George Lowther went second Mate on board the Gambia Castle, belonging to the Royal African Company, on board which was Captain Massey, with soldiers that he was to command under Colonel Whitney, whom were landed on James Island; but the Fort and Garrison not agreeing the Company soon after lost a Galley worth 10000l. by it.

Massey finding he must be over-ruled by the merchants, soon began to complain of their ill-treatment of his men in their allowance, saying he did not come to be a Guinea Slave; and that if they did not use him and his men better, he should take other measures.

At the same time, there happened a dispute between the Captain of the ship and Lowther, which very much contributing to Lowther’s design: For Lowther finding himself neglected by the Captain, found means to ingratiate himself into the favour of the sailors, who, upon the Captain’s going to punish him, swore, They would knock down the first man that should offer to lay hands on him; which Lowther improved to a general disaffection of the ship’s Crew. Massey in the meantime, having contracted an intimacy with Lowther, they agreed to curb their enemies, and provide for themselves some other way; which the Captain perceiving, he goes on shore to the Governor and Factor, to consult what methods to take. But Lowther apprehending it was against him, he sent a letter in the same boat to Massey, advising him to repair on board, to put their project in execution.

Upon which Massey harangued the Soldiers, saying, You that have a Mind to return to England, may now do it; which they all agreed to. Then he went to the Governor’s appartment, and took his bed, baggage, plate and furniture, believing the Governor would go with him, which he refused; however Massey came aboard with the Governor’s son. After demolishing all the guns of the Fort, they weighed anchor, and fell down, but soon ran the ship aground; upon which Massey returns to the Fort, remounts the guns, and keeps garrison till the ship got clear. In the meantime Captain Russell got off but was not suffered to come on board, although he offered Lowther what terms he pleased. Next tide they got the ship afloat, having first nailed up and dismounted all the cannon. Then putting the Governor’s son ashore, they put out to sea, when Lowther called upon the men, and told them, It was Madness to think of returning to England; for what they had done, would be judged a Capital Offence; and therefore, since they had a good ship under them, he proposed that they should seek their fortunes upon the Seas, as others had done before them, which they all agreed to, calling the ship The Delivery, and swore to stand by one another.

Lowther left the Fort the 13th of June, and on the 20th, near Barbadoes, he came up with a Brigantine, belonging to Boston, which he plundered, and then let go. After this he proceeded to Hispaniola, where he met with a French Sloop loaden with wine and brandy, on board whom Captain Massey went, pretending at first to be a merchant; but finding her to be a Ship of value, he told Monsieur, He must have it all without money. On board her, there was 30 casks of brandy, 5 hogsheads of wine, several pieces of chintz, and 70l. in money, all of which they took, only Lowther return’d the French Master five pounds again.

But this good harmony did not last long amongst them, Massey was uneasy, and resolved to leave them; which Lowther agreed to, giving him a Sloop he had just before taken, to go where he thought fit. Accordingly Massey goes aboard, with ten men, and comes in directly for Jamaica, where, putting a bold face on the matter, he informs Sir Nicholas Laws, the then Governor, how he had left Lowther the pirate, and of all that had been transacted before, adding, That he assisted him at the River Gambia only to save so many of His Majesty’s subjects, and return to England.

Massey was well received, and, at his own report, he was sent on board the Happy Sloop, to cruise off Hispaniola for Lowther; but not meeting with him, he returned to Jamaica, and getting a Certificate, he came home to England, where, when he arrived, he writes to the African Company, relating the whole transaction of his voyage, but excuses it as an inadvertency, by his being ill-used; for which, if they would not forgive him, he begged to die like a soldier, and not be hanged like a dog. This not producing so favourable an answer as he expected, he went the next day to the Lord Chief Justice Chambers, and enquired, If there had been ever a Warrant granted and against one Captain Massey for Piracy. But being told, There was not, he said, He was the Man, and that the African Company would soon apply to my Lord for one, which if they did, he lodged in Aldersgate street, where the Officer might at any time find him. This the Clerk took down in writing, and a Warrant being soon granted, the Tipstaff went accordingly, and took him without any trouble.

But still there was no person to charge him, neither could they prove the letter to be his own hand-writing, till the Justice interrogated him, Whether he did write the letter or not; which he readily confessed, as also gave an ample account of the whole voyage, thereupon he was committed to Newgate, though soon after he was admitted out upon bail.

