Emanuel Wynne

Flag Attributed to Wynne

Captain Emanuel Wynne

Emanuel Wynne or Wynn was a French pirate who began his piratical career by raiding English merchantmen off the coast of the Province of Carolina near the end of the 17th century. He later moved to the more profitable waters of the Caribbean, attacking both English and Spanish ships. On July 18, 1700 the HMS Poole, a 32-gun fifth-rate frigate commanded by Captain John Cranby, engaged Wynne's ship off the Cape Verde islands. Cranby chased Wynne into a cove at Brava Island where Wynne was able to avoid capture. Cranby then enlisted the assistance of Portuguese soldiers, but because of their delay in attacking, Wynne was able to sail out of danger and escape.

Most historians agree that Cranby's detailed account of this encounter is the first mention of a 'Jolly Roger' being flown by a pirate, which Cranby described as "A sable ensign with cross bones, a death's head, and an hour glass" or "A Sable Flag with a White Death's Head and Crossed Bones in the Fly." Wynne is often considered to be the first pirate to fly this now familiar form of the jolly roger. His flag, showing the distinctive skull and crossbones motif, was augmented with an hourglass, meant to signify to his prey that their time was running out and only by timely surrender could they evade death. There were no other reports at the time of pirates using similar flags. However, within fifteen years the skull and crossbones design and its many variants would become the standard flag of Golden Age pirates.

BIOGRAPHIES / SOURCES