The cruellest and most vicious pirate that ever sailed the seas.
Edward Low or Lowe, nickname, Ned, was born around 1690 in the poorest part of Westminster, London.
Ned like most of the children of the poor received little in the way of formal education, was illiterate and began a life of crime at an early age, extorting farthings from the other children in the area. Not that he was the only criminal in the family, one of his brothers also began thieving at an early age and ended up being hanged at Tyburn in his teens.
On reaching maturity Ned was persuaded by his elder brother to go to sea with him and they sailed together for four to five years before parting company in Boston, Massachusetts where Ned worked in a rigging house.
Then in 1721 he signed on as a seaman on a sloop heading for the Bay of Honduras, to harvest a cargo of logwood. On arrival Low was put in charge of a party of twelve men sent ashore to cut logwood, After several days at this work Low and his party returned to the ship and after unloading, were ordered by the captain to collect another load to speed things up. But since it was near to dinner time the men became angry, words were exchanged and Low fired a musket at the captain. Unfortunately the shot hit another man in the head and fearful of retribution, Low and the others fled out to sea in the boat.
The following day, they took a small sloop, made a black flag, became pirates and sailed to the island of Grand Cayman. It was while they were at anchor there that another pirate, Captain Lowther, came across them and invited them to join his crew.
Low now second in command, sailed with, and took part in the capture of several vessels by Lowther. However, after being given the command of a captured Brigantine off Virginia, Low took his leave of Lowther and went his own way.
Six days after the parting, Captain Ned Low took two vessels for their provisions. One of them was taken off Rhode Island and in an effort to prevent her from reporting to the authorities Low had her sails and rigging cut away. Despite being disabled in this way, she still managed to make report by sending a whale boat to the Island. The alerted authorities sent two ships to find the pirate, unfortunately they failed in their quest and returned empty handed.
After his disappearing act Low turned up again at Marblehead, Massachusetts, where with black flag flying, he sailed into the harbour threatening that if any ship resisted he would show them no quarter. Altogether he plundered all thirteen ships that lay there, after letting twelve of them go, he kept one, a schooner, renamed her the “Fancy” and after fitting her with cannon, took command of her himself. The Brigantine, that was his former flagship, he handed over to one of his men Charles Harris.
Leaving Marblehead behind, Low and Harris sailed for the Caribbean, but were hit by a Hurricane on the way.
F Watson December 2010.
***
Charles Johnson, 1724 describes what happened next.
They now steered for the Leeward Islands, But in their voyage met with such a hurricane of wind, that the like had not been know; the sea ran mountains high, and seemed to threaten them every moment with destruction; it was now no time to look for plunder, but to save themselves, if possible, from perishing. All hands were continually employed night and day, on board the Brigantine, and all little enough, for the waves went over her, so they were forced to keep the pump going, besides bailing with buckets; but finding themselves not able to keep her free, and feeling the utmost danger before their eyes, they turned to the tackle, and hoisted out their provisions, and other heavy goods, and threw them overboard, with six of their guns, so that by lightening the vessel she might rise to the top of the sea with the waves: They were also going to cut away their mast; but considering how dangerous it would be, to be left in such a condition; they resolved to delay it to the last, which was prudence in them to do; for a ship without masts or sails, lies like a log upon the water, and if attacked must fight wit disadvantage, the working of her being the most artful part of the engagement, because she may sometimes bring all her great guns on one side, to bear on her enemy, when a disabled ship can do little or nothing.
But to proceed; by their throwing overboard the heavy goods, the vessel made considerable less water, and they could keep it under with the pump only; which gave them hopes and new life; so that instead of cutting all away, they took necessary measures to secure the mast, by making preventer-shrowds etc, and then wore and lay too upon the other tack, till the storm was over.
The schooner made somewhat better weather of it; of the two, but was pretty roughly handled notwithstanding, having split her mainsail, sprung her bowsprit, and cut her anchors from the bows.
The Brigantine by running away to leeward, when she wore upon the larboard tack had lodst sight of the schooner, but not knowing whether they were safe or not, as soon as the wind abated she set her mainsail and top-sail, and made short trips to the windward; and the next day had the good fortune to come in sight of their consort, who upon a signal, which the other knew, bore down to her, and the crew were were overjoyed to meet again, after such ill treatment from the winds and seas.
