Buccaneers: The original Pirate
The word Buccaneer derives from “Boucan”. Carib Indians invented this wooden device to cook meat over fire by turning a handle. Many historians believe the original Buccaneers were not pirates but hunters of wild cattle and pig. This device, the “Boucan” gave rise to the name "Buccaneer". Trouble with the Spaniards led the Buccaneers to turn to piracy. Initially they seized only small boats, but later they attacked and plundered even the largest Spanish ships. Later on in the days of Captain Morgan, a Buccaneer was called a person who raided foreign ships on behalf of a Government or King. A letter of “Marque” (license to raid & plunder) made a pirate a Buccaneer.
Sharing the Spoils

A great deal has been written about the fabulous amount of booty taken by the buccaneers. These reports are greatly exaggerated. Such plunder as was taken was shared out promptly according to the article signed by every buccaneer. Theft and trickery was punished by death. Most buccaneers gambled and drunk their money away. Had any Captain attempted to bury the treasure he would not have survived for long.

Marooned  

To be marooned was one of the penalties imposed on a pirate caught stealing from his fellows. Often the culprit was put ashore on a low island, which was covered by water at high tide. Such victims would be given a bottle of rum and a pistol with one bullet only. Very infrequently they were rescued.


Buccaneers “Boarding”

To board another vessel the pirate ship would run alongside and fasten the opponent with grappling hooks. Naturally the pirate preferred the merchant ship to surrender to their threats or gun fire. If a merchant ship showed resistance the pirate would often hoist the “No Quarter” flag and butcher the entire crew.




Jolly Roger or Pirate Flag

The French pirate Emmanuel Wayne first used the Jolly Roger in 1700, when he engaged the “HMS Poole” of Santiago. The blood red “No Quarter” flag was equally dreaded. Early Jolly Rogers featured mostly some kind of skeleton holding a sword or pike, later they adapted to the cross bones.
      


Famous Pirates & Buccaneers~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Grace O'Malley:    Grace O'Malley (also called Granuaile) was a famous pirate, seafarer, trader and chieftain in Ireland in the 1500's. She was born in 1530 in County Mayo, Ireland and was the daughter of sea captain Owen O'Malley. As a young child, Grace always knew she wanted to be a sailor but as a female, she was discouraged repeatedly. Female PirateExtremely upset when her father refused to take her on a sailing trip, legend has it Grace cut off all her hair and dressed in boys clothes to prove to her parents that she could handle the trip and live a seafarer's life. Seeing this, her father and brother laughed aloud and nicknamed her "Grainne Mhaol" meaning "Bald Grace" (which is believed to have led to her nickname "Granuaile.") Eventually, through her persistence, she was allowed to go to sea with her father and his fleet of ships.

As a child, Grace often sailed with her father on trading missions overseas. Once, upon returning from a trip to Spain, their ship was attacked by an English vessel. Grace had been instructed by her father to hide below deck if they ever were attacked, but she did not heed his advise. Instead she climbed up onto the sail rigging. Watching the battle from above, she noticed an English pirate sneaking up on her father, raising a dagger behind his back! The brave Granuaile leapt off of the rigging, through the air and onto the pirate's back.... screaming all the while! The distraction this caused was enough for the O'Malleys to regain control of the ship and defeat the English pirates.

She spent her young life learning the ways of the sea and grew to be quite the sailor--eventually having her own fleet of ships. Gold pieceHer family had become wealthy mainly through fishing and trade, but in her later life, Grace took up piracy by taking on Turkish and Spanish pirate ships and even the English fleets. She grew her estate to include a fleet of ships as well as several islands and castles on the west coast of Ireland.

In her later years, Grace developed her reputation as a fearless leader through her efforts in battle along side her followers. Legend has it that Grace gave birth to one of her sons while out to sea. The very next day following the birth of the baby, the ship was attacked by Turkish pirates. Though exhausted from giving birth Grace grabbed a gun, went on deck and proceded to rally her men against the Turks, forcing their retreat.

