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Biographies of more famous Pirates
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Salty Dog
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Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2018 4:44 pm    Post subject: Biographies of more famous Pirates Reply with quote

Kanhoji Angria
Maratha Pirate
Active 1710 - 1729

African Muslim Kanhoji captured and fortified two islands near Bombay to use as his base in 1710 and was first to extort money from Indian and British shipping in that area. In 1712 he held for ransom the armed yacht of the East India Company's governor. Several years later he fought the British at Gheriah and Deoghur using specially built gun ships, and by the 1720's, he was a wealthy man whose captains commanded hundreds of well-armed vessels. When he died in 1729, he left his pirate kingdom to his son Sumbhaji Angria.
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Salty Dog
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191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2018 4:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thomas Anstis
British Pirate
Active 1718 - 1723

Captain Anstis sailed with Captain Howell Davis until Davis was murdered in June of 1719. Anstis then signed on with Captain Bartholomew Robert's crew and after Captain Roberts captured a Brigantine in the West Indies, Anstis was made Captain of the Good Fortune and shortly thereafter stole the ship.

Captain Anstis sailed to the Caribbean where he plundered merchant ships and eventually seized a large ship called the Morning Star. John Fenn was put in charge as Captain.

Anstis and Fenn decided to quit pirating and petitioned the king for pardons stating they were forced into piracy by Captain Roberts. Many pirates signed documents stating they were forced into piracy with the understanding that if they got caught, they could claim innocense. While awaiting a response, they camped on an uninhabited island off Cuba. After nine months without word from the king, they returned to a life of piracy.

At sea, a storm came upon them, and the Morning Star was wrecked on Grand Cayman Island. While Captain Anstis was saving Captain Fenn and his crew, two British warships arrived on the scene. Fortunately, the savage winds died down and the pirates were able to row the Good Fortune to safety.

Setting sail again, they went in search of another vessel to replace Captain Fenn's ship and ended up seizing several.

In 1723, the pirates were careening (beaching a ship to clean and repair its hull), their ships at Tobago when they were surprised by a warship. Once again Captain Fenn's ship was lost and he fled into the woods only to be captured a day later. Fenn was tried and hanged at Antigua, but Captain Anstis managed to out-maneuver the warship and got away.

For unknown reasons, Captain Anstis' crew mutinied and he was murdered.
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Salty Dog
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Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2018 4:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Philip Ashton
Captured by
Pirates
1722 - 1725

At the age of 19, Philip Ashton was captured by Ned Low on one of his stops off the coast of Nova Scotia in June, 1722. Although Ashton was kept in chains, then beaten and whipped in attempts to coerce him into signing the pirate Captain's letter of marque, he refused.

One year later, Ashton managed to escape into the dense jungle during the ship's stopover for fresh water at Roatan Island in the Bay of Honduras. There, he survived nearly a year by fishing and finding seabird eggs until rescued. The Salem ship Diamond safely returned him to his fishing village home by May, 1725.
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Salty Dog
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191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2018 4:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

John Auger
British Pirate
Died 1718

Auger was pardoned by Woodes Rogers, but reverted back to piracy and was eventually captured by Benjamin Hornigold and hanged in New Providence.
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Salty Dog
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191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2018 4:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Charlotte Badger
British Pirate
Active 1808

Felon Charlotte Badger and convict Catherine Hagerty were among other convicts who seized the colonial brig called Venus while it was docked at Port Dalrymple so that the captain could attend to some business delivering official dispatches. The pirates headed for New Zealand and the Bay of Islands. In one story, the islanders hanged them and four others, and in another account, the two women, Charlotte and Catherine, had been living onshore, but Catherine Hagerty had become ill and died in April, 1807. Charlotte and her child remained in the Bay, where it was believed that she lived with a local maori rangatira for some time. She refused to return to Port Jackson even though they were offered passage from several ships, including the Elizabeth, saying she wanted a passage to America. Charlotte and her daughter were believed to have accepted a passage aboard a ship on its way to Tonga.
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Salty Dog
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191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2018 4:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Barbarossa
AKA Redbeard
Greek/Turkish Pirate
circa 1530's

