Christopher Goffe

Christopher Goffe (fl. 1683–1691) was a pirate and privateer active in the Red Sea and the Caribbean. He was eventually trusted to hunt down his former comrades.

History Thomas Henley departed Boston for the Red Sea in 1683 alongside Thomas Woolerly and Christopher Goffe. Successful, they returned to the Caribbean the following year. In May 1685 Goffe and Henley arrived in Bermuda with a Dutch prize ship. Governor Coney tried to have Henley arrested but his own citizens and soldiers refused to prosecute him and Coney was forced to release Henley. Goffe was prolific enough in the area that a small island was named for him, known as Goff's Caye; another nearby island was named for pirate Joseph Bannister.

Woolerly sailed to New Providence in June 1687 asking to resupply. He announced that he had Goffe aboard, having taken him in when he was in dire need of assistance. Goffe, members of Henley's crew, and others admitted to having been pirates, but were not prosecuted for lack of evidence and witnesses, and were allowed to keep their treasure.

By August 1691 Goffe had been commissioned as a privateer by Massachusetts Governor Simon Bradstreet. Assigned to patrol Cape Cod and Cape Ann, he was tasked with bringing in pirates George Dew and Thomas Griffin.