Grace married two times in her life. Her first husband was Donal O'Flaherty who was the son of the chieftain of the O'Flaherty clan and next in line for the post as chieftain. Grace and Donal married when was about 16 years old.  Pirate FlagThe O'Flahertys were a seafaring people, much like the O'Malleys, so Grace was right at home with their clan. Over the course of their marriage, Grace learned more about seafaring from Donal and his clan and added to her knowledge of sailing and trading at sea. Grace was soon in charge of the O'Flaherty fleet of ships and ruled the waters surrounding their lands. Although it was unusual for a woman to lead men, Grace earned the respect of all who followed her through her shrewdness as well as her knowledge of sailing and bravery at sea. Her husband, Donal, had a reputation for being quite a "hot head" and his temper eventually cost him his life in battle against a rival clan. They were married for a total of nineteen years.

 Grace married her second husband, Richard Burke in an effort to strengthen her hold on the west coast area of Ireland. Since the death of Donal, she had built her empire to include five castles and several islands in Clew Bay, but needed Rockfleet castle in the northeast side of the bay to complete her stronghold on the area.

Legend has it that Grace travelled to the Castle Rockfleet, knocked on the door and proposed marriage to Richard for a period of one year. She explained that the union would enable both clans to withstand the impending invasion by the English (who were slowly taking over the Irish lands around them.) It is believed that after exactly one year, Grace said to Richard, "I release you," apparantly offering him the option to end the marriage, but he must have really fallen for the lovely Granuaile, because they remained married until he died some seventeen years later.

In 1593, after many difficult years fighting against the English and the capture of her brother and son by English forces, Queen ElizabethGrace visited Queen Elizabeth to make peace and ask for the release of her brother and son. Events leading up to the meeting between Grace and Queen Elizabeth had a significant impact on the meeting itself and Grace's behavior afterward.

Over Grace's lifetime, the English had taken over much of Ireland a peice at a time through a process called "Sumit and Regrant." The English would convince (or force) Clan leaders to submit their lands to the English and in return they were given an English title. Some Cheiftains surrendered, many rebelled-- Grace among the rebellious. She maintained her independence longer than most of the rest of Ireland, but in her later years, the pressure from English forces began to weigh heavily on her.

At 56 years old, Grace was captured by Sir Richard Bingham, a ruthless Governer appointed by the Queen to rule over the regranted territories. Soon after his appointment, Bingham sent guards to arrest Grace and have her hanged. Grace was apprehended and along with members of her clan, imprisoned and scheduled for execution. Determined to die with dignity, Grace held her head high as she awaited her execution. At the last minute, Grace's son-in-law offered himself as a hostage in exchange for the promise that Grace would never return to her rebellious ways. Bingham released Grace on this promise but was determined to keep her from power and make her suffer for her insurrection. Over the course of time, Bingham was responsible for taking away her cattle, forcing her into poverty, even plotting the murder of her eldest son, Owen.

During this period of Irish rebellion, the Spanish Armada was waging war against the English along the Irish and Scottish coastlines. It is not known whether Grace assisted the English against the Spanish or if she was merely protecting what little she had left-- but around 1588, Grace slaughtered hundreds of Spaniards on the ship of Don Pedro de Mendoza near the castle on Clare island. Even into her late 50's, Grace was fierce in battle.

In the early 1590's, Grace was still virtually pennyless thanks the constant efforts of Bingham to keep tight controls on her. There was a rather large rebellion brewing and Bingham feared that Grace would run to the aid of the rebels against the English. He wrote in a letter during this time that Grace was, "a notable traitoress and nurse to all rebellions in the province for 40 years."

Grace had written letters to the Queen demanding justice, but received no response. In 1593, her son Theobald and brother Donal-na-Piopa were arrested and thrown into prison. This was the final straw that prompted Grace to stop writing letters and go to London in person to request their release and ask for the Queen's help in regaining the lands and wealth that were rightfully hers.

