The Nine Years’ War, which took place from 1688-1697, was also known as the war of the Grand Alliance, or King William’s War in the Americas. The Grand Alliance was formed by England, the Dutch Republic, and the Grand Duchy of Austria, later to be joined by others, including Spain and Savoy, to oppose Louis XIV’s expansionism on the Rhine and in northern Italy. Louis XIV’s anti-protestant policies, in particular the persecution of the French Huguenots, also made him unpopular with protestant rulers in Europe. This war also sometimes mistakenly referred to as the War of the League of Augsburg after the coalition formed in 1686 by Emperor Leopold I, the kings of Sweden and Spain, and the electors of Bavaria, Saxony, and the Palatinate against the increasing French threat. Louis XIV also made himself unpopular in England by lending his support to the Jacobite cause of the deposed James II of England, attempting to instigate a Catholic crusade to restore James to the throne.…
Author: savage
Bartholomew Roberts
This flag depicts Bartholomew Roberts holding a sword while standing on two skulls: under one is written ABH, under the other AMH, standing for a Barbadian’s Head and A Martinican’s head respectively. Later he is depicted as holding a flaming sword. It is said to portray Robert’s animosity towards those two islands after their governors attempted to capture him. The only evidence for this flag is A General History of the Pyrates, depicted with the cross of St. George in top right corner in the first edition. ‘… a Man pourtrayed [sic] in it, with a flaming Sword in his hand, and standing on two Skulls, subscribed A.B.H. And A.M.H.’
Calico Jack Rackham
Rackham’s true first name was John, Jack being a nickname for John, said to have originated from the Middle English variation of John, which was commonly pronounced as ‘Jankin’ or ‘Jackin’, over time being shortened to ‘Jack’. His surname is usually spelt Rackham, although other spellings appeared in sources of in a time before spelling was standardized, such as Rackam, Rackum, Racum, or even Racan. The nickname ‘Calico Jack’ first appeared in the 1728 edition of Charles Johnson’s A General History of the Pyrates. It has been claimed he was born in Bristol, England, in 1682, but there is no surviving evidence of this. He is often considered as having been one of the least successful pirates of the Golden Age, only having captured fourteen vessels over a short period, seven of which were fishing boats, one a canoe, the others small trading vessels, obtaing no more than £1400 in plunder.…
Black Sam Bellamy II
One of two flags reported to have been flown by Black Sam Bellamy, known as the Robin hood of pirates, according to an eyewitness account in the Weekly Journal of London. It was possibly flown during Bellamy’s time in command of the Whydah Gally. “… when they began any Attack they spread a back Ensign, with Death holding an Hour-Glass in one hand and a trumpet in the other.” Weekly Journal, July 1717
Pipe down
A request to be quiet or call for silence. On sailing the boatswain’s pipe was used as a tool to communicate with the ship’s crew. One such signal was ‘piping down the hammocks’ which was the signal to go below decks and retire for the night. When an officer wanted a sailor to be dismissed below he would have him ‘piped down’. Possibly also used to call sailors to silence so they could hear the commands of the officers.