Pirates > William Mason
William Mason
Background
William Mason was a famous privateer/pirate who associated with Robert Culliford and operated in the West Indies and was given his commission by the governor of the Province of New York named Jacob Leisler. He was initially supposed to attack the French off the coast of the Province of Massachusetts Bay.
Mason set sail aboard the Blessed William which was a Spanish ship that had been stolen by French privateers and later stolen by the English and eventually by the pirates. Governor Leisler was supportive of all the endeavors and he funded Mason's privateering campaign with his own personal money. Mason later cooperated with Robert Culliford in the Caribbean when the two were given letters of marque by Leisler aboard the Jacob. Leisler would soon lose his position as governor due to his blatant support of piracy.