Grace set sail and managed to avoid the English patrol boats that littered the seas between her homeland and London. The meeting took place in Greenwich Castle. The only record of this meeting that has survived are the lyrics to an old song that tell of Grace's presence in the court of the Queen:

No one really knows why Queen Elizabeth agreed to meet with Grace (let alone why she did not have her executed or imprisoned). Grace was fluent in Latin and thus was able to converse freely with the Queen. Grace explained that her actions in the past were not rebellion but rather acts of self-defense. She told of how her rightful inheritance from both husbands' deaths were wrongfully withheld from her and asked for them to be returned. She also asked for the release of her son and brother. In return for all of this, Grace agreed to use her strength and leadership to defend the Queen against her enemies by land and by sea.

The Queen agreed and Grace returned to Ireland and demanded Bingham release her son and brother and return her assets by order of the Queen. Bingham did release the two captives, but never did restore Grace her rightful possessions.

One interesting story is also worth noting. This allegedly occured during Grace's meeting with the Queen in England. It is said that during the meeting, Grace sneezed in the presence of the Queen and her lords and ladies. A member of the court, in an act of politeness, handed Grace an attractive and expensive lace handkerchief. She took the delicate cloth and proceded to blow her nose loudly then tossed the kerchief into a blazing fireplace. The members of the court were aghast that she would be so rude to toss an expensive gift so easily into the fire. The Queen then scolded her and said that the handkerchief was meant as a gift and should have been put into her pocket. Grace replied that the Irish would never put a soiled garment into their pocket and apparantly had a higher standard of cleanliness. After a period of uncomfortable silence, (during which the members of the court expected the Queen to have Grace executed for her rude behavior) nervous then roaring laughter followed. The Queen was amused. Cross

Granuaile was known as a fearless leader and fierce fighter. In her 70 years of life, she and her family saw the English rule spreading throughout Ireland, but through her strength and leadership saw that her clan and those around her were mostly unaffected by it. It is said that from the year of her death in 1603 and onward, that no Irish chieftain had been able to preserve the old Gaelic way of life as Granuaile and her family had done in her lifetime.

Black Anne Bonney     Anne was born in Ireland as the illegitimate child of a well known lawyer and his chamber maid. Because of this scandal Anne's father William Cormac had to leave England and he moved with his daughter to Charleston, South Carolina. From birth on Anne was cursed with a bad tember, one time stabbing a servant girl with a table knife. Still in her teens Anne married James Bonney a penniless idler, with him she moved to New Providence, Bahamas.

James took her to a pirates' lair in New Providence in the Bahamas, but in 1718, when Bahamian Governor Woodes Rogers offered the King's pardon to any pirate, James turned informant. Anne was disgusted with his cowardice and soon after, she met and fell in love with the swaggering pirate Captain Jack Rackham. Disguising herself as a male, she began sailing with him on his sloop Vanity, with its famous skull-and-crossed-daggers flag, preying on Spanish treasure ships off Cuba and Hispaniola. It is reported that she became pregnant by Jack and retired from piracy only long enough to have her baby and leave it with friends in Cuba before rejoining him and her adventurous life on the high seas.  On voyage they boarded and plundered a English Vessel, AL lof the crew agreed to join the crew or dies, One sailor Fought them to a standstill and finally upon convinving by Jack Rakham agreed to put down his sword and join the crew. A friendship grew between this man and Anne which Jack became jealous of, then one night in a drunken rage found them in his quarters and threaten to kill him, until he stripped off his shirt exposing his Breasts, He was a she, named Mary Read.

