Millions of dollars in buried treasure remain hidden in the British Virgin Islands. In 1750, pirates stole 55 chests filled with silver coins from Spain's Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe and concealed the loot on Norman Island and Tortola. Despite numerous attempts over the centuries, only a fraction of the treasure has been recovered.
The Virgin Islands are steeped in a colorful history of pirate lore, home to infamous pirates like Blackbeard, Calico Jack, and Captain William Kidd. One of the most well-documented tales involves Captain Owen Lloyd and his crew, who buried stolen treasure on Norman Island and Tortola. Today, Norman Island is a popular stop on British Virgin Islands (BVI) boat tours.
In 1750, the Spanish treasure galleon Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe sought refuge from a storm at Ocracoke, North Carolina. The ship, laden with silver bars, was severely damaged. While Captain Bonilla dealt with taxation issues in Cape Fear, two pirate ships seized the opportunity to steal the silver. One ship failed to escape the harbor, but the other, captained by Owen Lloyd, successfully fled.
Captain Lloyd, well-acquainted with the Virgin Islands, headed for Norman Island to divide the loot. After three weeks at sea, Lloyd and his crew arrived with a cargo manifest that included:
The cargo was valued at $200,000 at the time, equivalent to tens of millions today.
Lloyd and his crew buried the treasure on Norman Island and possibly Tortola before sailing to St. Thomas to clear customs. However, Lloyd made a critical error by leaving three crew members behind to finish burying and guarding the treasure. These crew members were not discreet, and soon the story spread among Tortola residents, who swarmed Norman Island to dig up the treasure. Eventually, the pirates were captured and jailed, and only a small portion of the treasure was recovered.
Since then, many have attempted to recover the remaining treasure with limited success. In the 1900s, a group of English treasure hunters formed the "Norman Island Treasure Company" and used large charges of gunpowder to blast holes in the island, but they found nothing. Their activities inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's novel "Treasure Island."
Part of the booty was discovered by Gilbert Fleming, the acting Lieutenant General of the Leeward Islands. He commissioned two companies of soldiers to search Tortola and Norman Island. A proclamation was issued stating that the treasure would be returned to Spain, with the finder receiving a one-third share as a finder's fee. Some treasure was found, but only a portion of what was listed on the cargo manifest.
Rumor has it that a descendant of a poor local family named Creque found one of the treasure chests in a cave on Norman Island during a storm. The Creque family later became significant landowners on St. Thomas and St. John, with no other explanation for their newfound wealth. Today, Creque’s Alley is a well-known shopping area in downtown Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas.
The Virgin Islands still hold millions of dollars worth of undiscovered buried treasure, waiting to be found. Want to retrace the pirates’ footsteps or even try to find a little of that treasure for yourself? Visit Norman Island, Tortola, Dead Chest Island, Sandy Spit, and more with a BVI boat tour, or consider St. Thomas boat rentals to explore the islands that many believe still hold the gold.
The British Virgin Islands offer a tantalizing blend of history, adventure, and mystery. Whether you're a history buff, a treasure hunter, or simply looking for a unique travel experience, the allure of buried pirate treasure adds an exciting dimension to these beautiful islands.
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