Adventures, Debauchery, and Villainy of Jose Gaspar., A Tampa Treasure

If Only the Stories Weren't False, They Would Make a Heck of a Fine Festival. Oh Yeah, They Already Do

One of the nice things about AC is the section on the Home Page with "Undiscovered articles" which are often overlooked treasures. I was reading Susan Payton's article on Central Florida attractions and noted her remarks about Jose Gaspar, a legend on the west coast of Florida. Gaspar deserves more than a passing mention; even if a fraction of the stories are true, his life was quite a tale. Unfortunately, dear old Jose is likely a fiction drummed up by the shakers and movers of Tampa in order to drum up business. And that's a darn shame! Because the fables are interesting, enduring and have all the excitement of the "good old days" when pirates roamed the seas.

Romance, Pirates, Women taken Hostage, Adventure on the seas.

For more than a century, the legend of Jose Gaspar, the "last of the buccaneers", has conjured up visions of adventure, treasure and furious sea battles. Jose Gaspar, a respected, Spanish naval officer who turned pirate, stills inspires that annual Gasparilla festival in Tampa, Florida.

Examining the legend of Gasparilla (as he called himself) is an exercise in itself. There is no single, reliable source of information. Multiple, often conflicting, stories exist about the pirate, his victories, and even his death. One of the more common versions is that he was born in Spain near Seville in 1756. Gaspar was from an upper-class family and, allegedly, possessed a cultured, gallant personality. However, despite his aristocratic upbringing, Gaspar was a bit of a rogue. At age 12, he kidnapped a young local girl and held her for ransom. He was captured and the judge gave him the choice of entering the Royal Spanish Naval Academy or going to jail. He chose a life at sea over a stint in the not very pleasant jail.

Once in the Navy, Gaspar demonstrated great skills in tactics and weaponry. He displayed bravery and cunning in battle. He rose through the ranks, becoming a lieutenant, a captain, and then an admiral of the Atlantic Fleet before becoming a naval attaché at the Court of Charles III in 1782. He was 27 years old.