William Read (died 1701, last name occasionally Reed) was a pirate active in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar. He is best known for rescuing fellow pirate captains John Bowen and Thomas White.
Read was captain of Alexander, a 60-ton[1] brigantine based out of Madagascar.[2] Around 1701 he stopped near the settlement of a local native king. Thomas White and John Bowen had been aboard a French pirate ship which wrecked nearby and had been in the care of the king for over a year.[2] The king was hospitable but insisted they leave on the first ship to arrive.[3] Read took them aboard and proceeded around the Madagascar coast, picking up stranded European sailors to increase his crew.[3] Bowen was elected sailing master and handled navigation for Alexander.[4]
Now with 40[1] to 60[3] men they sailed to the Persian Gulf and took a 200-ton grab loaded with bale goods. Thinking the bales worthless, the pirates threw them overboard, not realizing the ship's crew had hidden their gold and valuables inside the bales.[3] Read soon died of illness, replaced by a Captain James, who was himself replaced by Bowen after they had exchanged Alexander for the captured grab.[3] Thomas White remained aboard until leaving to sail with Nathaniel North.[5]
William Read of Alexander should not be confused with William Read of Ranger, a pirate who served under Captain Charles Harris until Harris was abandoned by Edward Low and captured by HMS Greyhound in 1723.[6]