Henry Morgan

Timeline

1. c. 1655–1667Port Royal · Port RoyalOf Welsh origin, solid archival evidence of how he reached the West Indies in his early years is lacking. Encyclopædia Britannica states he very likely took part in the 1655 expedition that seized Jamaica. In the 1160s he rose to prominence at Port Royal, taking part in actions against Dutch Caribbean strongholds during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, and gradually became a privateering commander authorized by the Governor of Jamaica.
2. 1668–1672Panama Viejo · PanamaHe captured Portobello in 1668 and raided the Maracaibo area in 1669. In early 1671 he led a force across the isthmus to capture Panama Viejo, dealing a severe blow to Spanish American defenses. The expedition took place after peace had already been negotiated between England and Spain; he was sent to London in 1672 for trial but escaped severe punishment due to shifting diplomatic winds and the share of plunder.
3. 1674–1688Port Royal · Port RoyalIn 1674 Charles II knighted him and sent him back to Jamaica as Lieutenant Governor, acting in the governor's stead on several occasions when the full governor was absent. He purchased sugar plantations, presided over the assembly, and sued for libel over the English translation of the Exquemelin memoirs. He died in Jamaica on 25 August 1688, was given a grand funeral, and was buried at Palisadoes cemetery in Port Royal.