By Stephen B. Aranha

Whereas the short overview given by the Department of Archives on Woodes Rogers reads like a straightforward success story, he did in fact face many setbacks in his attempts to rid The Bahamas of pirates and revive the colony's economy by giving it a civilised, peaceful framework.

Prior to his appointment as Governor of The Bahamas, Rogers earned his claim to fame as a privateer, when his fellow Bristol merchants placed him in command of two ships – the 350-ton Duke and the 260-ton Duchess, both equipped with 36 guns each – and 333 men. Officially fighting against pirates, he was very much involved in the continual skirmishes between the British and the Spaniards at the time. The latter considered Rogers a pirate himself.

Rogers' expedition was very successful, and he brought back great treasures to Britain - gold, guns, and other cargo. He also wrote a book titled A Cruising Voyage around the World. First published in 1712, and still in print today (ISBN 158976238X), this book made Rogers immortal in the world of literature because of his account of the rescue of one Alexander Selkirk, who had spent four and a half years on an uninhabited island, Juan Fernandez, in the Pacific Ocean, 400 miles west of Chile.

Selkirk's fate and Rogers' account of it inspired author Daniel Defoe to write the world-famous novel Robinson Crusoe (first published 1719). It is also said that both Rogers' and Defoe's books inspired Jonathan Swift's novel Gulliver's Travels (first published 1726).

At the same time, The Bahamas, especially Nassau, was the home of numerous pirates, amongst them such infamous names as William Jennings, "Calico Jack" Rackham, Charles Vane and Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, and also the - arguably - most famous female pirate, Anne Bonney. They all posed a serious threat not only to Spanish and French but also British commerce in the region as well as to all peaceful settlers throughout The Bahamas.

To make matters worse, they offered the Jacobites support in ousting the House of Hanover from the British throne to reinstate the Catholic James III. The government in London had to act, and they sent Rogers to solve the crisis.

In July of 1718, Rogers arrived in The Bahamas with a small fleet of five ships. He was The Bahamas' first Royal Governor. His first term would last until 1721. He was indeed fairly successful in restoring order. It was then that the colony's motto, "Expulsis Piratis, Restituta Commercia," which is Latin for "Pirates expelled, Commerce Restored," was coined. It remained until independence in 1973, when the new motto, "Forward, Upward, Onward Together," was adopted.

However, Rogers was faced with many problems. Britain and Spain were at war, and although Rogers managed to defend New Providence against a small Spanish fleet – which nonetheless had the British outnumbered one to three – the threat remained and hung over the colony like the Sword of Damocles. Also, the British government and Rogers' partners in London did not support him sufficiently. In order to keep the civil services operational in Nassau, to keep his men fed, he eventually spent £11,000 of his own money, buying supplies mainly from North America.

In 1721 Governor Rogers travelled to England to petition to the Lords of the Treasury, but met no support. Some time later, he was imprisoned as a debtor. George Phenney was appointed, and served as Governor until 1729. Phenney proved himself an able administrator, but his wife's ruthless, manipulative business conduct eventually brought about his downfall. Consequently, Phenney was not remembered as one of the colony's great Governors. In 1729 Woodes Rogers returned to The Bahamas to replace him.

After his arrival, Rogers immediately busied himself with the organisation of elections, which were held September 15-20, 1729. This Assembly marked an important milestone in the history of our country, mainly because of its new, "official" status, but there have been similar bodies formed by the colonists ever since they first arrived in 1648. Despite having been created by Rogers, the Assembly would overshadow his governorship. The Speaker, John Colebrook of Nassau, abused his powers to steer a course of opposition against the Governor because of a personal animosity against Rogers, who, Colebrook believed, had spoilt a business opportunity of his, namely to establish a free port in Nassau under the protection of the Austrian Empire.

Rogers believed that some of these problems could be overcome by continuing the transition of The Bahamas from a proprietary to a royal colony. Despite the fact that Woodes Rogers was the first Governor appointed solely by the Crown, we must not assume that this step completed the transformation, for this was a gradual process. Rogers himself had a proprietary interest in The Bahamas, and the Crown had always controlled Customs and has confirmed Governors since 1697. Yet The Bahamas would not become of full royal colony until 1787, when the proprietary interest was finally fully surrendered.

Though the home government supported his initiative, and in fact undertook a very important step towards more royal control right away, Rogers would not live to see this transition, for he died in Nassau on July 15, 1732. Neither the cause of his death nor the location of his mortal remains are known today.

From all we know, Woodes Rogers was not a man whom his contemporaries felt much compassion for, though his conduct and reputation earned him respect and inspired obedience. Historian Michael Craton speculates "that he was inclined to be harsh and humourless ... He was a great believer in the efficacy of hard work, always an unpopular attitude in the Bahamas, and his remedy for discord was discipline. It was the attitude of the quarterdeck, and Woodes Rogers always remained a sea captain at heart."