John Coxon (pirate)

[1] Coxon's ship, a vessel of eighty tons that carried eight guns and a crew of ninety-seven men, is lost to date, with no traces of its name anywhere.

The act that brought Coxon to public notice was his surprising and plundering the Spanish town of Santa Marta in the Caribbean.

[1][2] John Coxon took part in a raid in June 1677 where he and his crew sacked the town, taking the Governor and Bishop as prisoners for ransom.

[4] Coxon entered the port on 28 July 1677, with the Bishop Dr. Lucas Fernandez y Piedrahita and a Spanish friar and presented them to Lord Vaughan, the colony's Governor.

[2] This raid proved to be useful, as the pirates and privateers collected a stash of five hundred chests of indigo dye, in addition to cocoa, cochineal, money, plate, and tortoiseshell.

[2] Shortly afterwards, Coxon made himself an ally of several other important buccaneers of the day, including Cornelius Essex, Bartholomew Sharp, Thomas Magott, and Robert Allison, plus French rovers Bournano and Rose.

[1] Because of the plundering of Portobelo, the Governor of Jamaica, Lord Carlisle, issued search warrants for Coxon and his notorious crew.

Coxon, in naught but an Indian canoe, travelled to the Pacific Coast [vague], and with his crew of seventy, stole two sloops.

“The fifth and sixth, which being led by Captain John Coxon, who had some of Alleston's and Macketts men joyned unto his, made two Divisions or Companies, had each of them a red Flag….” [ 3 ]