Pirates and Privateers

An Exception to the Rule          Rules Shouldn't Be Broken

Rules Shouldn’t Be Broken
The norm among pirates was to band together and “earn” their wages by seizing other vessels to garner shares of the plunder taken. This wasn’t what Stede Bonnet chose to do. Instead, he paid his men wages.¹ After he and his hired crew set sail from Barbados, they went hunting. One might think they had little chance of success, but some of his 126 men knew enough to guide their captain toward potential prey. As they sailed northward along the eastern seaboard of Britain’s North American colonies, they captured at least four vessels, including Anne, Turbet, Endeavour, and Young. From these prizes, the pirates seized “Provisions, Clothes, Money, Ammunition, etc.” (Moss, Life, 16)

From the pirates’ perspective, this was good. Stede’s reaction wasn’t quite the same. Why? It just so happened that Turbet hailed from his hometown (Bridgetown, Barbados). That meant the possibility of recognition. Whether his intentions were to return home one day with no one the wiser about his misdeeds, or he didn’t wish his nefarious activities to reflect poorly on his family, he did not wish others to know his true identity. (Which was why he insisted that his crew call him “Captain Edwards.”) In snaring Turbet, there was a good chance that one of the captives might recognize him, or if he permitted them to sail away with their vessel, someone on Barbados might put two and two together and figure out the truth. No, he couldn’t allow that to happen. Whereas Anne, Endeavour, and Young were permitted to be on their merry way, Turbet was set aflame. Thereafter, the pirates went hunting anew, going as far north as New York before sailing south again.

Stede succeeded in keeping his identity a secret as much as he knew how to navigate. (In other words, he failed miserably.) By the time they reached Charles Town (present-day Charleston, South Carolina) in August, the authorities already knew the truth. In fact, Captain Bartholomew Candler of HMS Winchelsea made sure they knew.

. . . lately on the Coast a Pirate Sloop from Barbados Command by one Major Bonnett [Bonnet], who has an Estate in that Island and the Sloop is his Own, this Advice I had by Letter from thence, that in April last [1717] He ran away out of Carlisle Bay in the night he had aboard 126 men 6 Guns & Arms & Ammunition Enough[.] (Moss, 22)

Whether Stede knew of this or not, he was determined to prey on ships entering and leaving the city. He didn’t have long to wait either. A brigantine, captained by Thomas Porter, was the first to fall into his trap. As soon as he saw their black flag, Porter hauled down his own and grudgingly allowed the pirates to ransack his ship. What they found didn’t amount to much in monetary terms, but Stede refused to allow the brigantine to continue on her way. If he released them, Porter was certain to report to the authorities the minute he docked in Charles Town, which would ruin any chance the pirates had of garnering more booty to place in Revenge’s hold.

1711 inset of Charles Town from A Compleat description of the province of Carolina in 3 parts,
published by Edward Crisp, London. (Source: Library of Congress)

The strategy worked, for soon after, Captain Joseph Palmer’s sloop was taken. This time, the pirates found sugar, slaves, and rum – all worthy commodities as far as they were concerned. Stede was happy that his men were satisfied with their haul, but he faced a dilemma. Palmer, too, was from Barbados, and he and his men recognized Stede. The only thing to do, from his perspective, was to take all the captives and their ships and seek a temporary haven.

Cape Fear River provided just the spot, and the pirates took advantage of it to careen Revenge. Once their work was finished and all their plunder was stowed, they herded the captives onto Porter’s brigantine, torched Palmer’s sloop, and freed them, albeit with only a small portion of the rigging and sails needed for the brigantine to go anywhere. Her speed was so limited, it took the captains and their men four weeks to reach Charles Town; they arrived there on 17 September 1717. Naturally, the captains headed straight to the governor to warn him.

As for the pirates, they had a decision to make. Only they couldn’t agree on where their next hunting grounds should be. So they sailed for the Straits of Florida. That’s where lookouts spotted a much bigger vessel flying Spanish colors. Now, pirates had an unwritten rule of thumb: if the potential prey is bigger than you, avoid her like the plague. Thinking her to be a merchant ship and allowing his previous successes to go to his head, Stede ignored this wisdom. After all, it was common knowledge that many merchant ships carried Quaker guns. (These “weapons” were actually made of wood and painted black to look like the real thing.) Except the guns this ship carried weren’t fake. Nor was she a merchant ship. She was a warship with greater firepower and her captain knew exactly what to do.

When Revenge sailed parallel to the Spanish ship, her captain ordered his men to unleash a broadside at the pirates. Then he positioned his vessel so it sailed across Revenge’s stern. Many pirates fell from the sweeping broadside, including Stede. Others were killed or injured when the stern was hit. Those who survived these attacks had one priority – get away from the Spaniards as soon as possible.

