An amateur historian says colonial documents suggest that Thomas Jones, whose name lives on at New York’s Jones Beach, helped notorious pirate Henry Every and his crew evade capture after attacking an Indian royal treasure ship. The research offers a possible connection between a prominent Long Island landowner and one of piracy’s most infamous crimes.
James Bailey began examining the records more deeply after attracting attention five years ago for discovering old coins believed to be connected to Every. He says documents, including depositions from the pirate’s associates, indicate that Jones was recruited to help the crew escape with gold and silver worth tens of millions of dollars. Bailey hopes to publish his research.
The crew attacked the Ganj-i-Sawai in the Red Sea in 1695. Pirates reportedly tortured, killed and raped people aboard, provoking international outrage and what is considered the first worldwide manhunt. Some participants were captured and executed, but Every and many others disappeared. They are believed to have dispersed to Europe and the American colonies.
Jones served as a major in the English military before settling in the colonies, first in Rhode Island and later in New York. He became a wealthy businessman and landowner, holding thousands of acres on Long Island and operating a whaling enterprise on the barrier beach that now bears his name. Jones Beach ranks behind only Niagara Falls among New York’s most visited state parks.
According to the documents Bailey cites, Jones briefly returned to Rhode Island after assisting Every’s crew. Property records show that in 1696, his wealthy father-in-law, Thomas Townsend, gave Jones and his wife a substantial parcel on Long Island’s southern shore. Bailey believes the gift offered a fresh start while authorities searched New England for the pirates.
Scrutiny followed him. In 1698, New York colonial governor Richard Coote described an investigation involving money reportedly transported from the city to Jones’ Long Island home. Citing witness depositions, Coote referred to a “barrel of money” and described Jones as “formerly a pirate.” Jones testified that he knew nothing about the barrel.
Questions about Jones’ wealth survived his death in 1713. Treasure seekers repeatedly disturbed his grave before it was moved to a family plot behind a nearby church. A family history published in 1906 by descendant Thomas Floyd-Jones rejected the piracy stories. John Hanc, author of “Jones Beach: An Illustrated History,” says Bailey’s work adds detail to suspicions that local histories have long mentioned without fully explaining.
Meagan Schulman, a Fordham University doctoral candidate studying 17th century piracy, says Jones worked as a privateer after his military service. Privateers had royal permission to attack rivals’ commercial vessels during wartime, but those who continued after that authority expired were treated as pirates. Schulman was not involved in Bailey’s research.
University of Reading maritime historian Richard Blakemore, also uninvolved in the research, calls the findings compelling but cautions that they are not conclusive, particularly because Thomas Jones was a common name. Kevin McDonald, a Loyola Marymount University history professor who likewise had no role in the work, says the possible connection illustrates how piracy helped establish wealth that passed through generations of prominent Northeastern families.
