I guess, by now, you know I'm a little obsessed with pirates . . . always have been. I don't, however, know everything there is to know about them because I'm not really THAT obsessed!
I just want to be one!
I learned about a new pirate today: The Gentleman Pirate
His name was Stede Bonnet. He was born into a wealthy family on Barbados in 1688 . . . had the advantage of a liberal education. Bonnet served as a major in the British Army, then, after retirement, became a plantation owner . . . sugar cane was his crop of choice . . . his wealth grew. He married well, became a father, and for 10 years he was a member of "respectable society."
In 1717, about the age of 29, something happened to change all of that. Historians disagree on the cause of his "mid life crisis." Perhaps he had a mental breakdown . . . marriage may have disagreed with him . . . one of his children had died as well. Some think he may have had financial troubles. Or maybe he just WANTED to try something new! Barbados was, after all, the port of call for treasure ships bound for Spain. Pirates like Blackbeard and Henry Morgan sailed her waters . . . lying in wait for those ships to sail east! It was also home to another pirate, Sam Lord.
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| The flag attributed to Bonnet though it's unclear what flag he may have actually flown on his ship |
Or maybe Bonnet had tired of "the man!" After all, pirates were often viewed as the "Robin Hoods" of the sea . . . romanticized even then. But it was a lifestyle, a profession . . . even sometimes a political cause . . . many colonials supporting them in their robbery of the riches that belonged to the people they hated most . . . the wealthy British royals!
Regardless, he left his normal life behind, and with little to no seafaring experience, he joined the ranks of piracy! Unlike most pirates who simply seized their ships, he bought one. He armed it with 10 cannons and hired . . . HIRED 70 men to crew it . . . named it Revenge. Because he had the sense to actually hire pirates who had some experience, he was a rather successful pirate . . . eventually garnering the attention of Blackbeard himself. Bonnet couldn't have been more thrilled . . . Blackbeard was a pirate's pirate . . . with a reputation for wildness and unpredictability.
Blackbeard, however, figured out pretty quickly that he was dealing with an amateur! He became a "guest" aboard Blackbeard's ship . . . nay, a prisoner. Bonnet wasn't thrilled with that, and went ashore as soon as they made land in North Carolina. When he returned, Blackbeard was gone . . . had stripped the Revenge . . . marooned most of the crew. Bonnet was mad! He refitted his ship, rescued his crew, and gave chase. It was at this point that he gained a fearsome reputation of his own. But Blackbeard had a head start, so Bonnet never found him.
Bonnet was captured and arrested in 1718, but instead of taking his arrest lying down, he appealed to the governor . . . trying to take advantage of his upper class status . . . blaming everything on Blackbeard! All of his men were hanged before his trial was completed, and in spite of his attempts to free himself, he was hanged on December 10, 1718 . . . a month after Blackbeard met his own bloody end in Ocracoke Island waters . . . in North Carolina's Outer Banks.
There's actually a memorial in Charleston for Stede Bonnet
"May your anchor be tight, your cork be loose, your rum be spiced, and your compass be true." ~ Unknown
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