Pirates > Pirate Rounders > Adam Baldridge
Adam Baldridge
Background
Adam Baldridge (1685-1697) was a famous British pirate merchant and one of the founders of the pirate haven of Ile Saint-Marie on the island of Madagascar. He arrived in the region following a charge of murder in British Jamaica.
By 1685 he had established a pirate haven on Ile Saint-Marie, also known as Saint Mary's and was assisted by wealthy merchant Frederick Philipse who helped supply essential trade goods from New York City. Within a few years the pirate colony at Ile Saint-Marie grew to become quite profitable and successful and the pirates built a stronghold that overlooked the harbor and was able to protect the pirates as well as their warehouses of looted goods and treasure.
By the 1690's the Buccaneering Era was all but gone in the West Indies and was forced to relocate to the Indian Ocean. Baldridge was essential in supplying the pirate colony in exchange for high fees from the pirates and became extremely wealthy.
According to accounts he lived a life of luxury and even had a harem of local island girls. However, in 1697 he was forced to flee because local natives had discovered he sold some of their people as slaves. Upon the departure of Baldridge from Madagascar the colony fell into decline as they were unable to get the vital supplies necessary to sustain a growing population. Overall little is known about the life of Adam Baldridge as no one knows who he originally was or where he went upon his departure from Ile Saint-Marie. Given the fact he was a merchant he probably had enough gold saved up and was able to buy a new identity somewhere in the East Indies or anywhere in the world really.
