Joseph Faro

Joseph Faro (fl. 1694–1696, last name occasionally Farrell, Firra, Farrow, or Faroe) was a pirate from Newport, Rhode Island active during the Golden Age of Piracy, primarily in the Indian Ocean. He is best known for sailing alongside Thomas Tew to join Henry Every’s pirate fleet which captured and looted the fabulously rich Mughal ship Gunsway.

History In 1694 a number of Newport pirate vessels prepared to set sail with Tew, among them Joseph Bankes’ Black Barke, later renamed Portsmouth Adventure. Bankes (or Banks) transferred his commission to Joseph Faro, who captained the 90-ton 6-gun Portsmouth Adventure with a crew of 60. Among his crew was future pirate captain Dirk Chivers.

Afterward, Faro was deposed as Captain by his crew and replaced with Want, Every rescued Faro and some of his crew en route to the Bahamas; some of Faro's crew joined Every, and a few even made it back to Newport, while Chivers and others remained behind to be later rescued by Robert Glover in the Resolution. Faro later captained the sloop Seaflower which transported Every back to Ireland when the latter chose to retire.