Hendrick Quintor was born in 1692. Probably the son of a sailor, Quintor spent most of his life at sea. Working on a Spanish vessel in the Caribbean, he was captured by a pirate crew that included the young Samuel Bellamy. Quintor joined the pirates and served on the Mary Anne in Samuel Bellamy's pirate fleet. He earned a reputation as one of the toughest men in the bunch. His support helped Bellamy become the pirates' new leader.

Quintor was not aboard the Whydah when she sank in 1717. That sounds lucky but wasn't. 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.