Christopher Condent, also known as Billy One-Hand, was a pirate captain and one of the original founders of Libertalia.
History[]
During a trip across the Atlantic Ocean, Condent killed an Indian crew member who threatened to ignite the ship's powder magazine. Shortly after, the crew captured a merchant ship, the Duke of York. After a dispute, the crew split up between the two ships, with Condent elected captain of the newly acquired vessel.[1]
Condent was in Nassau on the island New Providence when governor Woodes Rogers arrived to deliver the 1718 Kings Pardon, and eradicate the piracy that plagued the region.[1]
Condent, along with other like-minded pirates, refused the pardon and chose to flee to the Cape Verde Islands. There, he seized a merchant ship carrying valuable Portuguese wine from Madeira.[1]
The crew then sailed to Brazil, where they captured a few Portuguese ships. During this time, Condent gained a reputation for cutting the ears and noses off of his prisoners.[1]
A Thief's End[]
After establishing Libertalia alongside Henry Avery and ten other pirate captains, tensions grew and eventually a civil war broke out. Edward England, out of retaliation for his home being ransacked and burnt on Condent's orders, killed Condent's brother. Condent called for a truce via a letter to Adam Baldridge, which went unanswered. Like the other captains, Condent was poisoned and killed by Avery and Tew.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Piat, Denis. Pirates & Privateers of Mauritius, Editions Didier Millet, 2014, ISBN 9789814385664