An amateur historian says newly reviewed colonial documents point to a surprising accomplice in the infamous Henry Every heist, implicating Thomas Jones, the figure for whom New York’s Jones Beach is named.
James Bailey, who previously drew attention after finding 17th century coins believed connected to English pirate Capt. Henry Every, now argues that records from the era indicate Jones helped the so‑called King of the Pirates and his crew slip away after the 1695 attack on the Mughal ship Ganj-i-Sawai in the Red Sea. Bailey says depositions from Every’s associates suggest Jones served as a kind of wheelman as the pirates moved tens of millions of dollars’ worth of treasure in today’s values. Other records show New York’s colonial governor later investigated Jones, who had become a wealthy whaling entrepreneur on the Long Island barrier beach that bears his name.
Henry Every heist
Bailey has spent years examining documents related to the bloody raid, which led to torture, killings and sexual violence aboard the royal vessel. The attack sparked international outrage and what historians consider the first global manhunt. Some of Every’s men were captured and executed, but others, including Every himself, vanished, likely dispersing across Europe and the American colonies.
According to Bailey, materials from the period outline how Jones aided the pirates’ escape. Separately, documents show that years later New York’s governor, tasked with curbing piracy on behalf of the British crown, scrutinized Jones after he had established himself as a prosperous businessman on Long Island.
Ghost stories and tall tales after Jones’ death
John Hanc, author of a history of Jones Beach, said Bailey’s research adds detail to longstanding but sketchy local lore about Jones’ past. Before moving to New York, Jones served as a major in the English military, then settled first in Rhode Island. He later became a leading landowner and businessman on Long Island, holding thousands of acres during a time when the area was largely rural, far from the growing port of New York City.
Rumors about the origins of Jones’ wealth persisted long after his death in 1713. His deteriorating mansion was rumored to be haunted, and his grave was repeatedly disturbed by people searching for hidden treasure before the remains were moved to a family plot behind a nearby church. A 1906 family history written by descendant Thomas Floyd-Jones dismissed the pirate tales as slander and fiction.
Was Jones a privateer, a pirate or both?
Experts say it is plausible Jones dabbled in piracy. Meagan Schulman, a Fordham University doctoral candidate who studies 17th century piracy and was not involved in Bailey’s work, noted that Jones built a career as a privateer, legally raiding enemy commerce for the English crown during wartime. When hostilities ended, privateers lost that sanction, and those who kept raiding became pirates. She said many privateers were effectively pirates with government backing, and that while some might label Jones a pirate, he likely did not view himself that way.
Bailey’s documents indicate Jones helped Every’s crew avoid arrest, then briefly returned to Rhode Island. In 1696, records show his father-in-law, wealthy New Yorker Thomas Townsend, granted Jones and his wife a sizable tract on Long Island’s south shore. Bailey, recently retired from Rhode Island’s corrections department, believes the move offered Jones a clean slate as authorities scoured New England for Every and his allies.
On Long Island, Bailey says Jones established a homestead and raised a family, but scrutiny continued. In 1698, Governor Richard Coote described an anti-piracy probe that led him to Jones. Based on witness statements, Coote wrote that a barrel of money traveled from the city to Long Island and arrived at Jones’ home. Jones, whom Coote called formerly a pirate, denied knowledge of the barrel.
Piracy built wealth in colonial America
Richard Blakemore, a maritime historian at the University of Reading who was not involved in Bailey’s research, called the findings intriguing but not definitive, noting that Thomas Jones was a common name. Still, Kevin McDonald, a Loyola Marymount University historian who has written about colonial piracy, said possible links between Jones and Every reflect how piracy helped create foundational and multigenerational wealth in the Northeast.
Blakemore added that despite popular portrayals of pirates as outcasts, evidence suggests early British colonies were significantly intertwined with piracy both socially and economically. The enduring fascination with legendary figures and disputed histories recalls how a Harry Houdini death mystery still captivates 100 years on, long after the events themselves.
