Hedley--the site i included just below may be of some help to you. http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=board&r=rw&p=surnames.gow Dick McCoach -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [SCT~ROOTS] John GOW, pirate Resent-Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2001 11:36:48 -0600 Date: Thu, 12 Jul 2001 18:33:03 +0100 From: "Hedley Williams" <Hedley.Quent@btinternet.com> Hi All This is the first message to the group from a 75 year old pensioner no good at 'Windows'! I need help with verifying a story about a certain John GOW born Wick, Caithness c.1698 to William Gow and wife Margaret CALDER prosperous Stromness merchants. He is said to have become a pirate c.Nov 1724 and was finally executed 11 June 1725. This information is in a booklet sent to me by a distant relation in California which is entitled 'John Gow The Orkney Pirate' and published by the Caithness Field Club 1978. If there is a more local group please advise or transfer this message. Looking forward to hearing from anyone with any knowledge of the family of William Gow. Hedley Williams.