Mary Read was born at Plymouth, England, about 1690. Her mother's husband was a sea-faring man who left on a long voyage and was never heard from again. He'd left his wife pregnant and she gave birth to a sickly male child who died soon after the illegitimate birth of his half-sister, Mary. The mother waited years for her husband to return and when her money ran out, she took Mary to London to appeal to her mother-in-law for financial help. She knew this old woman disliked girls, so she dressed Mary in boy's clothes and made her pretend to be her son. The mother-in-law was fooled and promised a crown a week to help support them. Mary continued to masquerade as a boy for many years, even after the old woman died and the financial aid ended.

Then a teenager, Mary was hired out as a footboy to a French woman. But according to history, "here she did not live long, for growing bold and strong, and having also a roving mind, she entered herself on board a man-of-war, where she served some time; then quitted it." Still disguised as a male, she enlisted in a foot regiment in Flanders and later a horse regiment, serving in both with distinction. She fell in love with a fellow soldier, disclosed her true sex, and began dressing as a female. After their marriage, she and her husband became innkeepers, owning the Three Horseshoes near the castle of Breda in Holland. Unfortunately, he died young and her fortunes soon dwindled.

She knew that life in the 1700s was much easier as a man than as a woman, so she reverted back to men's clothing and started her life over, this time going to sea on a Dutch merchant ship heading to the Caribbean. On one voyage, the ship was commandeered by English pirates with whom she sailed and fought until they accepted the King's pardon in 1718 and began operating as privateers. Soon afterwards, their ship was overtaken by Captain Jack Rackham's Vanity and, bored of the legitimate life, she again turned pirate. Anne Bonney was already part of Rackham's crew, and she and Mary quickly discovered each other's cross-dressing secret and became close friends. Despite her tough exterior, Mary found a lover on board and is said to have saved his life by protecting him from a threatened duel. She picked a fight with his opponent first and, with deadly use of her sword and pistol, ended his life before he could harm her husband-to-be.

Both Anne and Mary were known for their violent tempers and ferocious fighting, and they shared a reputation as "fierce hell cats." Their fellow crewmembers knew that -- in times of action -- no one else was as ruthless and bloodthirsty as these two women were. Captain Jack, nicknamed "Calico Jack" for his love of colorful cotton clothing, was a well-known pirate in those days, but his reputation has survived through the ages primarily because of these two infamous women pirates on his crew.

In late October 1720, Rackkam's ship was anchored off Point Negril, Jamaica, the pirates celebrating recent victories in their typical hard-drinking tradition. Suddenly a British Navy sloop -- the man-o-war Albion, headed by Captain Jonathan Barnet -- surprised them. The drunken male pirates quickly hid below deck, leaving only Anne and Mary to defend their ship. The women yelled at their pirate mates to "come up, you cowards, and fight like men," and then angrily raged against them, killing one and wounding several others. But the women were eventually overwhelmed by the British Navy, and the entire crew was captured and taken to Jamaica to stand trial.

Captain Jack and the male members of his crew were tried on November 16, 1720, and were sentenced to hang. Anne was allowed to visit her lover in his cell before his execution, and instead of the consoling, loving words he was undoubtedly expecting, her scathing comments live on throughout history: "Had you fought like a man, you need not have been hang'd like a dog."

Anne and Mary were tried one week after Rackham's death and were also found guilty. But at their sentencing, when asked by the judge if they had anything to say, they replied, "Mi'lord, we plead our bellies." Both were pregnant, and since British law forbade killing an unborn child, their sentences were stayed temporarily.

Mary is said to have died of a violent fever in the Spanish Town prison in 1721, before the birth of her child. Other reports say she feigned death and was sneaked out of the prison under a shroud.

No record of Anne's execution has ever been found. Some say that her wealthy father bought her release after the birth of her child and she settled down to a quiet family life on a small Caribbean island. Others believe that she lived out her life in the south of England, owning a tavern where she regaled the locals with tales of her exploits.

