Captain Charles Johnson

Captain Charles Johnson
Born1680
Pen nameCaptain Charles Johnson
Years active1724–1736[1]
Notable worksA General History of the Pyrates

Captain Charles Johnson was the British author of the 1724 book A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates, whose identity remains a mystery. No record exists of a captain by this name, and "Captain Charles Johnson" is generally considered a pen name for one of London's writer-publishers. Some scholars have suggested that the author was actually Daniel Defoe, but this is disputed.

A prime source for the biographies of many well known pirates of the era,[2] Johnson gave an almost mythical status to the more colourful characters, and it is likely that the author used considerable artistic licence in his accounts of pirate conversations.[3] First appearing in Charles Rivington's shop in London, the book sold so well that by 1726, an enlarged fourth edition had appeared.[3] English naval historian David Cordingly writes: "It has been said, and there seems no reason to question this, that Captain Johnson created the modern conception of pirates."[4]

  1. ^ Tedder, Henry Richard (1892). "Johnson, Charles (fl.1724-1736)" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 30. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  2. ^ Cordingly 1997, p. xix.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference AHP was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Johnson, Charles; Cordingly, David (2010). "Introduction". General History of the Robberies & Murders of the Most Notorious Pirates (Lyons Press 2nd paperback ed.). London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. viii. ISBN 978-1599219059.