Where most pirate captains relied on arms and power to get what they wanted, Captain Howell Davis took a different approach. A master of disguise, trickery and deception, this Welsh pirate used his intelligence to his advantage.

Although his piratical career lasted just 11 months before he was ambushed and killed, he managed to capture 15 known English and French ships in his time. The lies and trickery caught up with Davis when he disguised himself as a Royal Navy pirate hunter to kidnap the governor of the Portuguese island of Principe. The governor saw through it, and Howell Davis was shot dead on 19 June 1719.  His death was avenged by his protégé Bartholomew Roberts - AKA Black Bart - who stormed the fort and killed the Portuguese troops.