Edward Low?

[Serendipity]

Hullo, I'm in need of a bit of help concerning one Edward Low(e) of whom I would be eternally grateful to get information. So far I've found that he was the most spectacularly violent pirate of his day, which sounds right promising. Sadly that ALL I could find, online at least, and my local library is sadly lacking in volumes of piratical lore. Any pirate historians out there want to help a fellow sea dog with her research?

P.S. As a newbie I believe my position is to buy drinks all around. Cheers, mates!

[John Maddox Roberts]

"Tha Pirates Own Book" (1834) has about 10 pages on Low. Unfortunately, it's a popular broadside-style history, and neglects to give things like dates. Low does seem to have been a nasty, vicious, murderous, treacherous bastard - our kinda guy. And his crew were a pack of psychopathic, homicidal lunatics who would "kill a man from good humor as much as from anger and passion." Surely a model for all of us to follow.

[capnwilliam]

I'm reading a story about Captain Edward, or Ned, Low, right now! It's called "I Waited to Have My Doom Determined", by Captain George Roberts.

Roberts' vessel was captured by Low in 1721. His story originally appeared in THE FOUR VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN GEORGE ROBERTS, written by Himself (1726); but I'm reading it in CAPTURED BY PIRATES, edited by John Richard Stephens, and published by Fern Canyon Press.

So far in this story, Low is coming across as a pretty fair bloke. He believes, or has been lead to believe, that Captain Roberts is a married man with children, and thus, according to their Articles, immune from

being "forced" (Low would like to be able to use him as a navigator).

Low is trying to persuade the crew to release Roberts, arguing that if they violate their own Articles, they will never again have any basis for mutual trust.

A Captain Russell is counter-arguing that necessity dictates that they force Roberts, even if it means violating the Articles.

I'll let you know how the story comes out!

Capt. William

[Longarm]

Serendipity For a list of good books look here in Captain Twill under books. The thread was started by Dorian Lasseter one of our resident scholars. You'll find a great varitiy of books listed on just about anything having to do with pirates or seafaring.

My own collection still manages to be scactered about so there are times I forget what I've got. I do plan on listing them sometime just to see what I've got. Good luck on yer hunt and welcome to this here port.

[corsair2k3]

Hullo, I'm in need of a bit of help concerning one Edward Low(e) of whom I would be eternally grateful to get information. So far I've found that he was the most spectacularly violent pirate of his day, which sounds right promising. Sadly that ALL I could find, online at least, and my local library is sadly lacking in volumes of piratical lore. Any pirate historians out there want to help a fellow sea dog with her research?

P.S. As a newbie I believe my position is to buy drinks all around. Cheers, mates!

The best source on Low--bar none--is Pirates of the New England Coast by George Francis Dow and John Henry Edmonds.

It's a Dover reprint and so is very reasonably priced. I know that the store at www.whydah.com has it, and I am sure that that Fern Canyon Press would carry it as well.

Regards,

The Corsair

[Serendipity]

Thanks luvs. My biggest problem right now are the conflicting reports. The Roberts account made Low seem like a pretty nice guy. Then you get the 'Boiled body parts and made owners eat them' thing. Ahh, well, guess I'll just have to scour the library cataloge for books.

[Longarm]

Thanks luvs. My biggest problem right now are the conflicting reports. The Roberts account made Low seem like a pretty nice guy. Then you get the 'Boiled body parts and made owners eat them' thing. Ahh, well, guess I'll just have to scour the library cataloge for books.

That's one of the big problems with studying pirates, they weren't much on keeping records. Most of the accounts are second or even third hand retellings.

"Pirates" by Captain Charles Johnson is practically a pirate students bible most people on this site have it in their collection. It was first published in 1726 under the title "A General History Of The Robberies And Murders Of The Most Notorious Pirates"

It's a great place to start and can usually be found at your local bookstore. Give it a try.

[corsair2k3]

Thanks luvs. My biggest problem right now are the conflicting reports. The Roberts account made Low seem like a pretty nice guy. Then you get the 'Boiled body parts and made owners eat them' thing. Ahh, well, guess I'll just have to scour the library cataloge for books.

well, because of at least one report I've read, I strongly suspect that this bougre was manic-depressive anyway--if not borderline.

Regards,

Corsair

[Daniel]

Note: John Russell was not a captain. He was Low's quartermaster, though Roberts estimated that his influence with the crew was greater than Low's. However, even Russell was not always able to sway the crew to agree with him, as in this case.

[Calico Jack]

Just noticed this thread in an unrelated search, but can also recommend [should folks still be looking] the book:

Ashton's Memorial, or, an authentick account of the strange adventures and signal deliverances of Mr. Philip Ashton; who, after he had made his escape from the pirates, liv'd alone on a desolate island for about 16 months, &c.... / J. Barnard, London, printed for Richard Ford and Samuel Chandler, both in the Poultry. 1726.

It details the accounts [ghost-written] of Philip Ashton and Nicholas Merrir, both of Marblehead, who were "forced men" on Ned Low's ship in 1722.