He and his brother Aruj, sons of a Turk from Lesbos, took up piracy on the Barbary Coast in hopes of seizing an African domain for themselves. When Aruj was killed in 1518, Khidr took the title Khayr al-Din. He offered allegiance to the Ottoman sultan and in return received military aid that enabled him to capture Algiers in 1529. Appointed admiral in chief of the Ottoman Empire (1533), he conquered all of Tunisia. Emperor Charles V captured Tunis in 1535, but Khayr al-Din defeated his fleet at the Battle of Preveza (1538), securing the eastern Mediterranean for the Turks for 33 years. His red beard was the source of the epithet Barbarossa, used by Europeans.
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Salty Dog
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191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2018 4:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jean Bart
Frendh Privateer
1651 - 1702

This fisherman's son from Dunkirk raided North Sea and English Channel fleets. He served in the Dutch Navy and later became a successful privateer for the French. He made a famous escape in a small boat from Plymouth, in Devon.
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Salty Dog
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191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Thu Nov 29, 2018 4:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Samuel Bellamy
AKA Black Bellamy
English Buccaneer
Active 1715 - 1716

Samuel Bellamy arrived in the new world seeking fame and fortune in the 1700's. In 1715 he led a sponsored expedition southward in search of sunken Spanish treasure off the coast of Florida. When his quest failed, he turned to piracy and became known as Captain Black Bellamy, plundering more than 50 ships. Of them was the Whydah, a 100-foot three-masted galley packed with ivory, indigo, and thousands of silver and gold coins. Bellamy's crew captured the ship and headed home after the victory. On the way, the ship entered foul weather. 70 mph gales and 40 foot tall waves capsized the top-heavy Whydah, killing all but two men. Of the two survivors, the account told by Thomas Davis remains an important part of Cape Cod folklore.
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Salty Dog
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191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 2:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Count Maurycy Beniowski
Polish Pirate

Also known as Baron Maurice de Benyowski was born in Poland to a noble family. At that time Poland was partitioned into three parts. Beniowski was born in the Russian part and it determined his future life as an adventurer. As a youngster he took part in the Polish uprising to liberate Poland from the Russian rule (Konfederacja Barska) and after being captured by Russians was sent into exile to Siberia. However he managed to escape and after some tumultuous years he found himself leading an armed expedition headed toward Madagascar. On an African Island near Madagascar he managed to establish a stronghold, and pronounced himself the king of Madagascar. We can easily classify him as a pirate because he was not above attacking the shipping lanes around Madagascar, and he didn't represent any authority. One of the nearby islands (Mauritius) was named after this Polish adventurer and to this day he is remembered there.
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Salty Dog
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191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 2:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Abraham Blauvelt
Dutch Pirate
Active Mid 1600's

Blauvelt was instrumental in establishing several settlements and many places which still bear his name.

In the early 1630's Captain Blauvelt explored the coasts of Honduras and Nicaragua. Afterwards, he went to England and with a proposal for a settlement a site in Nicaragua, which is near the town and river of Bluefields, Nicaragua. Captain Blauvelt enlisted as a naval officer for the Swedish East India Company and by 1644 was in command of his own ship. He preyed upon Spanish shipping from Dutch New Amsterdam (New York) and a harbor in southwest Jamaica which is still named Blewfields Bay. After peace came once more between the Dutch and Spain in 1648, Captain Blauvelt was no longer welcome in New Amsterdam. Captain Blauvelt sailed to Newport, Rhode Island in 1649 to divvy up his loot. The governor of Newport declared one prize illegal and Captain Blauvelt's crew argued over the booty. Captain Blauvelt was treated poorly at Newport. The local towns people were afraid that Captain Blauvelt's piratical activities had permanently ruined the reputation of Rhode Island. In 1650 Blauvelt was in command of another ship, the La Garse, a French ship.

Later on along the border of Honduras and Nicaragua living among the Indians at Cape Gracias à Dios. It was here that he heard of Captain Sir Christopher Myngs' plans to organize a raid on Campeche Bay in Mexico. In 1663 he joined with Captain Myngs and was an active participant in the raids. Nothing is known of him after this time.
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Salty Dog
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Posts: 10060



191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 2:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

George Booth



Captain Booth was English and the majority of his pirating took place in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. His career began as a gunner aboard the Pelican circa 1696. Later he was the gunner aboard the Dolphin. Both ships sailed in the Indian Ocean.

