Henry Morgan was born in around 1635, the eldest son of Robert Morgan, squire of Llanrhymny in Glamorgan, Wales.  Although there is no mention of Morgan in historical record until 1665, it is generally accepted that Morgan came to Jamaica in 1658.  Morgan’s uncle, Edward Morgan, was Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica, and it was Edwards’s daughter Mary that Henry eventually married. 

Morgan established a career as a privateer – a legal pirate.  The Spanish, who owned much of the land in the West Indies, treated any foreigners that they discovered in their waters as pirates. 

Morgan entered Port Royal in August of 1665, accompanied by Captains Jacob Fackman and John Morris.  They had embarked on an expedition in Central America which had lasted twenty two months – upon their return they discovered that a new Governor had been appointed in Jamaica, in the form of Thomas Modyford.  Although Modyford was ordered to end privateering and promote peaceful trade, he turned a blind eye to the activities of Morgan and co., knowing well that it was the main basis for the island’s economy. 

Morgan began a campaign against the Spanish, ravaging the coast of Cuba, sacking Maracaibo in Venezuela and torturing the rich residents of Gibraltar on Lake Maracaibo to discover hidden treasure.  He famously took on three Spanish ships at once, and destroyed or captured them all, extracting a large amount of treasure in the process.  Rather than being cast as a criminal, as Morgan’s pirate sucessors would have been, Morgan was made commander-in-chief of all the ships of war in Jamaica.  His mission was to wage war upon the Spanish by destroying all stores and ships.  His pay for this was solely the booty gained during these exploits.  In this way, Morgan’s buccaneering was justified and made legal – he was a confirmed privateer in the eyes of the British Government.

A new Governor of Jamaica, Sir Thomas Lynch, was appointed.  He arrived in Jamaica on 1st July 1671, and Lynch spent little time in sending both Modyford and Morgan to England under arrest.  Morgan went home on the Welcome, arriving in April 1672, and being imprisoned in the Tower of London.  Here he lived at his own expense; Morgan had not settled or invested his money, and the cost of this punishment was high for him.  However, Morgan was released from the Tower in 1674 without trial for any offence.  The King received Morgan warmly at court, and knighted him in November 1674 before appointing him lieutenant-governor of Jamaica.  Morgan returned to the Caribbean in January 1675, and from that point on took a passive role in the privateering taking place from Jamaica. 

By 1681 Morgan had fallen from the British King’s favour and was replaced by Thomas Lynch.  By 1683, Lynch had also successfully had Morgan suspended from the Jamaican Council, charging him with ‘disorder, passions and miscarriages at Port Royal on various occasions’ (minutes of council of Jamaica, 12 Oct 1683, CSP col., 11, no. 1302).

Morgan’s bloodthirsty reputation, whilst clearly well deserved, was contributed to by the publication of De Americaensche Zee-Roovers (History of the Buccaneers of America) by Alexandre Exquemelin.  Although Morgan successfully brought a libel suit against Exquemelin, the tales of Morgan’s exploits established his place in the annals of pirate history.

Morgan died on 25th August 1688, probably at Lawrence field, Jamaica, the cause of death given as ‘dropsie’.  It has also been suggested that the real cause of death could have been liver failure, caused by his excessive drinking after his loss of the Governorship. Morgan had used his years in office to build a ‘dispicable’ substantial fortune by owning: 3 plantations, 122 black slaves, seven Indians, eleven white servants and amassing a personal wealth of around £5250.