Historian links Jones Beach namesake to famous pirate crew

James Bailey, an amateur historian from Rhode Island, identified new colonial records that implicate Thomas Jones in the 1695 raid on the Ganj-i-Sawai. The documents suggest Jones assisted the notorious English pirate Captain Henry Every in escaping capture.

Bailey previously gained attention for uncovering ancient coins linked to Every’s crew. He now claims that depositions from Every’s associates show Jones was recruited to act as a driver for the fleeing pirates. The group stole tens of millions of dollars in modern value from the royal Indian treasure ship.

Jones is best known today as the namesake of a popular state park in New York. The beach park ranks second only to Niagara Falls in visitor numbers. Bailey noted that millions of New Yorkers visit the site without knowing the namesake played a major role in the largest piracy heist in history.

The 1695 raid resulted in the torture, killing, and rape of crew members aboard the Ganj-i-Sawai. The violence sparked a global manhunt. While some pirates were executed, Every and several others vanished into Europe and the American colonies. Jones is among those believed to have hidden in the colonies.

New York Governor Richard Coote investigated Jones in 1698. The governor described Jones as a former pirate and reported that a barrel of money arrived at Jones’ Long Island house. Jones testified that he knew nothing about the funds. He had previously remade himself as a wealthy whaling proprietor on the barrier beach that now bears his name.

John Hanc, author of a book on the beach’s history, stated that Bailey’s research clarifies a long rumored but unproven part of Jones’ past. Jones served in the English military before moving to Rhode Island and then New York. He died in 1713, and his mansion was reportedly haunted until its demolition in the early 1800s.

Meagan Schulman, a doctoral candidate at Fordham University, explained that privateers often became pirates when wars ended. Jones operated as a privateer authorized by the English crown to raid rival ships. Schulman noted that while Jones may not have viewed himself as a pirate, the distinction was often blurred in practice.

Records show Jones received a large land gift from his father-in-law in 1696. This provided him a fresh start on Long Island while authorities searched New England for Every. Richard Blakemore, a maritime history professor, cautioned that Thomas Jones is a common name. He added that the findings illustrate how piracy generated wealth for prominent colonial families.