Nautical units of distance

The fathom

Admiralty Chart No 1353 Diamond Point to One Fathom Bank, Published 1952.A fathom is a nautical unit of measurement equal to 6 feet (1.8288 m), historically used for measuring the depth of water. The word derives, via the Middle English word fathme, from the Old English word fæðm, which is cognate with the Danish word favn, meaning a ‘pair of outstretched arms’. A burial at sea officially requires a minimum of six fathoms of water, probably being the origin of the phrase ‘to deep six’ as meaning to discard, or dispose of something. The phrase is echoed in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, where Ariel tells Ferdinand, ‘Full fathom five thy father lies’, which means his body is lost deep at sea.

Henry Jennings

'Henry Jennings from the Netflex documantary The Lost Pirate Kingdom, 2021.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.

The War of the Quadruple Alliance (1718-1720)

Philip V of Spain (1683-1746) by Jean Ranc in 1723.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.