed in a mix of rags and exotic attire, stood armed and ready, presenting a formidable sight. Every approached Governor Trott with a proposition as audacious as it was lucrative: in exchange for their freedom to do as they pleased, Every and his men would pay Trott handsomely and surrender their ship and cargo.
Governor Trott, desperate to bolster the island's defenses and enticed by the promise of wealth, accepted Every's offer. The terms were agreed upon, with each man paying twenty pieces of eight and two pieces of gold. The Fancy, a formidable vessel armed with 46 guns and laden with treasure including oriental treasures like silk, gold dust, and ivory, was handed over to Every and his crew.
Unbeknownst to Governor Trott, Every was no ordinary captain. He had recently orchestrated a daring heist in the Indian Ocean, amassing a fortune estimated at $200 million in today's currency. By accepting Every's proposition, Governor Trott unwittingly aided the escape of one of history's most notorious pirates.
Top image: AI image of a king pirate. Source: Fotokvadrat / Abode Stock.
