Black Sam Bellamy

“They vilify us, the scoundrels do, when there is only this difference, they rob the poor under the cover of law, forsooth, and we plunder the rich under the protection of our own courage.” speech attributed to Samuel Bellamy in Captain Johnson’s A History of the Pyrates

Sam Bellamy - painting commissioned by Gregory Manchess to illustrate the National Geographic exhibition Real Pirates: The Untold Story of The Whydah, from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship.Much admired by some, Samuel Bellamy was sometimes referred to as the Robin Hood of the sea, although there is no evidence of him giving to the poor as did the mythic hero of Sherwood Forest. Bellamy is viewed as one of the most successful pirates of his time, although his pirating career lasted little over a year. He is said to have treated captives well in comparison to many of his contemporaries, but was not averse to forcing men to serve in his crew, especially carpenters. He was apparently called Black Sam because he didn’t want to wear a wig, preferring his long black hair to flow free.…

Batten down the hatches

To make preparations for an approaching difficult situation. This nautical term originally meant to close off the entrances to the lower part of a ship using tarpaulins secured with wooden battens in preparation for impending bad weather conditions. The hatches were designed with wood grating to promote fresh air circulation below deck and needed to be covered in bad weather to keep the interiors dry.

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The 1692 Port Royal Earthquake

“…the great Calamity that hath befallen this Island by a terrible Earthquake, on the 7th instant, which hath thrown down almost all the Houses, Churches, Sugar-Works, Mills and Bridges, through the whole Country. It tore the Rocks and Mountains, destroyed some whole Plantations, and threw them into the Sea, Port-Royal had much the greatest share in this terrible Judgement of God.” – Dr. Emmanuel Heath, Anglican rector of St. Paul’s Church, Port Royal

Sunken Pirate City of Port Royal (1692).In 1692, Port Royal was the main British base in Caribbean, which had been captured from the Spanish in 1655. The town became a thriving centre of trade and privateering, but by 1692 the focus had shifted to the cultivation of tobacco and sugar cane with an increased growth in the slave trade. Port Royal was built on a peninsula off the coast of Jamaica across from present-day Kingston and was religiously and culturally very diverse. At its height in 1692, the population of the town is estimated to have exceeded 6500 inhabitants, of which about 2500 were slaves.…

Loose Cannon

This phrase is used to describe someone who is unstable, unpredictable, or uncontrollable. This term has its roots in Naval warfare in the Age of Sail. Due to their weight the cannons on a sailing ship, which were generally referred to as guns, were secured to prevent them from moving about with the waves of the sea or to prevent damage from the enormous recoil when fired. A cannon that had become loose of its restraints and was rolling dangerously about the deck could cause immense damage to the vessel and crew.

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Charles Vane

“All the Pyrates who were found at this Colony of Rogues, submitted, and received Certificates of their Pardon except Captain Vane and his Crew, who, as soon as they saw the Men of War enter, slipp’d their Cable, set Fire to a Prize they had in the Harbour, and sailed out with their pyratical Colours flying, firing at one of the Men of War as they went off.” – Captain Charles Johnson, A General History of the Pyrates

Little is known about Charles Vane’s his early life, except that he was a sailor from Port Royal, although not believed have been born there. He is thought to have been born about 1690, probably in England. He was an outspoken Jacobite, who served as a privateer under Henry Jennings, in 1716 helping him to secure the gold from the Spanish treasure fleet that had sunk off the coast of Florida in a storm.…