Thomas Hawkins

Thomas Hawkins (died 1690) was a pirate briefly active off the coast of New England. He was known for sailing with Thomas Pound.

History

Thomas Pound collected a group of sailors in August 1689 and hired Thomas Hawkins to transport them to Nantasket. En route Pound asked Hawkins to divert his fishing vessel to pick up a few more sailors. Once aboard they brandished arms and Pound announced that he intended to take up piracy, ostensibly to sail against the French in the West Indies. Hawkins willingly joined them. Pease’s men exchanged small arms fire with Pound and his pirates for a time until Pound was hit and badly wounded and most of his crew were injured or killed. Pease himself was hit and later died, the only casualty of Pound and Hawkins’ piracy. later famed for presiding over the Salem witch trials; in jail Hawkins was imprisoned alongside “Mary Glover the Irish Catholic witch,” and Cotton Mather prayed with the condemned. They were both sent back to England aboard the frigate HMS Rose. On the way they were attacked by a French privateer. Hawkins and Pound fought bravely to defend the Rose against the French. Hawkins was killed during the battle, while Pound survived and was pardoned for his piracies, eventually rising to command a Royal Navy ship of his own.