of Kidd's crew, fed up with his captaincy, abandoned him and joined Culliford. The Pearl sailed toward Ethiopia, taking vessels near India in 1696 before returning to New York to divide their loot. By January 1699 May was at Madagascar again, this time commanding the Charming Mary after its captain Richard Bobbington had been killed raiding ashore in India. Culliford had sailed alongside the Charming Mary for a time, but had departed before May's tenure as captain. May was trying to repeat Every's feat when English pirate hunters were reported en route. May and crew slipped out of Madagascar and sailed once again to New York in 1700 to share out their treasure and retire. Returning to Rhode Island, he was reported to have resumed operating the Whitehorse Tavern (today billed as "the oldest surviving tavern in America") starting in 1702. May's name (occasionally Mason or Masson) and exploits may have served as inspiration for Captain Charles Johnson’s fictional “Captain Mission” in his A General History of the Pyrates, which was otherwise devoted to historical pirate figures. Captain William May (Mayes/Mason/etc.) of the Pearl should not be confused with crewman William May, who served on Henry Every's ship Fancy and was one of the few members of that voyage to be executed for piracy. See also Josiah Burgess - Another pirate who survived his pirating days and retired to a respectable life ashore. National Register of Historic Places application for White Horse Tavern, which mentions May's father William Mays (Sr.) obtaining the liquor license for White Horse Tavern in 1687. Notes References Year of birth missing Year of death missing 17th-century pirates Caribbean pirates Piracy in the Indian Ocean English pirates People of the Province of New York