My grandmother smokes a pipe in her Khrushchev room,
My grandmother smokes a pipe and sees the waves of the seas through the smoke.
All the pirates in the world are afraid of her and are rightfully proud of her.
Because grandma robs and burns their frigates,
But spares the elderly and children!
Sukachev Garik and the Untouchables
M
ama is a pirate ... what could be more authoritative for a child, and it helps to keep her husband within limits.
For most people, the word "pirate" is associated with the image of a bearded sea robber with one leg and a boarded up eye. However, among the successful famous pirates, there were not only men, but also women. This post is about some of them.
Listen or download My grandmother smokes a pipe for free on Prostopleer
Scandinavian pirate princess Alvilda
One of the first pirates is Alvilda, who robbed in the waters of Scandinavia during the period early medieval. According to legend, this medieval princess, the daughter of a Gothic king (or a king from the island of Gotland), decided to become a "marine Amazon" in order to evade a marriage forced on her by Alf, the son of a powerful Danish king.
Having gone on a pirate voyage with a team of young women dressed in men's clothes, she became the number one "star" among the sea robbers. Since the dashing raids of Alvilda posed a serious threat to merchant shipping and the inhabitants of the coastal regions of Denmark, Prince Alf himself set off in pursuit of her, not realizing that the desired Alvilda was the object of his persecution.
Having killed most of the sea robbers, he entered into a duel with their leader and forced him to surrender. How surprised the prince of Denmark was when the pirate leader took off his helmet and appeared before him in the guise of a young beauty, whom he dreamed of marrying! Alvilda appreciated the perseverance of the heir to the Danish crown and his ability to brandish a sword. The wedding was played right there, on board a pirate ship. The prince swore to the princess to love her to the grave, and she solemnly promised him never again to go to sea without him.
Everyone is dead... Hallelujah! Is the story told true? The researchers found that for the first time the tale of Alvilda was told to readers by the monk Saxon Grammatik (1140 - c. 1208) in his famous work “The Acts of the Danes”. Most likely he learned about it from the ancient Scandinavian sagas.
Jeanne de Belleville
The Breton noblewoman Jeanne de Belleville, who was married to the knight de Clisson, became a pirate not out of a love of adventure and wealth, but out of a desire for revenge.
In the period 1337-1453, with several interruptions, there was a war between England and France, which went down in history as the Hundred Years' War. The husband of Jeanne de Belleville was accused of treason.
King Philip II of France ordered his arrest, and without any evidence or trial, on August 2, 1943, he was handed over to the executioner. Known for her beauty, charm and hospitality, the widow Jeanne de Belleville-Clison vowed cruel revenge. She sold her property and bought three fast ships. According to another version, she went to England, achieved an audience with King Edward and, thanks to her beauty, received three fast ships from the monarch for corsair operations against France.
She commanded one ship herself, the others - her two sons. The small fleet, dubbed the "Vengeance Fleet in the English Channel", became the "scourge of God" in French coastal waters. Pirates mercilessly sent French ships to the bottom, devastating coastal areas. They say that everyone who had to cross the English Channel on French ship First of all, he wrote a will.
For several years, the squadron robbed French merchant ships, often even attacking warships. Zhanna participated in battles, excellently owned both a saber and a boarding ax. As a rule, she ordered the crew of the captured ship to be completely destroyed. Not surprisingly, Philip VI soon gave the order to "catch the witch dead or alive."
And once the French managed to surround the pirate ships. Seeing that the forces were unequal, Jeanne showed real deceit - with several sailors she launched a longboat and, together with her sons and a dozen rowers, left the battlefield, leaving her comrades-in-arms.
However, fate cruelly repaid her for betrayal. For ten days, the fugitives wandered the sea - after all, they did not have navigational instruments. Several people died of thirst (among them - the youngest son of Jeanne). On the eleventh day, the surviving pirates reached the coast of France. There they were sheltered by a friend of the executed de Belleville.
After that, Jeanne de Belleville, who is considered the first female pirate, left her bloody craft, remarried. Popular rumor said: she began to embroider with beads, got a lot of seals and settled down. This is what the life-giving cross does, which means a successful marriage ...
Leat kiligra
About two hundred years after Jeanne de Belleville, a new female pirate appeared in the English Channel: Lady Kiligru. This lady has led a double life: in society she is the respected wife of the governor, Lord John Kiligru, in the port city of Falmet, and at the same time secretly commands pirate ships that attacked merchant ships mainly in Falmet Bay. Lady Kiligru's tactics proved successful for a long time, as she never left living witnesses.
