Black Bart Roberts again...

Salty Dog · Sailing Master Posts: 10060 **191991 Gold** -

Bartholomew Roberts was born as John Roberts on May 17th 1682 in Little Newcastle, A small town in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It's not clear when he changed his name to Bartholomew but it is interesting to note that the name Black Bart was never used while he was alive.

In 1695 at the age of 13 Roberts joined his first sea voyage. In 1719 He was serving as third mate on the slave ship Princess under command of Abraham Plumb. While making repairs to the ship, The Princess was set upon by pirates led by Howell Davis in command of the Royal Rover. Several members of the crew were forced to join the pirates including Roberts. Roberts was a competent Navigator and Davis recognized this in him and soon set him to task. The fact that both Roberts and Davis were both Welsh may have endeared him to the pirate captain. That and the fact that both could communicate in a language that the rest of the crew couldn't understand had tactical advantages on board. The rest of the crew seemed to like Roberts as well and saw him as a figure of good luck as some of the biggest takes of the voyage were taken soon after Roberts joined.

Salty Dog · Sailing Master Posts: 10060 **191991 Gold** -

Soon after joining the crew Davis was killed in a failed attempt to kidnap the Governor of Principe. After taking a vote Roberts was selected as Captain, just six weeks after joining the crew. His first order of business was to strike back at Principe for the death of Howell Davis. The pirates waited for nightfall then crept back into the town and killed many of its citizens, grabbed what loot they could carry and made their getaway.

It would seem that the crews belief that Black Bart was lucky was not unfounded. Soon after leaving Principe they came upon a fleet of 42 Portuguese trade ships waiting for their military escort. Running up the Portuguese colors Roberts sailed the Royal Rover into the pack and sallied up to the smallest ship. Believing Roberts was part of the escort the Captain allowed Black Bart to approach unchallenged. After a brief exchange the pirates quickly boarded and captured the crew. Roberts promised no harm would come to them if they pointed out the richest ship in the fleet, which they did.
[/img]

Salty Dog · Sailing Master Posts: 10060 **191991 Gold** -

Using the same tactic Roberts sailed up to the Largest ship in the fleet, A massive vessel with 40 guns and over 170 men. He took her after a brief fight. The take was over 40,000 Portuguese gold coins and an unknown quantity of jewels and jewelry. Among the loot was a large cross with rubies set in it which Roberts took for himself and would wear on a large gold necklace for the rest of his life. The cross was said to be designed for the King of Portugal and may have seemed out of place on any other sailor. But Roberts was known for his extravagant taste in clothing and would wear only the finest silks and jewels. He would often wear hats adorned with large feathers and bright red silk overcoats. He was considered rather refined for a pirate even among those who wished him dead. He also was known to sip tea and refrained from hard liqueur. A practice which he tried in vain to instill in the rest of the crew.

After hitting a few ports and spending most of the loot the crew set off again. They took a small sloop near Surinam River. Soon after that they spotted a brigantine. Black Bart took some men and boarded the sloop to give chase. He left his man Walter Kennedy in charge of the Rover. The winds prevented Roberts from catching the brigantine and also delayed his return to the Rover, taking him eight days to sail back. Upon arriving at the rendezvous point he found Kennedy had sailed off with the Rover never to be seen again.

Salty Dog · Sailing Master Posts: 10060 **191991 Gold** -

Not being one to let a little set back get him down Black Bart just renamed the sloop Fortune and continued on. He did pen a set of rules that he expected all of his shipmates to abide by and these became what is thought of today as the pirate code even though he was not the first pirate to do so. This is Black Bart's code...

1 Every man shall have an equal vote in affairs of moment. He shall have an equal title to the fresh provisions or strong liquors at any time seized, and shall use them at pleasure unless a scarcity may make it necessary for the common good that a retrenchment may be voted.
2 Every man shall be called fairly in turn by the list on board of prizes, because over and above their proper share, they are allowed a shift of clothes. But if they defraud the company to the value of even one dollar in plate, jewels or money, they shall be marooned. If any man rob another he shall have his nose and ears slit, and be put ashore where he shall be sure to encounter hardships.

3 None shall game for money either with dice or cards.
4 The lights and candles should be put out at eight at night, and if any of the crew desire to drink after that hour they shall sit upon the open deck without lights.
5 Each man shall keep his piece, cutlass and pistols at all times clean and ready for action.
6 No boy or woman to be allowed amongst them. If any man shall be found seducing any of the latter sex and carrying her to sea in disguise he shall suffer death.
7 He that shall desert the ship or his quarters in time of battle shall be punished by death or marooning.

