Probably the son of a sailor, Quintor spent most of his life at sea. While serving onboard a Spanish vessel in the Caribbean, he was captured by a pirate crew that included the young Samuel Bellamy. Quintor joined the pirates and soon earned a reputation as one of the toughest men in the crew. His support later helped Bellamy become the pirates’ new leader.
Although Quintor was not aboard the Whydah when she sank in 1717, he was captured not long afterward and found guilty of piracy in October 1717. The penalty: death by hanging.
Bostonians crowded by the gallows to watch as Quintor and five other pirates were hanged. To the audience, the slow writhing of the dangling bodies was a form of entertainment—and a warning to anyone considering piracy.
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