“After an hour or so of frantic prancing and gyrating some of the pirates decided to take a rest from the strenuous physical activity and sat to one side singing an old seaman’s song known as Spanish Ladies.”
Spanish Ladies is a traditional British naval song, describing a voyage from Spain to the Downs from the viewpoint of naval ratings. It is believed to have been inspired when the Royal Navy carried supplies to Spain to aid its resistance to revolutionary France during the War of the First Coalition, which took place from 1793 to 96. Spending a lot of time in Spain during this period it seems many British sailors managed to obtain Spanish wives and lovers, who they either didn’t want to or weren’t able to bring home to England when the war ended.
The Piracy Act 1717 was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain. Its long title was “An Act for the further preventing Robbery, Burglary, and other Felonies, and for the more effectual Transportation of Felons, and unlawful Exporters of Wool; and for declaring the Law upon some Points relating to Pirates.”
Although not the most well-known pirate captain, Edward England was considered important enough to receive his own chapter in Charles Johnson’s