Salty Dog · Sailing Master Posts: 10060 **191991 Gold** -

List (continued)

8 None shall strike another on board the ship, but every man's quarrel shall be ended on shore by sword or pistol in this manner. At the word of command from the quartermaster, each man being previously placed back to back, shall turn and fire immediately. If any man do not, the quartermaster shall knock the piece out of his hand. If both miss their aim they shall take to their cutlasses, and he that draw the first blood shall be declared the victor.
9 No man shall talk of breaking up their way of living till each has a share of 1,000. Every man who shall become a cripple or lose a limb in the service shall have 800 pieces of eight from the common stock and for lesser hurts proportionately.
10 The captain and the quartermaster shall each receive two shares of a prize, the master gunner and boatswain, one and one half shares, all other officers one and one quarter, and private gentlemen of fortune one share each.
11 The musicians shall have rest on the Sabbath Day only by right. On all other days by favor only.

Salty Dog · Sailing Master Posts: 10060 **191991 Gold** -

In 1720 Black Bart was joined by Montigny la Palisse in a ship named the Sea King. The two sailed together to Barbados. Upon arriving, the Barbados authorities wanted nothing to do with Roberts and sent two ships to try to capture him. Not being accustomed to Roberts tactics, the Sea King fled leaving Roberts alone and out gunned. He escaped capture but lost 20 men in the battle. He set course for Dominica for repairs and was set on by two ships from Martinique. He once again escaped but the encounter infuriated him. So much so that he changed his flag from an image of Roberts sharing a cup with the Devil to one of Roberts standing on two skulls. One was labeled ABH (A Barbados Head) and one labeled AMH (A Martinique Head).

The next stop was Newfouldland where he hit Canso, Nova Scotia then captured a few ships in Cape Breton. He captured another dozen or so on his way to a town called Trepassey on June 21 1720. Black Bart sailed into port and every other captain and crew struck their colors and abandoned ship to hide on shore. As much as the incident in Martinique had infuriated Roberts this was worse. He could not abide cowardice. He let it be known that he would stay as long as it pleased him, and that he would fire his cannon every morning to call the captains of the deserted ships. If one did not come to his galley he would burn that captains ship to cinders. They all showed. While here Roberts replaced his sloop with a bigger ship with 16 guns and renamed it the Good Fortune. When he finally decided to leave port he set fire to every ship in the harbor.

Salty Dog · Sailing Master Posts: 10060 **191991 Gold** -

In July he took 9 French vessels of which he kept the largest, a 26 gun ship that became the new Good Fortune. With this bigger ship he was now able to take prizes even faster which he put to good use. Bart then ran into Palisse in the Sea King again and the two continued to raid together. They then decided to try there hand in the West Indies.

In September of 1721 Roberts renamed the Good Fortune to the Royal Fortune. On Oct 25 1721 he hit St. Lucia and took 15 ships in 3 days. One of which was carrying the Governor of Martinique. After pointing out his new flag to the Governor, Black Bart promptly hanged the man from his yardarm and left him there for weeks. Towards the end of 1721 the West Indies had been bled dry. None of the local captains wanted to move with Roberts lying in wait just over the horizon, so he decided to move operations to West Africa.

Salty Dog · Sailing Master Posts: 10060 **191991 Gold** -

On April 18 1721 Robert Anstis in command of the Good Fortune left with the ship in the middle of the night. Later that month Roberts put in at the Cape Verde Islands to assess the condition of the Royal Fortune. She was found to be in bad disrepair and Roberts deemed her not sea worthy. Not having the Good Fortune any longer he transferred over to the Sea King and renamed her Royal Fortune. He then took two more ships which he kept and named the Ranger and the Little Ranger. In January 1722 he sailed into the port of Ouidah and took all eleven ships anchored there.

Operating near Liberia he took many more ships and on Feb 5th 1722 the HMS Swallow, a fifty gun ship of the line commanded by Chaloner Ogle found three ships at Cape Lopez. They were the Royal Fortune, the Ranger and the Little Ranger. Thinking the Swallow a potential prize Roberts sent the Ranger out to take her. Ogle was smart and led the Ranger further out to sea. When they were out of ear shot he turned and bore down on the Ranger. Before the Ranger realized how out matched she was it was too late. Ogle closed the gap and gave her broadside, killing 10 men. The Ranger surrendered.

Salty Dog · Sailing Master Posts: 10060 **191991 Gold** -

On February 9th 1722 Black Bart took a ship called the Neptune just offshore. His men were celebrating on the beach all night. On February 10th the Swallow returned. At first Roberts thought she was the Ranger finally returning. When he realized this wasn't the case he decided the best course of action would be to try to sail past the Swallow as quickly as possible. This would expose him to the Swallows guns but only for a brief moment. One broadside at most. However things did not go as planned. His crew still drunk from the night before made several mistakes that left Bart exposed to The Swallows guns for far too long. She fired a second broadside that crippled the Royal Fortune. But for Roberts it made little difference. After the smoked cleared from the first volley Roberts was found leaning over a gunswale. His throat had been torn to pieces by grapeshot.

In the middle of the battle the crew wrapped Black Bart's body in one of the sails and slid him into the sea which had been his request. This was the end of the most successful pirate of all time. He took over 450 ships and looted untold fortunes. His death would also signal the coming death of the golden age of piracy.