A General History of the Pirates · Character

Howel Davis

A Welsh sailor whose charm and nerve carried him from merchant service to command of a pirate crew on the African coast.

major

Also known as Captain Davis, Captain Howel Davis, snow Davis, Davis

First appearance: Of Captain Howel Davis, and His Crew

As a major figure in A General History of the Pirates, Howel Davis is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Mate of the Cadogan snow; given the vessel and cargo by England's crew after Skinner's murder.

In the storyOf Capt. Edward England, and His CrewOpen this moment free

Davis rises through the pirate ranks by wit and persuasion rather than sheer brutality, holding a crew together along the Guinea coast where discipline frays and fortunes shift. His authority rests on performance as much as force, and the tension between his ambition and the loyalty of his men shadows his command. His career shows how quickly an ordinary seaman could become a captain in the Atlantic pirate world.

See Howel Davis in Of Capt. Edward England, and His Crew Book page

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Character Web

61 connections

A slice of how Howel Davis sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Rivalry
Other

Character groups

Pirate Captains and Hunters
Protagonist

+56 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

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Relationships

Edward Low
professional · ambivalent
Low served under Davis's command and later succeeded him, maintaining a professional… How this plays out →
Woodes Rogers
rivalry · negative
Bartholomew Roberts
professional · positive
Stede Bonnet
professional · ambivalent
Charles Vane
professional · negative
James Skyrm
professional · ambivalent
Edward Low
professional · ambivalent
Low served under Davis's command and later succeeded him, maintaining a professional… How this plays out →
Bartholomew Roberts
professional · positive
Woodes Rogers
rivalry · negative
Edward Low
professional · ambivalent
Low served under Davis's command and later succeeded him, maintaining a professional… How this plays out →
Woodes Rogers
rivalry · negative

Edward Low
Low served under Davis's command and later succeeded him, maintaining a professional pirate hierarchy.
Woodes Rogers
Davis was a pirate captain actively opposed by Governor Woodes Rogers, who sought to suppress piracy in the Bahamas.
Bartholomew Roberts
Roberts served as Davis's navigator and later succeeded him as captain after Davis's death.
Stede Bonnet
Davis and Bonnet were both pirate captains who may have coordinated attacks or shared intelligence.
Charles Vane
Vane and Davis were rival pirate captains who competed for territory and plunder in the Caribbean.
James Skyrm
Skyrm served under Davis as a crew member before later joining Low's crew.
Edward Low
Low served under Davis's command and later succeeded him, maintaining a professional pirate hierarchy.
Bartholomew Roberts
Roberts served as Davis's navigator and later succeeded him as captain after Davis's death.
Woodes Rogers
Davis was a pirate captain actively opposed by Governor Woodes Rogers, who sought to suppress piracy in the Bahamas.
Edward Low
Low served under Davis's command and later succeeded him, maintaining a professional pirate hierarchy.
Woodes Rogers
Davis was a pirate captain actively opposed by Governor Woodes Rogers, who sought to suppress piracy in the Bahamas.

Relationship notes

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See Howel Davis in Of Captain Howel Davis, and His Crew

In the story

Howel Davis appears across 4 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Of Capt. Edward England, and His Crew
Mate of the Cadogan snow; given the vessel and cargo by England's crew after Skinner's murder.
Of Captain Howel Davis, and His Crew
Born at Milford, Monmouthshire; chief mate on the Cadogan snow; captured by England; later becomes pirate captain; plots to plunder Prince's Island; killed in ambush by Portuguese.
IX: Of Captain Bartho. Roberts, and His Crew
Mentioned as the captain who took Roberts; his death prompts the election of a new leader.
Of Captain Anstis, and His Crew
One of the six original conspirators at Providence; later killed at the island of Prince's.

Chapter companion notes

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See Howel Davis in Of Captain Howel Davis, and His Crew

See Howel Davis in Of Capt. Edward England, and His Crew