Once clear, a tally was taken. Thirty to forty of their comrades had fallen. Stede was unconscious and taken below to what remained of his cabin. The shots had smashed through glass and wood, decimating furniture and anything else in their path. His precious books were scattered all about the deck. Once he regained consciousness, Stede did not stray from his cabin until after the much-damaged Revenge reached New Providence in the Bahamas.

A decade earlier, John Graves published a treatise about New Providence, where he had once had the unenviable job of collecting customs. He believed the island would make an ideal “Shelter for Pyrates, if left without good Government and some Strength.” He added that it would only take “one small Pyrat with Fifty Men that are acquainted with the Inhabitants” to “Ruin the Place[.]” (Fictum) By 1714, his prognostication had come true. Three years later, the pirates were firmly entrenched in Nassau, and one of them was a man named Edward Thache (Blackbeard).

Enlarged segment of "An exact draught of the island of New Providence
one of the islands in the Bahamas West Indies," 17--. (Source: Library of Congress)

Whether he and Stede were previously acquainted – Thache did have ties to Barbados – or perhaps he was just curious about this strange captain who enjoyed reading and had the gumption to attack Spanish men-of-war, or he desired a second ship (he already had “a sloop 6 guns and about 70 men”), he persuaded Stede to turn over command of Revenge to him. (Marley, 789) In exchange, Thache would teach him what he needed to know to be a pirate captain. To Stede’s way of thinking, what could be better? He would add to his repertoire of knowledge as regards sailing and pirating without the burden of command, and he could do so at his leisure. In the meantime, his cabin would remain his domicile, where he could read to his heart’s content and take as long as he deemed necessary to recuperate.

While Thache oversaw repairs, he also improved Revenge’s armament by adding two more guns and signing on more men. When they departed New Providence, his crew numbered 150. Their ultimate destination was Delaware Bay, but there were plenty of prey to capture along the way. In short shrift, they plundered fifteen vessels. James Logan, chief steward of William Penn’s colony and a Philadelphia merchant, made mention of these seizures on 24 October 1717.

We have been very much disturbed this last week by the Pirates They have taken and plundered Six or Seven Vessels bound out or into this river Some they have destroyed Some they have taken to Their own use & Some they have dismissed after Plunder.
. . .
The Sloop that came on our Coast had about 130 Men all Stout Fellows all English without any mixture Double armed they waited they Said for their Consort a Ship of 26 Guns to whom when joyned they designed to Visit Philad^ia, Some of our Mast^r Say They know almost every man aboard most of them having been lately in this River, their Comand^r is one Teach who was here a Mate from Jam^ia about 2 yr ago. (Logan)

One master who docked in Philadelphia reported the seizure of his ship on 24 October 1717, and the incident was reprinted on page two of the Boston News-Letter.

He was taken about 12 days since off our Capes by a Pirate Sloop called the Revenge, of 12 Guns 150 Men, Commanded by one Teach . . . They have Arms to fire five rounds before they load again. (Philadelphia)

The pirates tossed most of the cargo found in the hold overboard. Two additional snows, whose cargo also went by the board, were captured and one joined the fleet of pirate vessels. From a sloop, captained by Peter Peters,

they took 27 Pipes of Wine, cut his Masts by the Board, after which She drove ashore and Stranded. (Philadelphia, 2)

Another provided them with “two Pipes of Wine” before the pirates sank her. (Philadelphia, 2) Loose-lipped pirates, whether accidentally or on purpose, “told the Prisoners that they expected a Consort Ship of 30 Guns, and then they would go up into Philadelphia, others of them said they were bound to the Capes of Virginia . . . .” (Philadelphia, 2)

These captives also made mention of Stede.

On board the Pirate Sloop is Major Bennet, but has no Command, he walks about in his Morning Gown, and then to his Books, of which he has a good Library on Board, he was not well of his wounds that he received by attacking of a Spanish Man of War, who kill’d and wounded him 30 or 40 Men. (Philadelphia, 2)

(Think about it. Had Stede not broken the rule about going after larger ships, he wouldn’t have suffered such a disabling wound. He might have been in a better frame of mind to fully understand that in giving Thache command of Revenge, Stede lost his ship and crew. He would not, as he would later claim, have felt himself “a prisoner” for nearly a year.)


To be continued . . .


Notes:

1. Between 1689 and 1740, an able-bodied seaman (AS) earned 25 to 55 shillings per month or £15 to £33 a year. (Ordinary seamen and those rated lower earned less, whereas officers earned more in the merchant marine.) That £15 in 1717 (when Bonnet sailed) equates to UK £2,603.52 or US $3,281.44 in February 2024. The higher amount equates to UK £5,727.74 or US $7,219.17 today. (This information comes from Peter T. Leeson’s The Invisible Hook (Princeton, 2009), the Bank of England’s Inflation Calculator, and Xe.com.)

