Beach Founder Linked to Pirate Escape

New evidence suggests Thomas Jones, the man behind the name of New York’s most visited state park, played a key role in helping a famous pirate disappear in 1695. James Bailey, an amateur historian, claims colonial documents show Jones assisted Captain Henry Every and his crew after they raided the Ganj-i-Sawai, a royal Indian treasure ship. Jones Beach, located in Wantagh, New York, draws millions of visitors annually. Bailey states that local history has long hinted at Jones’ past but lacked concrete proof.

Bailey discovered the connection while researching the 1695 raid on the Red Sea. The pirate crew tortured, killed, and raped those aboard the ship, sparking what is considered the first global manhunt. While some pirates were caught and executed, Every and others vanished. Bailey’s research indicates Jones was recruited to serve as a driver, helping the group evade authorities with millions of dollars in gold and silver. This role allowed the crew to scatter across Europe and the American colonies.

Jones was a military major who moved to the American colonies, settling in Rhode Island before becoming a wealthy landowner in New York. He owned thousands of acres on Long Island. After the heist, records show Jones briefly returned to Rhode Island. In 1696, his father-in-law, Thomas Townsend, gifted him a large tract of land on Long Island’s south shore. Bailey believes this land provided Jones with a fresh start while authorities searched New England for Every.

New York Governor Richard Coote investigated Jones in 1698. Coote was charged by the British crown to crack down on piracy. In his report, Coote described a “barrel of money” that traveled from the city to Jones’ house on Long Island. Coote labeled Jones as “formerly a pirate.” Jones testified that he knew nothing about the barrel. He later remade himself as the proprietor of a whaling operation on the barrier beach that now bears his name.

Rumors about Jones’ fortune persisted after his death in 1713. His mansion was reportedly haunted, and his grave was desecrated by treasure hunters. A 1906 family history book dismissed these stories as slander. Thomas Floyd-Jones, a descendant, wrote that people cast slurs on Jones’ memory for mischievousness or malice. The myths were magnified by ignorance and superstition for over a century.

Experts agree Jones’ background fits the profile of a pirate. Meagan Schulman, a doctoral candidate at Fordham University, notes that privateers were often pirates sponsored by governments. When wars ended, those who continued raiding were branded pirates. Schulman says Jones probably did not see himself as a pirate. Richard Blakemore, a maritime history professor at the University of Reading, cautions that the findings are compelling but not conclusive. He notes that Thomas Jones is a common name.

Kevin McDonald, a history professor at Loyola Marymount University, states that piracy provided foundational wealth for many prominent Northeast families. He argues that early British colonies were socially and economically connected to piracy. Bailey hopes to publish his research soon. He recently retired from Rhode Island’s corrections department.

The documents cited by Bailey show Jones built a homestead and raised a family on Long Island. His pirate past, however, remained a shadow over his legacy. The connection between the beach and the 1695 heist adds a new layer to the history of the site. Local historians have long known of the rumors but lacked the specific documentary link Bailey has identified.