Jean Hamlin

Hamlin began his career in 1682, sailing from Jamaica in a small sloop loaded with 120 men, with which he took the frigate La Trompeuse (The Trickster),[1][b] which itself had changed hands between a number of pirates.

[3] Aware that Lynch was actively seeking his capture, Hamlin left his hideout at Île-à-Vache and sailed to St. Thomas where he was sheltered by Danish Governor Adolph Esmit.

Hamlin returned to St. Thomas with a fortune described as "a very large chest of gold-dust, 150 piggs [sic] of silver, 200 bags of coined money, besides plate, jewels, elephant's teeth [and] other valuable goods and commodities.

"[3] He had reportedly been very cruel to the crews of captured ships during his African voyages, leading Nevis' Governor William Stapleton to call him "John Hamlin, the arch murderer and torturer.

[2] There are few records of his subsequent activities, though almost fifty of his former crew signed aboard the ships of buccaneer Jacob Evertson and privateer Jan Willems, who had previously refused to hunt down Hamlin.