Morgan Sir Henry

Morgan, Sir Henry, a noted buccaneer and adventurer, who was born in Wales in 1632. Having obtained great influence over the pirates in the West Indies, he became their chief, took and plundered the town of Puerto del Principe, forced the entrance to Lake Maracaibo, sacked both Maracaibo and Gibraltar, another town on the lake, and committed unheard-of atrocities. In the meantime a Spanish squadron blocked up the mouth of the lake, but Morgan cleared the channel by means of a fireship, and made his escape. This was in 1669. In 1670-71 he captured Santa Catalina and San Lorenzo, and sacked the rich city of Panama, which he then burnt. In the course of his piratical career he was at least once imprisoned, but he was secretly favoured by Charles II., and was in time knighted and made successively Commissioner of the Admiralty Court and Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica. He died in 1690.