Nassau, Bahamas French allied forces briefly occupied Nassau. From 1703 to 1718 there was no governor in the colony and by 1713, the sparsely settled Bahamas had become a pirate haven. The Governor of Bermuda stated that there were over 1,000 pirates in Nassau and that they outnumbered the mere hundred inhabitants of the town. They proclaimed Nassau a pirate republic, establishing themselves as "governors". Examples of pirates that used Nassau as their base are Charles Vane, Thomas Barrow (who declared himself "Governor of New Providence"), Benjamin Hornigold, Calico Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and the infamous Edward Teach, better known
James Kelly (pirate) eventual execution on July 12, 1701. James Kelly (pirate) James Gilliam, also known as James Kelly, (died July 12, 1701) was an English pirate active in the Indian Ocean during the 1690s and was a longtime associate of Captain William Kidd. Prior to his association with Kidd, he sailed with George Raynor and Edward Davis aboard the "Batchelor's Delight." One of Kidd's earliest crew members, Gilliam was a participant in the mutiny on board the "Mocha" and the subsequent murder of Captain Edgecomb who was killed in his sleep. After taking command of the East Indiaman, Gilliam and the "Mocha",