Resources:

“The Affidavit of Capt. Peter Manwareing” in The Tryals of Major Stede Bonnet. Printed for Benj. Cowse, M. DCC.XIX., 50.
“America and West Indies: January 1718, 1-13” in Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 30, 1717-1718. His Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, 1930. (Jan. 6. 298.)
“America and West Indies: May 1718” in Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 30, 1717-1718. His Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, 1930. (May 31. Bermuda. 551)
“America and West Indies: June 1718” in Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 30, 1717-1718. His Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, 1930. (June 18. Charles Towne, South Carolina. 556.)
“America and West Indies: October 1718,” in Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 30, 1717-1718. His Majesty’s Stationery Office, London, 1930. (Oct. 21. Charles town, South Carolina. 730.)

Baker, Daniel R. “Stede Bonnet: The Phantom Alliance,” The Pyrate’s Way (Summer 2007), 21-25.
Bialuschewski, Arne. “Blackbeard off Philadelphia: Documents Pertaining to the Campaign against the Pirates in 1717 and 1718,” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography v.134: no. 2 (April 2010), 165-178.
“Boston,” The Boston News-Letter 16 June 1718 (739), 2.
British Piracy in the Golden Age: History and Interpretation, 1660-1730 edited by Joel H. Baer (volume 2). Pickering & Chatto, 2007.
Brooks, Baylus C. Quest for Blackbeard: The True Story of Edward Thache and His World. Independently published, 2016.
Butler, Nic. “The Watch House: South Carolina’s First Police Station, 1701-1725,” Charleston Time Machine (3 August 2018).

Cooper, Thomas. “An Act for the More Speedy and Regular Trial of Pirates. No. 390.” in The Statutes at Large of South Carolina. Printed by A. S. Johnston, 1838, 3:41-43.
Cordingly, David. Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates. Random House, 1995.

Dolin, Eric Jay. Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates. Liveright, 2018.
Downey, Christopher Byrd. Stede Bonnet: Charleston’s Gentleman Pirate. The History Press, 2012.

Fictum, David. “'The Strongest Man Carries the Day,' Life in New Providence, 1716-1717,” Colonies, Ships, and Pirates (26 July 2015).

Hahn, Steven C. “The Atlantic Odyssey of Richard Tookerman: Gentleman of South Carolina, Pirate of Jamaica, and Litigant before the King’s Bench,” Early American Studies 15:3 (Summer 2017), 539-590.
History of South Carolina edited by Yates Snowden. Lewis Publishing, 1920, 1:173-182.

“The Information of Capt. Peter Manwareing” in The Tryals of Major Stede Bonnet. Printed for Benj. Cowse, M. DCC.XIX., 49.
“The Information of David Herriot and Ignatius Pell” in The Tryals of Major Stede Bonnet. Printed for Benj. Cowse, M. DCC. XIX., 44-48.

Johnson, Charles. A General History of the Pyrates. T. Warner, 1724.

Logan, James. “James Logan letter to Robert Hunter, October 24, 1777." Historical Society of Pennsylvania Discover.
(Special note, the date of the entry is misleading as the date of the letter [viewable and downloadable here] is 24 8 1717 or 24 August 1717. James Logan was deceased in 1777.)
The London Gazette. Issue 5573 (14 September 1717), 1.

Marley, David F. “Thatch, Edward, Alias ‘Blackbeard’ (fl. 1717-1718),” Pirates of the Americas. ABC-CLIO, 2010, 2:787-799.
Malesic, Tony. E-mail posting on PIRATES about Richard Tookerman, 26 September 2001.
Moss, Jeremy R. The Life and Tryals of the Gentleman Pirate, Major Stede Bonnet. Köehler, 2020.
Moss, Jeremy. “Stede Bonnet, Gentleman Pirate: How a Mid-life Crisis Created the ‘Worst Pirate of All Time,’” History Extra (4 January 2023).

“Philadelphia, October 24th,” The Boston News-Letter 11 November 1717 (708), 2.
“A Prefatory Account of the Taking of Major Stede Bonnet, and the other Pirates, by the two Sloops under the Command of Col. William Rhett” in The Tryals of Major Stede Bonnet. Printed for Benj. Cowse, M. DCC. XIX., iii-vi.

Ramsay, David. Ramsay’s History of South Carolina: From Its First Settlement in 1670 to the Year 1808. W. J. Duffie, 1858.

“Top-Earning Pirates,” Forbes (19 September 2008).
The Tryals of Major Stede Bonnet, and Other Pirates. Printed for Benjamin Cowse, MDCCXIX.

Woodard, Colin. The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down. Harcourt, 2007.

Copyright ©2024 Cindy Vallar

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