# John Phillips — A General History of the Pirates character guide

> John Phillips in A General History of the Pirates by Captain Charles Johnson.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Captain John Phillips, Phillips, Captain Phillips

**First appearance:** 0019-xv-of-captain-john-phillips-and-his-crew

## Snapshot

A blaspheming pirate captain whose cruelty and foul temper made him feared by his own reluctant crew.

## Who they are

Phillips commands a small pirate sloop largely manned by men pressed into service against their will, ruling through threats and violence rather than loyalty. When he boards a Virginia vessel and its master, Captain Mortimer, seizes a chance to fight back, Phillips is wounded and his authority nearly broken in the chaos. His story exposes how fragile pirate command really was, held together by a few hardened wretches while honest men aboard waited for any opening to revolt.

## In the story

### [Of Captain John Phillips, and His Crew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/chapters/xv-of-captain-john-phillips-and-his-crew)

Former carpenter turned pirate captain; led the crew after escaping England and seizing a vessel in Newfoundland.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/john_phillips
- 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