The Pirate Rebel by Elizabeth Peirce

Ned Jordan just can’t seem to get a break. After participating in the failed Irish rebellion against the English in 1798, he faces execution for treason, but trades information about other rebel organizers for his freedom and a pardon. While this buys him a few years, eventually, the friends and family of those he betrayed catch up to him and he escapes to North America with his young family, including his wife Margaret.

Ned dreams big, but his execution is somewhat lacking. All he finds in  New York, Quebec City and Gaspe is failure and petty crime. Convincing Margaret to trust him on one last move, he brings his still growing family to Halifax.  Here, he puts all his remaining resources, and an extensive amount of credit, into building his ship Three Sisters and when his debtors come to collect, his desperation turns deadly.

The Pirate Rebel: The Story of Notorious Ned Jordan is a fascinating story of piracy, murder and desperation – one that takes place in our own backyard, yet is surprisingly unheard of locally. Ned’s story is shocking, yet Peirce tells it in such a way that I found myself sympathizing with him, desperately hoping against all logic that things might finally go his way.

Even more interesting is the story of Margaret Jordan – who was she? what was the full extent of her involvement in her husbands murderous actions? The answers are long since lost to history.

Paperback: 160 pages

Publisher: Nimbus Publishing, 2009

ISBN-10: 1551096242

ISBN-13: 978-1551096247