# Edward Low — A General History of the Pirates character guide

> Edward Low in A General History of the Pirates by Captain Charles Johnson.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Captain Low, Low, Captain Edward Low, Ned, Ned Low, Mr. Low

**First appearance:** 0017-xiii-of-captain-edward-low-and-his-crew

## Snapshot

A notoriously cruel Atlantic captain whose taste for torture made even other pirates uneasy.

## Who they are

Low commands in the Caribbean and Atlantic with a reputation for savagery that outstrips his tactical skill, ruling through fear rather than the rough consent that holds most pirate crews together. His brutality creates tension with his own men and with the wider pirate network, marking him as the extreme case of what the trade could produce. His career shows how the same liberties that made pirate ships attractive could curdle into tyranny.

## Relationships

### [Howel Davis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/howel_davis)

_professional_

Low served under Davis's command and later succeeded him, maintaining a professional pirate hierarchy.

### [Mary Read](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/mary_read)

_professional_

Low and Read were crewmates on the same pirate vessel, with Read serving as a fellow pirate.

### [Bartholomew Roberts](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/bartholomew_roberts)

_professional_

Roberts and Low were contemporary pirate captains who occasionally cooperated or operated in overlapping waters.

### [John Massey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/john_massey)

_professional_

Massey served as Low's quartermaster and later parted ways due to disagreements over command.

### [James Skyrm](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/james_skyrm)

_professional_

Skyrm was a loyal crewman under Low, often involved in his brutal raids.

### [Philip Roche](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/philip_roche)

_professional_

Roche was a pirate captain who allied with Low for joint operations against merchant ships.

### [John Rackam](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/john_rackam)

_professional_

Low and Rackam were contemporary pirate captains who occasionally interacted in the Caribbean pirate network.

### [Howel Davis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/howel_davis)

_professional_

Low served under Davis's command and later succeeded him, maintaining a professional pirate hierarchy.

### [Bartholomew Roberts](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/bartholomew_roberts)

_professional_

Roberts and Low were contemporary pirate captains who occasionally cooperated or operated in overlapping waters.

### [James Skyrm](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/james_skyrm)

_professional_

Skyrm was a loyal crewman under Low, often involved in his brutal raids.

### [Howel Davis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/howel_davis)

_professional_

Low served under Davis's command and later succeeded him, maintaining a professional pirate hierarchy.

### [John Rackam](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/john_rackam)

_professional_

Low and Rackam were contemporary pirate captains who occasionally interacted in the Caribbean pirate network.

## In the story

### [Of Capt. George Lowther, and His Crew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/chapters/xii-of-capt-george-lowther-and-his-crew)

Captain Low, who joined Lowther at Grand Cayman, later split from him due to unruly behavior, taking 44 men and a brigantine.

### [Of Captain Edward Low, and His Crew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/chapters/xiii-of-captain-edward-low-and-his-crew)

Protagonist of the chapter; a brutal pirate captain known for his cruelty, who began his career after attempting to murder his captain and later allied with George Lowther.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/edward_low
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters