Philip Ringo - Dutch Pirate

Philip Janzen Ringo was born about 1615 in Vlissingen, Zeeland, Netherlands to Jans Ringo.

He was a privateer for the Dutch West India Company and is among the early records of the New Netherlands colony in 1640.  Over his twenty year career as a pirate he and his partners owned at least four different Dutch frigates.

 Perhaps the most publicized of the New Netherland frigates was La Garce, among whose owners were men from Fort Orange and New Amsterdam. La Garce figures frequently in the records as a privateer, one of her most spectacular triumphs occurring in May 1644 when she brought in two captured Spanish barks, one carrying sugar, tobacco and ebony, the other wine destined for Guatemala. These had been taken in the Caribbean after a hard fight. It is significant that seaman on La Garce often made their wills before sailing to those waters

On the journey that Philip and Crol embarked upon after making their will in 1646 was to the Caribbean (translated below).

In the year after the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, one thousand six hundred and forty-six, the 18th day of October, before me, Cornelis van Tienhoven, secretary of New Netherland, appeared Philip Jansen Ringo, from Vlissingen,^[1] who declared that reflecting on the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the hour thereof and therefore being desirous to anticipate such uncertainty by certain testamentary disposition, he first commends his soul when it shall be separated from his body into the hands of Almighty God and his body to a Christian burial. He, the testator, after revoking all other previous testaments, codicils, donations and other instruments of last will which have been made by him before the date hereof, coming then to the disposal of his means and effects which Almighty God has granted him in this world, he, Philip Jansen aforesaid, gives and bequeaths to Antony Crol, his partner, all his means and effects which they have together in company, according to the agreement thereof mutually signed, dated the 17th of October. Therefore he, the testator, declares his last will and testamentary disposition to be that his above mentioned faithful friend and partner shall after his death possess all the means and effects which as above mentioned belong to them in company, those which Antony Crol now takes with him to Holland as well as those which Philip Jansen retains here. He, the testator, expressly stipulates that after his death Antony Crol shall pay to the poor two hundred guilders out of the testator’s property which he shall leave behind. He, the testator, requests that after his death this his testament and last will may take effect before all courts. In witness hereof signed by Philip Jansen and the subscribing witnesses, the 18th of October anno 1646, in New Amsterdam.

 
It was there that a barque, “St. Antonio of Havana,” laden with sugar and tobacco was taken in the Bay of Campeachy near the Mexican coast. Ringo personally overcame by force of arms one Manuel, the Spaniard, who, in order to save his life, accepted the usual conditions of servitude under his conquered until ransom might be paid. The bark was brought back to New Amsterdam, where it was subsequently declared a proper prize, and Manuel obviously returned there with his new master.

On 17 February 1649 Philip signed the "manumission" document to grant Manuel his freedom. Manuel promised to pay his former master 100 fl. per year for three years. Payments could be made in "seawan (wampum), grain or such pay as is current here". Although the cost was high - farm laborers earned about 150 fl. per year - Manuel managed to complete the payments on his freedom. By 1651 he had acquired a patent to some farmland on Manhattan Island and was living as a freedman.

 Philip married Geertje Cornelis in New Amersterdam on November 8, 1647 and they had five children.  Their son Albertus is my 8th great grandfather and the first on our Ringo family born in America in 1656,

The Ringo family lived in New Amsterdam (now New York City) and raised their family.  Albert's home was located in a cottage-shop at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Exchange Place. (A large bank building, just opposite the New York Stock Exchange, covers the Ringo plot and others there.)

Philip was washed overboard at sea from his ship, the New Netherlands Indian in 1662, while on a cargo voyage from America to Holland.  

You can read his full biography at Wikitree.