Port Royal

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Lore & Background

Port Royal became home port to English and Dutch government sponsored privateers who were encouraged to attack Spanish vessels, at a time when many European nations were reluctant to attack the powerful Spanish fleet directly. As a port city, it was notorious for its gaudy displays of wealth and loose morals, with the privateer crews spending their treasure in the many taverns, gambling houses, and brothels which catered to the sailors. When the British and Dutch governments officially abandoned the practice of issuing letters of marque to privateers against the Spanish treasure fleets and possessions in South America in the later 16th century, many of the crews turned pirate to allow themselves to maintain their plundering illegally. Port Royal effectively became a pirate republic, and they continued to use the city as their main base during the 17th century. Pirates from around the world congregated at Port Royal, coming from waters as far away as Madagascar. The town became notorious in folklore as 'the wickedest city on Earth'. From Port Royal, Christopher Myngs sacked Campeche and Henry Morgan attacked Panama, Portobello, and Maracaibo. Buccaneers Roche Brasiliano, John Davis and Edward Mansvelt also used Port Royal as a base. In 1657, Governor Edward D'Oyley invited the Brethren of the Coast to come to Port Royal and make it their home port. The Portobello raid in 1668 alone produced plunder worth £75,000, more than seven times the annual value of the island's sugar exports, which at Port Royal prices did not exceed £10,000 at this time. Charles Leslie wrote that pirates 'have been known to spend 2 or 3,000 pieces of eight in one night; and one gave a strumpet 500 to see her naked.'

Reader's Guide

Port Royal's significance lies in its brief but intense role as a hub of privateering and piracy in the 17th century, which made it the wealthiest English community in the Caribbean at the time. Its destruction by earthquake and tsunami in 1692 ended its dominance and led to the rise of Kingston as Jamaica's capital. The town's legacy as a pirate republic and its reputation for lawlessness have persisted in folklore. In modern times, plans were developed in 1999 to redevelop the small fishing town as a heritage tourism destination to serve cruise ships, capitalizing on archaeological findings from pre-colonial and privateering years. The site remains a place of historical interest, illustrating the volatile intersection of European colonial rivalries, maritime trade, and natural disaster in the Caribbean. The Taino historic indigenous people occupied this area for centuries before European settlement, calling it Caguay or Caguaya. The Spanish first landed in 1494 under Christopher Columbus, and permanent settlement occurred when Juan de Esquivel brought settlers in 1509. The English captured the town in 1655 during the invasion of Jamaica. By 1659 two hundred houses, shops and warehouses had been built around the fort; by 1692 five forts defended the port. For much of the period between the English conquest and the 1692 earthquake, Port Royal served as the unofficial capital of Jamaica, while Spanish Town remained the official capital. In 1872 the government designated Kingston as the capital.

Did You Know?

• The Portobello raid in 1668 produced plunder worth £75,000, more than seven times the annual value of Jamaica's sugar exports at the time.
• In July 1661 alone, 40 new licenses were granted to taverns in Port Royal.
• At its height, the city had one drinking house for every 10 residents.
• The Taino people called the area Caguay or Caguaya, and used it during their fishing expeditions.
• Genealogical research indicates that Blackbeard (Edward Teach) and his family moved to Jamaica, where Edward Thatch Jr. is listed as a mariner in the Royal Navy aboard HMS Windsor in 1706.

Common Misconceptions (Editorial)

1. Some believe Port Royal was founded as a pirate haven, but it was actually founded by the Spanish in 1494 and only later became a base for privateers and pirates after the English and Dutch encouraged attacks on Spanish vessels.

2. Many think Port Royal was destroyed solely by the 1692 earthquake, but the facts state it was destroyed by the earthquake *and its accompanying tsunami*.

Why It Matters (Editorial)

Port Royal endures as a vivid cautionary tale about the fleeting nature of ill-gotten wealth and unchecked vice. Its dramatic rise and catastrophic fall remind us how quickly a city built on piracy and plunder can be erased, leaving behind only folklore and ruins to fuel our fascination with the “wickedest city on Earth.”