Hi there

Wasn't sure where to put this and it'll be a bit too long to type into that wee
small box, so I hope it's ok for me to just mail it.

The Capt. Morgan who is identified in Jessica's spreadsheet is apparently the
wrong guy, not to detract in any way from a laudible effort.  Here's a bio of who
I believe to be the Captain Morgan in question.  It's rather long, probably needs
chopping down a bit, keep whatever you feel maybe useful.

Keywords that I seem to recall have cropped up from time to time that feature in
the life of Morgan:
Jamaica, Hispaniola, (letter of Marque by inference), Bristol, Catalina ?,
Providence.

The West Indies, under colonisation by the English, French & Dutch attracted large
numbers of men who did not fit into colonial society.  Many arrived as indentured
servants and when their indenture expired they would make their way to Hispaniola
where they lived by hunting wild cattle & pigs, they became known as buccaneers
from the smoke-drying process they used to preserve the meat.  Many graduated onto
piracy, initially unorganised, but when the English captured Jamaica in 1655 they
made Port Royal their base.  The buccaneers differed from pirates - they never
attacked English ships or settlements (though many of them were French) and
claimed that what they did was in furtherance of English interests.

Capt. Henry Morgan was a Welshman.  It is generally accepted that he was Henry
Morgan, labourer of Abergavenny, who sailed from Bristol in February 1656 as an
indentured servant to Barbados.  Nothing more is known of him until he joined the
Buccaneers in Jamaica, presumable when his indenture expired.  The first time that
he is mentioned by name is as one of three leaders of a small expedition which
raided the coast of Yucatan in 1664, following with a bold raid up the San Juan
river into the heart of Nicaragua capturing the capital city of Granada.  The
latter established his reputation, having netted 50,000 pieces of eight.

Peace with Spain in 1660 led to a cessation of activities until 1665.  When
negotiations broke down, the Governor of Jamaica, Sir Thomas Modyford, used the
buccaneers again to attach Spanish possessions and shipping.  Henry Morgan became
'vice-admiral' to the 'admiral' of the buccaneers, a Dutchman known as Edward
Mansfield.  They sailed forth to attack the island of Santa Catalina, known to the
English as Providence - originally an English settlement but in the hands of Spain
since 1641.  Providence was captured without difficulty and plundered, but
recaptured before it could be garrisoned.  At this point Mansfield disappears,
possibly captured by the Spanish, and Henry Morgan is appointed as 'admiral' in
his place.

Morgan's first expedition, in 1668, was to make reconnaissance of the coast of
Cuba for Modyford.  The buccaneers however, wanted booty, and assembled at the
mouth of the San Pedro river to attack the town of Puerto del Principe, aka
Camaguey, which was undefended being far inland.  In the realisation that this
biography is getting rather long, I summarise the remainder:  Morgan also attacked
Porto Bello, taking the fort by using the monks and nuns from a nearby monastery
as human shields  when scaling the walls.  Lots of booty taken on that one.
Toward the end of 1668, raids were planned on Caracas, but plans had to be changed
after setbacks and they went instead to attack the city of Maracaibo - long tale
that one.  After that Morgan retired to his large extate in Jamaica.  1670, more
hostilities with the Spanish, Morgan commisioned as Admiral and Commander in Chief
of all the ships of war of Jamaica with full authority to attack the enemy on land
and sea.  Sailed for Isla de la Vaca to redevouz with a force from Tortuga and
Hispaniola.  Went to capture the island of Santa Catalina once again and sent a
contingent to sieze Chagres on the Isthmus of Panama to open the way to Panama
City.  Morgan took Panama city, plundered it then burnt it to the ground - big
atrocity that one.  Morgan then cheated most of his men and made off back to
Jamaica with most of the booty for himself and a few favoured friends.  Modyford's
commissioning had come whilst a peace treaty was being concluded, unknown to him,
rendering Morgan's activities illegal.  Modyford was sent back to England a
prisoner, similary Morgan followed.

When relations with Spain again deteriorated, Morgan was knighted by Charles II
and sent back to Jamaica with a commission as Lieutenant-Governor.  Now active in
public administratioon, Morgan attended church regularly and proceeded to suppress
the buccaneers with a heavy hand.  He died August 25th 1688, buried at Port
Royal - the city was later destroyed and submerged into the sea during a powerful
earthquake.