One day a heavily loaded Spanish ship entered the bay. Before the captain and crew could recover, the pirates attacked and captured him. The captain managed to hide and with great surprise discovered that the pirates were commanded by a young and very beautiful woman, which in cruelty could compete with men. The Spanish captain made it ashore and quickly headed for the city of Falmet to inform the royal governor of the attack. To his new surprise, he saw a pirate sitting next to the governor, Lord Kiligru. Lord Kiligru controlled two fortresses, the task of which was to ensure the unhindered navigation of ships in the bay. The captain said nothing about what had happened, and immediately left for London. By order of the king, an investigation began, which brought unexpected results.
It turned out that Lady Kiligru carried violent pirate blood, as she was the daughter of the famous pirate Philip Wolversten from Sofolk, and as a girl she participated in pirate attacks. Thanks to her marriage to the lord, she gained a position in society, and at the same time created a large pirate company that operated not only in the English Channel, but also in neighboring waters. During the process, many mysterious cases of the disappearance of merchant ships were revealed, which until now were attributed to "supernatural forces".
Lord Kiligru was condemned to death and executed. His wife also received a death sentence, but later the king commuted it to life imprisonment.
Mary Ann Blyde
Irish Mary was exceptionally tall for her time - 190 cm and unearthly beauty. She became a pirate quite by accident, but she devoted herself entirely to this dangerous activity. One day she was on a ship to America and was captured by the most famous sea pirate in history - Eduard Ticchu, nicknamed Blackbeard. Thanks to her good upbringing, Mary Ann Blyde stayed with the kidnapper. Soon she proved herself to be an excellent student of Ticci and received her ship. Her passion was jewelry and precious stones. She and Ticch are said to have amassed $70 million worth of treasure, and together they buried it somewhere on the shores of North Carolina. Treasures have not been discovered so far.
All pirates, both men and women who did not die in battle, end their lives ingloriously: they are usually condemned to death or life imprisonment. Mary Ann, however, had a different fate. In 1729, during an attack on a Spanish ship, she fell in love with a young man who was on that ship. The young man agreed to marry her, but on the condition that she abandon her occupation. Together they run away to Peru, and there their traces are lost...
Ann Bonnie
Ann Cormac (her maiden name) was born in a small Irish town in 1698. This red-haired beauty with an exuberant temperament became an icon of the Golden Age of Piracy (1650-1730s) after she secretly threw in her lot with a simple sailor named James Bonney. Ann's father, a respected person, having learned about his daughter's marriage, disowned her, after which she and her newly-made husband were forced to leave for the Bahamas, which at that time were called the Pirate Republic, a place where loafers and idlers lived. Happy family life Bonnie didn't last long.
After her divorce from her husband, Ann met the pirate Jack Rackham, who became her lover. Together with him, she went to the open sea on the ship "Revenge" to rob merchant ships. In October 1720, members of Rackham's crew, including Anne and her bosom friend Mary Read, were taken prisoner by the British. Bonnie blamed her lover for everything. On the last date in prison, she told him the following: "It's a pity to see you here, but if you fought like a man, you wouldn't be hanged like a dog."
Rackham was executed. Bonnie's pregnancy allowed her to get a reprieve from her death sentence. However, the fact that it was ever put into action is nowhere in the historical records. Rumor has it that Anne's influential father paid a huge amount of money to have his unlucky daughter released.
Mary Reid
Mary Read was born in London in 1685. Since childhood, by the will of fate, she was forced to portray a boy. Her mother, the widow of a sea captain, dressed an illegitimate girl in the clothes of an early deceased son in order to swindle money from a wealthy mother-in-law who did not know about her grandson's death. Pretending to be a man in the Renaissance was easy, because all men's fashion was very similar to women's (long wigs, big hats, puffy outfits, boots), which Mary managed to do.
At the age of 15, Mary was enlisted in the British army under the name Mark Read. During her service, she fell in love with a Flemish soldier. Their happiness was short-lived. He died unexpectedly, and Mary, dressed again in a man's dress, went on a ship to the West Indies. On the way, the ship was captured by pirates. Reid decided to stay with them.
In 1720, Mary joined the crew of Jack Rackham's ship The Revenge. At first, only Bonnie and her lover knew that she was a woman, who often flirted with "Mark", making Ann wildly jealous. A couple of months later, the whole team knew about Reed's secret.
