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Gustavus Conyngham was, well, a pirate. Or a patriot… it really depended upon who was telling the story. Born in Ireland, he came to America as a young man and was apprenticed to a man in the shipping trade. Soon enough, during the Revolutionary war, he was captaining a ship under commision to the Continental Navy. He took to capturing British ships, and looting them, mostly of mail and arms, which were turned over to the Continental Army. One of his piratic cruises finally resulted in his capture by the British, who would have executed him had not Benjamin Franklin intervened on his behalf, getting his status changed to that of a prisoner of war. He eventually returned to the United States, and was even documented to have fought in the War of 1812. He is buried at the St. Peter’s Episcopal Churchyard in Philadelphia.

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