5. John Bowen
Mentions – 1
Wealth – 7 ($40 million)
Total – 8 points
Born in the Bermuda area, John Bowen had a rather short “career” as a pirate, activating as a buccaneer for only four years before his death in 1704.
In the beginning, he was a crew member of Captain Read, but soon joined George Booth’s crew before becoming the Captain of the Speaker, a 450-ton former slave ship with some 50 guns aboard. He attacked many ships, including of English origin, until the Speaker was taken by the Ocean in 1701. Later, he managed to seize another ship and, over the years, changed quite a few of them, choosing to burn them to the ground when they no longer suited his needs. After making a fortune, Bowen decided to retire, but his wealth didn’t get to be enjoyed. The pirate died within a few months, in 1704, of some sort of intestinal disease.