And yet others say Anne and Mary moved to Louisiana where they raised their children together and were friends to the ends of their lives

Sir Henry Morgan  Born in 1635, a Welshman, he made his name as a privateer in the West Indies, proving his qualities by his attack on Panama. He became Governor of Jamaica and according to his enemies led a double life. Despite the accusations made against him he was an able and popular governor.

Capn' William Kidd  Captain Kidd went to sea in his youth and later settled in New York, where he married and owned property. In 1691 he was rewarded for his services against French privateers. While in London in 1695 he was commissioned by the "Earl of Bellomont", recently appointed governor of New York, as a privateer to defend English ships from pirates in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. In 1696, Kidd set sail for New York and from there to Madagascar. Disease, mutiny, and failure to take prizes apparently caused him to turn pirate. Returning in 1699 to the West Indies with his richest prize, the "Quedah Merchant", he learned of piracy charges against him. He sailed to New York to clear himself by claiming that the vessels he had attacked were lawful prizes. He was arrested and taken to London, where in 1701 he was tried on five charges of piracy and one of murder. The trial was complicated by the fact that four Whig peers who had backed him were politically embarrassed by his career. He was convicted and hanged. The barbaric cruelty and buried treasure of Captain Kidd are unsubstantiated bits of the legends about him.
Blackbeard 

Blackbeard was also known as Edward Teach or Thatch. He probably began as a privateer in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-14), then turned pirate. In 1716-18 he preyed on shipping and coastal settlements of the West Indies and the Atlantic coast of North America, becoming notorious for cruelty. Blackbeard captured a French slave ship that he rearmed with 40 guns and renamed the "Queen Anne's Revenge". His initial base was in the Bahamas; he moved to the Carolinas after Governor Woodes Rogers ran all the pirates out of the Bahamas. The governor of North Carolina shared some of the booty, and provided Blackbeard some immunity from prosecution. For a period, Blackbeard sailed with Stede Bonnet, perhaps with Bonnet as his prisoner. In May 1718, Blackbeard blockaded the port of Charleston, capturing eight vessels. He returned to North Carolina but lost the Queen on a sandbar at Beaufort Inlet. In November 1718 the governor of Virginia sent two Royal Navy ships commanded by Lieutenant Robert Maynard to hunt Blackbeard down. Maynard chased Blackbeard down near Ocracoke Inlet, and Blackbeard's boarded Maynard's ship. A fierce hand-to-hand battle ensued and Blackbeard was killed. A charismatic leader, Blackbeard was also noted for his cruelty and larger-than-life image, enhanced by his wild beard braided with slow burning fuses.
Edward England  

Edward England started out as a legitimate sailor working on a merchant ship. Pirates captured his ship and took it to the Bahamas. There he chose to join their ranks avancing soon to a pirate captain. The british Navy under the orders of Governor Woodes Rogers drove him and other pirates in 1718 from the Islands. England first ventured to the west coast of Africa capturing several ships and sailed on to the Indian Ocean seeking more prizes there. In 1720, England captured the English ship "Cassandra" following a heavy sea battle. The Cassandra’s crew beached their ship and fled into the Madagascar jungle after the battle, only surrendering to the pirates after several days on the run. For their bravery he released the crew unharmed. Daniel Dafoe wroteabout him. "He had a great deal good nature and was always adversed to the ill usage prisoners received". But this unusual kindness also proofed to be his downfall. His crew revolted and left England alone off a little island off the coast of Madagascar. After much hardship he reached the main island where he lived as a beggar. He never managed to leave Madagascar and died there a poor man.
Henry Every 