In September 1699, the Dolphin was trapped at Saint Mary's Island by a British fleet. Offered a pardon, some of the pirates surrendered, but most escaped to nearby Madagascar. Instead of letting the Dolphin fall into the hands of the British she was burned. Captain Booth was among those who fled to Madagascar and was instrumental in the capture of a French ship which was Madagascar to trade liquor and goods for slaves. Captain Booth was captain of the attack and as such was in command of the captured ship.

Sometime later Captain Booth met John Bowen and the joined forces. At Majunga, in April 1704, they took over the Speaker, a 450 ton slave ship carrying 50 guns and Booth was made her captain. Booth sailed to Zanzibar and arrived towards the end of 1700. When they went ashore for provisions they were attacked by Arab troops and Captain Booth was killed. John Bowen was voted to replace him as captain.
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Salty Dog
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191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 2:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

John Bowen

Bowen was born in Bermuda. Bowen moved to South Carolina. He became captain of a ship trading in the West Indies. Eventually he was captured by French pirates, who crossed the Atlantic, pillaged along the African coast and wrecked their ship on Madagascar's southwestern coast.

About 18 months later Bowen and the other survivors were picked up by a passing ship commanded by Captain Read. The pirates took a larger Arab ship in the Persian Gulf. Around this time Bowen enlisted with the pirates and was elected sailing master. Bowen returned to western Madagascar and began sailing in consort with George Booth.

April of 1700 the two crews captured the Speaker, a strong 50-gun slave ship. More than 200 pirates sailed to Zanzibar with George Booth as captain. Bowen took command at the end of 1700. Near the mouth of the Red Sea, Captain Bowen captured an Indian vessel with £100,000 in booty.

November 1701, a British ship which they sold on the Indian coast. Returning to Madagascar, Bowen's ship was wrecked on Mauritius Island but he saved most of the men and treasure. In return for large bribes, the Dutch governor warmly welcomed the pirates and allowed them to buy a ship.

April 1702, Captain Bowen went back to Madagascar and set up camp on the eastern coast. Some time after, the pirates seized the Speedy Return, which had stopped to buy slaves. After cruising alone with little success, Captain Bowen joined Captain Thomas Howard. The two captains seized a rich British Merchant in March 1703. After separating for a time, Captain Bowen and Captain Howard joined forces again. In August 1703 they captured two Indian vessels and £70,000 in the Red Sea. The pirates divided their plunder at Rajapura, India. Some stayed with Captain Howard on the Indian coast.

Captain Bowen and 40 crewmen retired on Mauritius, where he died of disease about six months later.
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Salty Dog
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191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 2:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hiram Breakes
Dutch Pirate



Breakes was the tall, handsome son of the Councilor of the Island of Saba. In 1764, he was appointed to a Dutch trading vessel that sailed between Saba and Amsterdam. Eventually commanding a trading ship which operated between Schiedham, Holland and Lisbon, Portugal, Breakes fell in love with a married woman named Mrs. Snyde. Mr. Snyde was poisoned, and Breakes and the Widow Snyde were accused but later acquitted of the murder. Soon afterward, he stole his employer's trading ship and renamed it "The Adventurer." Later his pirate crew murdered the crew of a vessel called the "Acapulco", which was carrying a load of gold bars, and refitted it for piracy. From there, Breakes bought a letter of marque from the governor of Gibraltar and turned to pillaging throughout the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean.

In his adventures, he plundered a convent in the Balearic Islands and then decided that it was inappropriate for his crew to be unmarried, so he had each of his men select a nun from the convent, who was then kidnapped and brought to the ship to perform their wifely duties.

He then became homesick and upon returning to Holland to marry his mistress, Mrs. Snyde, he discovered that she had been hanged for attempting to poison their new born son. In a state of depression, he drown himself in a dyke.
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Salty Dog
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191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 2:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Joe Brodish
Pirate

After returning to New England with booty gained from successfully attacking and capturing Spanish merchant ships, Captain Joe Brodish was recognized and thrown into a Boston jail. What wasn't known until after he had escaped twice, was the jail keeper was his uncle. He was brought to justice finally after being shipped to England, where he was hanged for piracy.
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Salty Dog
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191991 Gold -

PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2018 2:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nicholas Brown
AKA The Grand Pirate
Died 1726

Known as the Grand Pirate, Brown was once given a royal pardon but returned to piracy, attacking ships off the coast of Jamaica. He was eventually captured by a childhood friend, John Drudge. Brown died from wounds sustained in his capture. Drudge then cut off Brown's head, pickled it, then turned it in for a reward.
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