Adam Baldridge

Adam Baldridge was an English pirate and one of the early founders of the pirate settlements in Madagascar.

History After fleeing from Jamaica to escape murder charges, Baldridge sailed to Madagascar and, by 1690, had established a base of operations on the island of St. Mary's. By the following year, Baldridge controlled the inland waterway into St. Mary's having established a virtual stronghold overlooking the island harbour as well as protecting the settlements' warehouses. After he had subdued the local tribes, native chieftains would be forced to pay Baldridge to mediate between warring tribes.

Baldridge's settlement had become a popular haven among pirates of the Mediterranean with Baldridge supplying pirates in exchange for high fees. Baldridge's trading supplies came from New York merchant Frederick Philipse, who chartered a number of ships under captains John Churcher, Thomas Mostyn, and others; Baldridge sent slaves back in return. Baldridge had just traded with the merchant ship Charming Mary in August 1695, and only a few months later equipped the Amity (with the remains of Tew's crew) who left to hunt down the very same Charming Mary that had just departed. Some years later Dutch ex-pirate John Pro returned to St. Mary's and led a settlement there, trading with pirates and slavers until his death in 1719.

After his return to New York, Baldridge presented Governor Bellomont with a plan to establish an English colony at Île Sainte-Marie. Bellomont and his backers were sceptical, given Baldridge's background, and Bellomont lamented that he lacked enough judicial resources and honest officials to prosecute Baldridge. By 1699 Bellomont had ejected Philipse from the council and suppressed his pirate-trading endeavours. Baldridge later married an ex-pirate's wife, though Bellomont noted that his marriage licence was obtained illegally through a corrupt chaplain, and that the woman was technically still married. Finally Baldridge became a legitimate merchant and died in his seventies. Another source claims that after returning to New York, Baldridge convinced Bellomont to grant him permission to sail as a trader to Antigua; this was a ruse, and as soon as he sailed he turned north to Newfoundland and took to outright piracy, plundering the fishing fleets.