Thomas Griffin

Thomas Griffin (fl. 1691) was a pirate and privateer active off New England. He is best known for his association with George Dew.

History Griffin was operating alongside George Dew in 1691 with privateering commissions against the French. Sailing out of Bermuda, they headed up the American east coast, plundering ships which they accused of smuggling. One of their captures was a vessel from Cádiz, taken near Piscataqua. Griffin put in at Portsmouth and wrote to the Governor that he had mistaken the vessel for French, but upon boarding found proscribed goods. He said he avoided taking the prize to Boston, fearing that he “should be unkindly dealt with,” and accused Boston merchants of trading with the French. Dew and Griffin took the prize to the Isles of Shoals and then into Portsmouth to sell off its cargo, ignoring the usual requirement to present prize ships to an Admiralty Court.