Henry Every

Henry Every, also known as Henry Avery (20 August 1659Disappeared: June 1696), sometimes erroneously given as Jack Avery or John Avery, The name "John Avery" appears in the 1709 pamphlet ''The Life and Adventures of Capt. John Avery'', but the memoir is a work of fiction. Daniel Defoe later borrowed this name for his 1720 book ''The King of Pirates'', and the usage of "John Avery" continued afterward, most notably by the ''Dictionary of National Biography''. (The ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', published in September 2004, uses "Henry Avery.") Although it is possible that "John Avery" was one of the pirate's aliases, there are no known records of him ever using this name.}} was an English pirate who operated in the Atlantic and Indian oceans in the mid-1690s. He probably used several aliases throughout his career, including Benjamin Bridgeman, and was known as Long Ben to his crewmen and associates.

Dubbed "The Arch Pirate" and "The King of Pirates" by contemporaries, Every was infamous for being one of very few major pirate captains to escape with his loot without being arrested or killed in battle, and for being the perpetrator of what has been called the most profitable act of piracy in history. Although Every's career as a pirate lasted only two years, his exploits captured the public's imagination, inspired others to take up piracy, and spawned works of literature.

Every began his pirate career while he was first mate aboard the warship ''Charles II''. As the ship lay anchored in the northern Spanish harbour of Corunna, the crew grew discontented as Spain failed to deliver a letter of marque and ''Charles II''s owners failed to pay their wages, and they mutinied. ''Charles II'' was renamed the ''Fancy'' and Every elected as the new captain.

Every's most famous raid, on 7 September 1695, was on a 25-ship convoy of Grand Mughal vessels making the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, including the treasure-laden Ghanjah dhow ''Ganj-i-Sawai'' and its escort, ''Fateh Muhammed''. Joining forces with several pirate vessels, Every found himself in command of a small pirate squadron, and they were able to capture up to £600,000 in precious metals and jewels, equivalent to around £}} in . This caused considerable damage to England's fragile relations with the Mughals, and a combined bounty of £1,000—an immense sum at the time—was offered by the Privy Council and the East India Company for his capture, leading to the first worldwide manhunt in recorded history. Many ordinary sailors earned even less than that, with monthly pay of less than £2. A sum of £1,000 equaled a lifetime of work or more, meaning that a prudent sailor could retire for life.}}

Although a number of his crew were subsequently arrested, Every himself eluded capture, vanishing from all records in 1696; his whereabouts and activities after this period are unknown. Unconfirmed accounts state he may have changed his name and retired, quietly living out the rest of his life in either Britain or on an unidentified tropical island, while alternative accounts consider Every may have squandered his riches. He is considered to have died sometime between 1699 and 1714; his treasure has never been recovered. Provided by Wikipedia