July the 5th, 1723, he was tried at the Old-Baily by a Court of Admiralty, when Captain Russell and others appeared against him: But he would have saved them all that trouble, for he confessed more than they knew, fixing the facts so firm upon himself, that he was found Guilty, received Sentence of Death, and was executed three weeks after at Execution Dock.

But to return to Lowther, whom Massey left cruising off of Hispaniola, who plying to the Windward near Porto Rico, took two sail, one was a small Bristol Ship, the other a Spanish Pirate, who had taken the Bristol Ship; which so provoked Lowther, that he threatened to put all the Spaniards to Death, for daring to intermeddle in his Affairs: But at last he contented himself with burning both their ships; and the Spaniards getting away in their launch, they thought they were well off.

Afterwards he took a small Sloop from St. Christophers, which he manned; and carried with him to an island where they cleaned, and then going aboard, they sailed towards the Bay of Honduras, where they met with a small vessel with 13 Hands, of the same employment, under Captain Lowe, whom Lowther received as friends, inviting them, as they were few in number, to join their strength together; which being accepted of, Lowther continued Captain, and Lowe was made Lieutenant, burning his own ship. Then coming into the Bay, they fell upon a ship of two hundred tons, called the Greyhound; against whom Lowther firing his guns, hoisted the piratical Colours, which Captain Edward bravely returned; but at length finding the Pirate too strong for him he yielded, and the Pirate came on Board, and not only rifling the ship, but beat and cut the men in a cruel manner. In crusing about the Bay, they took several other vessels without any resistance, particularly a Sloop of 100 Tons, which they mounted with 8 carriages and 10 swivel guns. With this fleet, Lowther in the Happy Delivery, Lowe in the Rhode Island Sloop, Harris in Hamilton’s Sloop, left the Bay, and came to Port Mayo, where they made preparations to careen, carrying ashore all their sails, to lay their plunder and stores in; but when they were busy at work, a body of the natives came down and attacked the Pirates unprepared, who were glad to fly to their Sloops, and leave them masters of the field, leaving the Happy Delivery behind them, contenting themselves with the Ranger, which had only 20 guns, and 8 swivels, taking all the men on board her, wherein they presently began to quarrel, laying the blame upon one another. Being very much in want of provisions, they got to the West Indies, May 1722, and near the Island of Descada took a Brigantine stored with provisions and necessaries, which put them in better temper. Then they watered and stood to the Northward, intending to visit the North Coast of America, and in Latitude 38, they took the Rebecca of Boston, at which Time the Crews divided, Lowe with 44 Hands went on board the Brigantine, and Lowther with the same number, staid in the Sloop, separating that very night, being the 28th of May 1722. Lowther cruised a pretty while among the Islands to no purpose, till at length he fell in with a Martinico Man, which proved a seasonable relief, he being reduced to great want of provisions, and after that a Guinea Man. After which they thought it time to clean, in order to prepare for new adventures; for which purpose they sailed to the Island of Blanco, which is a low Island 30 leagues from the main of Spanish America, where he unrigged his Sloop, sending his guns, rigging, and sails ashore, and putting his vessel upon the careen. But the Eagle Sloop of Barbadoes, coming near this Island, and seeing her, supposing her to be a Pirate, took the advantage of attacking her when unprepared, who immediately hoisted the St. George’s Flag at her top-mast head to bid them defiance: But when they found the Eagle resolved to board them in good earnest, the Pirates cut their cable, and hawled the stern on shore, which obliged the Eagle to come to an anchor athwart the hawse, where they engaged them till they cried out for Quarters. At which time Lowther and 12 men made their escape, but they took the rest, and brought them to Camena, where the Spanish Governor condemned the Sloop to the captors, and sent 23 Hands to scour the Bushes of Blanco for the Pirates, when they took 40; but could not find Lowther, three men and a little Boy. John Churchill, Edward Mackonald, Nicholas Lewis, Rich. West, Sam Lavercot, Rob. White, John Shaw, And. Hunter, Jonathan Delve, Matthew Freeborn, and Henry Watson, were hanged, Roger Granger, Ralph Candem, and Robert Willis, were acquitted. And Captain Lowther, it is said, afterwards shot himself, being found dead, and a pistol burst by his side.