Jonathan Barnet

Jonathan Barnet (1677/78 – 1744) was an English privateer in the Caribbean, best known for capturing pirates John Rackham, Anne Bonny, and Mary Read. The Assembly of the Colony of Jamaica gave him a financial reward and a large estate in the parish of St James, where enslaved Africans worked.

Privateer Barnet's privateering career began as early as 1712, during the War of Spanish Succession. English merchant Nathaniel Uring recorded a "Capt Barnet" around Jamaica in July of 1712, fighting Spanish vessels.

Lord Archibald Hamilton, Governor of Jamaica, commissioned ten privateers in late 1715 and charged them with hunting pirates. Among them was Barnet, who sailed out in a 90-ton snow called Tyger.

The Tyger's owners and Barnet posted bond before he sailed. Barnet's six-month commission was periodically renewed by Hamilton and succeeding Governors. Hamilton gave Barnet specific instructions on which flag to fly, on keeping a journal, and where to bring captured prize ships for confirmation,

Barnet immediately joined the other privateers in raiding the wrecks of the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet. Jamaican Deputy Secretary Samuel Page initially blamed Barnet's actions on the sloop Barsheba captained by Henry Jennings, spurring a Spanish emissary to make an angry visit to Jamaica demanding action against the privateers. The Tyger's owners included Daniel Axtell, who also held shares of the privateer (and later pirate) vessels commanded by Leigh Ashworth, James Carnegie, and Samuel Liddell, all of which looted the Spanish wrecks as well.

Governor Heywood would later fume against the rogue privateers who antagonized the Spanish under the flimsy pretense of privateering, remarking, "had not been granted which were given out on pretext of suppressing pyracys, these unhappy disorders had not been committed: and what was said to Jonathan Barnet (as will appear from his deposition) was too great an encouragement to be given to those sort of people."

Capture of Rackham

In 1716, Barnet testified against embattled Jamaican Governor Lord Archibald Hamilton, who was removed from office for consorting with pirates. Barnet sailed late that year on a trading voyage alongside Jean Bonadvis, another former pirate and privateer turned pirate-hunter. Bonadvis spotted a sloop nearby and approached, only to be fired on. He retreated and reported the aggressor's location to Barnet, who left in pursuit. Barnet hailed the vessel, whose drunken crew refused to surrender, and captured it after a brief fight.

The vessel turned out to be the William, captained by John Rackham, who had aboard two female pirates, Mary Read and Anne Bonny. The pirates were quickly tried and hanged, though the women managed to avoid execution by claiming to be pregnant. Lawes congratulated Barnet: "About a fortnight ago a trading sloop belonging to the Island, being well manned and commanded by a brisk fellow one Jonathan Barnet, did us a very good of service. He was met by a pirate vessel at the Leward part of this Island commanded by one Rackum in which were 18 pirates more, whom he took and are now in gaol..."

Planter and slaveholder

The Assembly of Jamaica gave him a substantial estate in Jamaica as his reward, and he was later elected one of the two elected representatives for Saint James Parish, Jamaica. His estate embodied the fledgling port of Montego Bay, and one of the main streets in the city is named after him to this day. Barnet died in March 1744, and William Barrett replaced him in the Assembly. At his death, Barnet enslaved 144 Africans, 81 men and 63 women. Of that number, 26 were children. Barnet's estate was valued at nearly £7,000, of which the majority was the valuation of his enslaved labour force.