Category: Famous pirates

Although Henry Morgan is often called a pirate, he was really more of a privateer and soldier, only attacking the Spanish and usually not without a commission. At lot of information about Morgan comes from Alexander Exquemelin, who sailed with him as a surgeon. Most of this information was not very flattering, generally portraying the buccaneer leader in a negative light and accusing him of deeds that were not necessarily true. Among other things, Exquemelin claimed that Morgan was born poor and became an indentured servant in the Caribbean, but he in fact he more likely came from a family of wealthy Welsh farmers. One of his uncles, Edward Morgan, was even Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. He was born Harri Morgan in about 1635 in either Llanrumney or Pencarn in the then Welsh county of Monmouthshire. His name was first anglicised to Henry when he was knighted in 1674. However, not much else is known about his early life.…

Henry Jennings was an unusual pirate, being a wealthy landowner with estates in both Bermuda and Jamaica. His family were well established on Bermuda, living in Flatts Village in the Hamilton Parish of the island. Little is known of his early life except that he was a privateer during the Spanish War of Succession operating out of Jamaica, where he developed a close relationship with Governor Archibald Hamilton. At times he could be cruel and self-serving. He was also believed to be a supporter of the Jacobite cause. He was later based in Nassau after turning from privateering to piracy, becoming a mentor to Charles Vane and an adversary to Benjamin Hornigold.

Stede Bonnet is sometimes referred to as ‘The Gentleman Pirate’. Historically, he has often been viewed as more of a comical or tragic figure, who wasn’t always taken seriously. This image was probably fuelled by his inexperience in matters of seamanship. He was a descendant of Oliver Cromwell and a distant relative of Woodes Rogers. Born on Barbados in about 1688 and his parents, Edward and Sarah Bonnet, owned an estate of over 400 acres south-east of Bridgetown, which he inherited in 1694. He was well-educated and gained the rank of major in the Barbadian militia, although there is no record he was ever involved in any combat. He was made a justice of the peace a year before he turned to piracy. He married Mary Allamby in November 1709 and had three sons and a daughter with her. It has been speculated that he suffered from depression or some other sort of mental disorder, possibly caused by the death of his eldest son in 1715.…

The explorer and privateer Sir Francis Drake was one of the most famous English historical personalities, best known for circumnavigating of the world and playing an important role in defeating the Spanish Armada. To the Spanish he was an infamous pirate known as El Draque (The Dragon in old Spanish), but to the English he was a national hero. He was born in about 1540 in Tavistock near Plymouth, Devon, but grew up in Kent. He was the oldest of twelve boys and his father, Edmund Drake, was a preacher. At the age of twelve Drake became an apprentice to the master of a small freight vessel, which he later inherited. Not satisfied with the life of a coastal trader, he sold the vessel and returned to Plymouth, where he had contacts – John and William Hawkins, who were possibly his cousins. He sought employment on their voyages. Drake married Mary Newman in 1569, but not much is known about her.…

“In an honest service there is thin commons, low wages, and hard labour. In this, plenty and satiety, pleasure and ease, liberty and power; and who would not balance creditor on this side, when all the hazard that is run for it, at worst is only a sour look or two at choking? No, a merry life and a short one shall be my motto.”

 A General History of the Pyrates (1724)

Active between 1719 and 1722, Bartholomew Roberts is viewed as being one of the most successful pirates, when judged by the amount of vessels captured. It is thought he took as many as 470 vessels, albeit the half of them being fishing boats. Born with the Christian name John, it is unsure why he took the name Bartholomew. Some say he adopted the name in reference to the legendary buccaneer Bartholomew Sharp, others say in order to hide his true identity.…