Emanuel Wynn

Wynn was a French pirate and began his career raiding English merchantmen off the coast of the Province of Carolina near the end of the 17th century. He later moved to the more profitable waters in the Caribbean, attacking both English and Spanish ships.

An extract from the Archive

Records show a 32-gun fifth-rate frigate commanded by British Captain John Cranby, engaged Wynn's ship and chased Wynn into a cove at Brava Island where Wynn was able to hold out and slipped out of the harbour and escaped.

The Wynn flag showing the distinctive skull and crossbones motif, was augmented with another common pirate symbol: an hourglass, meant to signify to his prey that their time was running out and only by timely surrender could they evade death.