Henry Avery's Early Life

Henry Avery was born in 1653 in Plymouth, England. Avery had already spent almost 36 years at sea before he became a pirate. Avery enlisted into the Royal Navy, serving as a junior officer. The higher officers gave Henry and his other sailors beatings. In 1693 Henry went to be a part of a ship leaving England to attack French ships. At first he received great profit, but he was later sold into slavery with many others. He wanted to re-gain his freedom. When they were on the ship called the Charles Avery and twenty four other men came onto deck and took control of the entire ship. Henry then went below deck to speak to the sick captain. He told the captain that he could still be captain if he joined their crew, but he declined the offer. So Avery let him go to shore on one of the boats with anyone else who wanted to leave.