Edward Lowe

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A portrait of Edward Lowe hanging in the National Maritime Museum in London

Edward 'Ned' Lowe (or Low, or Loe), often known as Ned Low was a notorious pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy. His pirate flag featured a black flag with a red skeleton. Lowe is also famous as one of the more brutal pirates, inflicting torture and cruel acts to his victims.

1 Early life
2 Piracy
3 Articles
4 Death
5 External links

[edit] Early life

Edward Lowe was born in Westminster, London, England, in the late 17th century.

As he grew older, Lowe tired of pickpocketing and thievery, and left England for Boston. In Boston, he married a lady named Eliza Marble, They had a son, who died when he was an infant, and a daughter named Elizabeth. Eliza died in labour, leaving Lowe with his daughter.

At first working honestly as a rigger, in May 1722 he joined a gang of men on a sloop headed for Honduras, where they planned to steal a shipment of logs for resale in Boston.

Following a failed mutiny, however, Lowe and his friends were forced to leave the boat. A day later, Lowe led the gang in taking over a small sloop, and officially turned pirate determined "to go in her, make a black Flag and declare War against all the World."

[edit] Piracy

The pirate flag used by Edward Lowe

Lowe was a success as a pirate, and after a period as lieutenant to George Lowther, he eventually captained a brigantine (named Rebecca). In one early notable raid, he attacked 13 New England fishing vessels sheltering at anchor in Port Roseway (Shelburne, NS). Although outnumbered, Low hoisted the black flag and declared that no quarter would be given if any resisted. The fleet submitted and Low's men robbed each vessel. Low chose the largest, an 80-ton schooner which he renamed The Fancy) and armed with 10 guns to become his flagship. A number of New England fishermen were forced to join Low, including Philip Ashton who later escaped to write a detailed account of life aboard Low's pirate ship.

Initially, Lowe used the same flag as Edward Teach (better known as Blackbeard). Later, he used his own flag, which became notorious. He also used a flag called the Green Trumpeter, which was a green silk flag with a yellow figure of a man blowing a trumpet on it, used to signal his other ships that the captains of his fleet were to meet on his ship. It was hoisted on the mizzen peak.

As Lowe's success increased in the Caribbean, so did his notoriety. Eventually, a bounty was placed on his head, and Lowe headed for the Azores.

In the Azores, Lowe became particularly noted for his brutality and sadism, which included acts such as cutting off a victim's lips, cooking them, and forcing the victim to eat them. Many historians believe this was deliberately done to cultivate a ferocious image. One failed torture session led to one of Lowe's crew members accidentally cutting him in the mouth. Botched surgery led to Lowe being scarred. There is a famous story of him burning a French cook alive saying he was a "greasy fellow who would fry well" and he once killed 53 Spanish captives with his cutlass.

Lowe teamed up with another pirate captain named Charles Harris, who owned a ship named the Ranger. As they terrorised the Azores, the pressure increased from the authorities, who by now had taken special notice of Edward Lowe, despite the hordes of pirates in operation at the time.

Lowe, Harris and their boats left the Azores for the Carolinas. Following a battle with a Man-o-war named the HMS Greyhound, Lowe fled in the Fancy and headed back to the Azores, leaving Harris and the Ranger behind.

[edit] Articles

Lowe had 17 articles, forming a code of conduct. A copy of his articles printed on 8 August 1723 were:

Every sailor captured be given ample chance and encouragement to join the company and so grow their number
No married man be forced to join their company
Prisoners were not to be killed in cold blood
No one to talk in secret with prisoners
Ships of England were not to be taken (unless fate decreed otherwise, and they captured one in innocence)
No boats were to be sent between ships after 8PM until morning light
That if any of the Company shall advise, or speak any thing tending to the separating or breaking of the Company, or shall by any Means offer or endeavour to desert or quit the Company, that person shall be shot to Death by the Quarter Master's Order, without the sentence of a Court Martial.
The captain is to have two full shares, the master is to have one share and a half, the doctor, mate, gunner and botswaine, one share and a quarter.
He that shall be found guilty of taking up any unlawful weapon on board the privateer or any other prize by us taken, so as to strike or abuse one another in any regard, shall suffer what punishment the captain and majority of the company shall see fit.
He that shall be found guilty of cowardice in the time of engagements, shall suffer what punishment the captain and majority of the company shall think fit.
If any gold, jewels, silver etc be found on board any prize or prizes to the value of a piece of eight, and the finder does not deliver it unto the quarter master in the space of 24 hours, he shall suffer what punishment the captain and majority of the company shall think fit.
He that is found guilty of gaming, or defrauding one another to the value of a royal plate, shall suffer what punishment the captain and majority of the company shall think fit.
He that shall have the misfortune to loose a limb in time of engagement shall have the sum of 600 pieces of eight, and remain aboard as long as he sees fit
Good quarters to be given when craved
He that sees a sail first shall have the best pistol or small arm aboard her
He that shall be guilty of drunkenness in time of engagement shall suffer what punishment the captain and company shall think fit
No snapping of guns in the hold

[edit] Death

There are conflicting stories on the end of Edward Lowe.

One states that Edward Lowe and the Fancy were last sighted in July 1723, near the Canaries and Guinea. They were never heard of again, and it is believed his boat sank in a storm, with the loss of all hands.

A second states that Lowe was sent adrift by his own crew, and was rescued by a French ship who tried and hanged him in 1724 after learning his identity.