A bustling shipping hub in southeastern Jamaica, Port Royal was founded by the Spanish in 1518 and captured by the English in 1655. It was a popular homeport for the English and Dutch-sponsored privateers to spend their treasure during the 17th century. ". By 1690, Port Royal was as large and important a town as Boston, and many of … But once, in 1703, more it was destroyed–this time by fire. Because it was a rough-and-tumble outpost, Port Royal had a loose attitude towards religions, and soon was home to Anglicans, Jews, Quakers, Puritans, Presbyterians, and Catholics. However, on July 1, Churchill was finally able to get the backing of the War Cabinet to sink the ships if they would not be surrendered. He feared such aggression would inspire the French to keep fighting. Port Royal Jamaica (Post 1692) After the 1692 earthquake, some persons decided to rebuild while the majority migrated to Kingston. Some 28 years later, another fire laid waste upon this town, and then again in 1774 another storm did the exact same as those before it. Jamaica: A sunken treasure of Port Royal's pirate past Diana Preston explores Port Royal, the 'wickedest city in the world' until it was all but swept it into the sea As a port city, it was notorious for its gaudy displays of wealth and loose morals. Today Port Royal is known as small and quiet fishing village with not much activity besides their annual seafood festival, Gloria Restaurants and Morgan’s Harbour Hotel. Pirates and privateers flocked to … Hitler treaded lightly concerning the ships and did not push for full ownership. Hurricanes in 1712, 1722 and 1726 ensured that Port Royal would never again rise to its former glory, as all the merchants shifted across the harbour to settle in Kingston, a less healthy, but safer site than Port Royal. Then in 1722, Port Royal was hit by a tremendous storm and flooded. An Italian container ship bound for Brazil while carrying some 2,000 cars including some three dozen Porsches caught fire and sank in the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of France last week. Many years later, the residents of Port Royal tried to rebuild the city. Port Royal was once home to privateers who were encouraged to attack Habsburg Spain's vessels at a time when smaller European powers dared not make war on Spain directly. Hitler's concerns were not known to Britain. Discover Sunken Pirate City at Port Royal in Port Royal, Jamaica: Nature took her revenge on the "Wickedest City in the World.