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Admiral Henry Morgan was a Welsh privateer who gained fame for his exploits in the 17th century. He rose rapidly in the navy, participating in the looting and capture of several Spanish ports. He became invaluable to the English government as a privateer, but his brutal tactics eventually led to his downfall. Morgan sacked Panama City without clear orders to do so, violating a new Anglo-Spanish peace treaty. He was knighted by the government before returning to the Isles to take up his uncle’s post as lieutenant-governor. Today, Morgan is remembered alternately as a barbarian and a romantic pirate.
Admiral Henry Morgan is one of Wales’ most famous sea heroes and is known for his privateering exploits in the 17th century. While most of his career was spent in British government service, his reputation as a scoundrel often landed him in trouble with the nobility. Unlike most privateers of his day, Morgan had the luxury of retiring from the sea to enjoy his wealth, although habitual use of alcohol soon led to his death.
Henry Morgan grew up in Wales as the son of a local squire, before coming to the Caribbean islands around 1658. When his uncle became Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica in 1660, Henry solidified the relationship by marrying his cousin, Mary. He is believed to have risen rapidly in the navy, participating in the looting and capture of several Spanish ports.
The constant warfare between England and France allowed Morgan considerable opportunities to plunder in the name of the English government. In 1665, Henry Morgan was serving under a famous privateer, Edward Mansfield. Despite several successful captures of Spanish towns, Mansfield was kidnapped by the enemy and killed. By vote of the crew, Henry Morgan became Admiral at the young age of thirty.
Known for his audacity and willingness to try risky manoeuvres, Henry Morgan became invaluable to the English government as a privateer. In an effort to ascertain information about a planned Spanish attack on Jamaica, Morgan not only captured prisoners required by his government, but also carried out brutal pillaging at the ports of Puerto Principe and Portobello. In addition to the government money that was paid to take prisoners, Admiral Henry Morgan could also bleed local leaders for a fee to leave their cities. Perhaps too needy of his skills, the British government turned a blind eye to reports of excessive cruelty and tactics by Morgan’s crew.
Soon after their successful Panama campaign, Morgan’s crew was again sent to conduct a preemptive strike against the Spanish before they could attack Jamaica. His raids continued to be successful and beneficial to the government, who granted him a magnificent ship in thanks. Yet Henry Morgan’s nastiness would soon become too much for even the war-hungry government to digest.
In 1671, Morgan sacked Panama City without clear orders to do so. Once the city’s army was destroyed, he proceeded to allow a massive massacre of the inhabitants and reduced the city to ashes. The sack violated a new Anglo-Spanish peace treaty, which earned Morgan a trip to England to explain his insane actions. Morgan managed to escape any criminal charges, and was knighted by the government before returning to the Isles to take up his uncle’s post as lieutenant-governor.
As power shifted within the British hierarchy, Morgan found himself at the mercy of political enemies who despised his crude tactics and manners. Eventually he was ousted from his position and fell into poor health. At the age of 53, Admiral Sir Morgan died, probably of liver failure or tuberculosis.
Today, Morgan is remembered alternately as a barbarian and a romantic pirate. He has appeared as a character in several movies, books and video games. Most people are familiar with the Admiral of the famous brand of rum that bears his name. Like most figures of the Golden Age of Sailing, Henry Morgan has been transformed into a charming crafty character, and depictions often ignore his brutal habits of warfare and destruction.
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