Category: 1700 to 1718

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.…

“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

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.…

“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.…

Benjamin Hornigold is famous for founding the ‘Pirate Republic’ and ‘The Flying Gang’ of Nassau, but probably even more so for betraying the pirate cause. He is said to have been born around 1660 and little is known of his early life. It is thought to have been born in Norfolk, England, although other claims include Jamaica. He might have been married to Sarah Norris in England in 1679, but her fate is unknown. Hornigold was a privateer in The Spanish War of Succession, and later claimed he was continuing this conflict rather than committing acts of piracy. He had a puritan background and was a known patriot, constantly refusing to attack British and Dutch ships. He was also reluctant to take lives and generally treated his captives well.

Hornigold the pirate

Hornigold left Port Royal, Jamaica for Nassau in 1713, starting out in two piraguas, the second captained by John West.…

Most of the information we have available to us about the infamous and mysterious pirate known as Blackbeard is somewhat unreliable. Due to his estimated age when he met his death of between 35 and 40 years old, it is believed he was born circa 1680. What is certain is the date died – 22 November 1718. He was commonly known as Edward Teach or Thatch, but other spellings of his name include Thach, Thack, Tack, and Theach, but all these names might have been pseudonyms he used in order to protect the family name. The name Teach was mentioned in the Boston News-Letter of the time, but it may have been a spelling error. Other sources use the name Thatch, especially those who knew him personally. He was described by Henry Bostock, captain of the merchant sloop Margaret, which was taken off Crab Island near Anguilla, as being tall and thin and possessed of an immense black beard.…