Charles Johnson

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Charles Johnson (fl. 1724–1736) was a pirate who operated in the West Indies during the early 18th century. He served as a deckhand and Edward Thatch's personal scribe aboard the Sea Dog's Bite from 1713 to 1717, and then on the Queen Anne's Revenge from 1717 to November 1718.

Biography

Originally a simple deckhand, on 3 January 1713, Johnson was called upon during the night and told that because of his abilities in drawing and writing he was also to become Edward Thatch's scribe, responsible for transcribing the captain's thoughts into a journal. On 28 July 1713, with the end of War of the Spanish Succession, Thatch announced to his crew that they would become a pirate vessel and allowed them to leave if they so choose. Though conflicted, Johnson chose to stay.

On 21 November 1718, Blackbeard expelled both Johnson and first mate Israel Hands from his crew, hoping that doing so would keep them from dying alongside him. Following Blackbeard's death the next day, Johnson decided to leave piracy behind and chose a new path "under a fake name, but with true affection" to guarantee that his former captain would never be forgotten. In 1724, he published the book A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates.

Legacy

With the book's success, which painted Woodes Rogers in a heroic light for his quest to rid the West Indies of pirates, the former governor was given a pension by King George I and awarded a second term.

Around 2001,the Assassin William Miles read Johnson's book while training his son, Desmond, how to move silently. In 2013, Abstergo Entertainment employees read Johnson's book in order to help with creating the Database entries for the Sample 17 Project, though they noted that he was a frequently unreliable source.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (first mentioned)
• Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag: Blackbeard – The Lost Journal (mentioned only)