Henry Every started his pirate career in 1694 as a slave trader for the pirate. He served as the first mate on a privateer in the Bahamas, then led a mutiny against his captain when the captain was drunk. Every then sailed his ship to the west coast of Africa, then moved east to prey on shipping in the waters north of Madagascar. Every quickly captured four ships, three of them English. In 1695 he sailed into the Red Sea and lay in wait there for the annual treasure fleet that sailed from India to Arabia and back. Every attacked the fleet capturing two ships, the "Fateh Mohammed" and the "Gang-I-sawai". Both were the main treasure ships of the entire fleet, and the booty amounted to over 100 Million Dollars. With this unbelievable treasure Every and his crew sailed back to the Bahamas. From there on Henry Every was never seen nor heard of ever again. Unlike his fellow pirates he ended his days happy as a very wealthy mean and should be considered one of the most successful pirates ever.
Thomas Tew 

Thomas Tew began his career as a privateer in the Caribbean in 1690. Granted a Letter of Marque by the British government authorizing him to attack French shipping, he sailed to West Africa in 1690. However, a storm upset this plan and Tew and his crew turned from legitimate privateering to piracy. Tew quickly captured an Arab ship on the Red Sea, netting an impressive treasure worth up to 3,000 pounds for each man aboard his ship. Tew then sailed to his home of Newport, Rhode Island, where he was celebrated for his fortune and swashbuckling adventure tales. In 1694, Tew obtained a new Letter of Marque and sailed again for the Indian Ocean. By 1696 he was regarded as a notorious pirate, and Tew was specifically listed as one of the pirates that Captain Kidd was sent to hunt down. However, before Kidd could track him down, Tew sailed again to the Red Sea and attacked another Arab vessel but his one put up a fight, and Tew was killed by a cannon ball.
Bartholomew Roberts (Black Bart) 

Bartholomew Roberts began his career as a mate on Howell Davis' ship. When Davis was killed, Roberts was elected captain, and began a very successful pirate career. Roberts began his hunting off the coast of Brazil, moving north to Newfoundland in 1720. Sailing back down the American coast, he reached the Caribbean in the summer of 1720, capturing 15 British, French and Dutch vessels. By the spring of 1721 Roberts left the West Indies behind, following a six-month spree during which he captured over 100 ships. Arriving at the West African coast, Roberts preyed on slave ships. In February 1722, British warships closed on Roberts' ships, capturing one and engaging Roberts' flagship "Royal Fortune" in battle. Roberts was killed instantly in a broadside of grapeshot, and his crew threw his body overboard to avoid the corpse being captured. The surviving pirates surrendered after a three hour battle. Most were hanged at Cape Coast Castle.
Stede Bonnet

Stede Bonnet was apparently a gentleman and plantation owner on Barbados who suddenly and inexplicably turned to piracy in 1717. He purchased his own ship, and sailed to the Virginia Coast, capturing ships along the way. At some point during this period, Bonnet hooked up with Blackbeard, either by choice or by being captured. He and his ship sailed with Blackbeard for several months before Bonnet went on his own. Bonnet continued his pillaging of North American shipping and briefly tried his hand as pirate hunter by attempting to track down and capture Blackbeard himself. In September 1718 Bonnet was captured up the Cape Fear River after his ship ran aground. Bonnet escaped, but was recaptured and hanged for piracy in November 1718.
Charles Vane

Charles Vane began his pirate career in 1716, serving under Henry Jennings. When Jennings accepted a pardon and settled down, Vane went out on his own. When Woodes Rogers arrived as the new Governor of the Bahamas, Vane showed his contempt by setting a ship afire and sailing it toward Rodgers' ship. In this act of defiance Vane achieved his greatest notoriety. Vane then sailed north to the Carolinas, captured a few ships, but lost part of his crew due to a dispute. Vane then enjoyed a week-long party with Blackbeard before cruising on toward New York in late 1718. A dry spell in prizes stirred mutiny and in October 1718 Vane was deposed by his quartermaster, Calico Jack Rackham. Vane rebounded quickly, mustering a few loyal shipmates, and returned to the Caribbean. In February 1719, Vane's ship was caught in a hurricane off Cuba; only Vane and a single crewman survived. Upon being rescued, Vane was recognized and sent to Port Royal for trial. He was hanged for piracy in November 1720.

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