The real Captain Cleveland

Captain Cleveland is a fictional character in the novel 'The Pirate' by Walter Scott. Fea writes about the Orkney pirate John Gow who was the model for Scott's gentleman pirate. The novel is not one of Scott's best but the story of Gow is fascinating. A young man from Orkney who went to sea, became a singularly ruthless pirate and returned to Orkney to swagger, display his ill gotten gains and rob the poorly defended Orcadians. His ship ran aground off the Calf of Eday as he made his escape, and he and his crew were captured by James Fea who had been at school with Gow. Gow was hanged at Execution Dock in London in 1724.