Although a Bourbon king, Philip V, took the throne of Spain after the War of Spanish Succession came to an end, Spain had been forced to give up territory in Italy and the Spanish Netherlands under the 1713 Peace of Utrecht. In 1718, the Spanish wanted to recover some of that lost land. As a result, the conflict known as the War of the Quadruple Alliance broke out between Spain and a coalition consisting of Great Britain, France, and Savoy, later joined by Austria after they had signed peace with the Ottomans. The Dutch Republic also joined the coalition in 1719. The war took place mainly in Sicily and northern Spain with some minor engagements in North America. Additionally, the Spanish supported Jacobite rising of 1719 in Scotland, which is considered to be a part of this conflict.
Stede Bonnet
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.…
Lost Spanish treasure fleet 1715
On 31st July 1715 a Spanish treasure fleet sank during a hurricane off the east coast of Florida. It was a catastrophe for the Spanish Crown, which was heavily relying on its cargo. The galleons were fully loaded with precious cargoes of gold, silver, jewellery, tobacco, spices, indigo, cochineal etc. The Spanish government was relying its the safe arrival, as the War of Spanish Succession, which had hindered the sailing of the treasure fleets, had just come to an end. For obvious reasons, this disaster awoke the interest of pirates, privateers, and honest seamen alike.
The Spanish treasure fleets
Treasure fleets consisting of a dozen or more ships used to sail from Cádiz or Seville in Spain, bringing European goods not readily available in the New World to the colonies with the aim of returning with gold, silver and other goods from Peru and Colombia, as well as spices and other items from south east Asia, brought across the Pacific by the Manila Galleon, which was then transported by mule train across the isthmus of Panama.…