After the ship "Vengeance" was captured by pirate hunter Captain Jonathan Barnet, Mary, like Ann, managed to get her death sentence suspended due to pregnancy. But fate still overtook her. She died in her prison cell on April 28, 1721 from puerperal fever. What happened to her child is unknown. Some suspect that he died during childbirth.
Sadie Goat
Sadie Farrell, a 19th-century American pirate, got her rare nickname because of the strange way her crimes were committed. On the streets of New York City, Sadie gained a reputation as a merciless mugger who attacked her victims by headbutting them hard. Sadie is said to have been kicked out of Manhattan after she got into a fight with a fellow criminal, Gallus Meg, which resulted in her losing part of her ear.
In the spring of 1869, Sadie joined the Charles Street gang and became its leader after stealing a moored sloop on a bet. Farrell and her new black-flagged crew with the Jolly Roger sailed the Hudson and Harlem rivers, plundering the farm estates and mansions of the wealthy along the way, and sometimes kidnapping people for ransom.
By the end of the summer, such a fishery became too risky, as farmers began to defend their holdings, firing at the approaching sloop without warning. Sadie Farrell was forced to return to Manhattan and make amends with Gallus Meg. She returned a piece of her ear, which she kept for posterity in a jar with a special solution. Sadie, since then known as the "Queen of the Port", placed him in a locket, which she did not part with for the rest of her life.
Illyrian queen Teuta
After Teuta's husband, the Illyrian king Agron, died in 231 BC, she took over the reins of government, since her stepson Pinnes was then too young. In the first four years of her reign over the Ardiei tribe, who lived on the territory of the modern Balkan Peninsula, Teuta encouraged piracy as a means of fighting against the powerful neighbors of Illyria. The Adriatic sea robbers not only robbed Roman merchant ships, but also helped the queen recapture a number of settlements, including Dyrrhachium and Phoenicia. Over time, they expanded their influence into the Ionian Sea, terrorizing the trade routes of Greece and Italy.
In 229 BC, the Romans sent ambassadors to Teuta, who expressed dissatisfaction with the scope of the Adriatic pirates and urged her to influence her subjects. The queen derisively reacted to their requests, stating that piracy, according to Illyrian ideas, is a legitimate trade. How the Roman ambassadors reacted to this is unknown, but apparently not very politely, since after meeting with Teuta one of them was killed and the other was sent to prison. This was the reason for the start of the war between Rome and Illyria, which lasted two years. Teuta was forced to admit defeat and make peace on extremely unfavorable terms. Ardiei pledged to pay an annual burdensome tribute to Rome.
Teuta continued to oppose Roman rule, for which she lost her throne. There is no information about her further fate in history.
Jacotta Delaye
Jacotta Delaye was born in the 17th century to a Frenchman and a Haitian mother. Her mother died in childbirth. After Jacotta's father was killed, she was left alone with her younger brother, who suffered from mental retardation. This forced the red-haired girl to take up piracy.
In the 1660s, Jacotta had to fake his own death in order to escape the persecution of government troops. She lived for several years male name. When everything calmed down, Jacotta returned to her previous activities, taking the nickname "Red-haired, returned from the other world."
Breton lioness
Jeanne de Clisson was the wife of the wealthy nobleman Olivier III de Clisson. They lived happily, raised five children, but when the war broke out between England and France, her husband was accused of treason and executed by beheading. Jeanne vowed revenge on King Philip VI of France.
The widow de Clisson sold all her lands in order to buy three warships, which she dubbed the Black Fleet. Their crew consisted of merciless and cruel corsairs. Between 1343 and 1356, they attacked the ships of the French king, sailing across the English Channel, killed crew members and beheaded with an ax all the aristocrats who had the misfortune to be on board.
Jeanne de Clisson worked as a sea robber for 13 years, after which she settled in England and married Sir Walter Bentley, an army lieutenant. English king Edward III. She later returned to France, where she died in 1359.
Anne Dieu-le-Veu
Frenchwoman Anne Dieu-le-Veu, whose surname translates as "God wants it", had a stubborn and strong character. She arrived on the island of Tortuga in the Caribbean in the late 60s or early 70s of the 17th century. Here she twice became a mother and a widow. Ironically, Ann's third husband was the man who killed her second husband. Dieu-le-Veu challenged Lawrence de Graaf to a duel to avenge the death of her late lover. dutch pirate was so mesmerized by Ann's courage that he refused to shoot himself and offered her his hand and heart. On July 26, 1693, they got married and had two children.
After her marriage, Dieu-le-Veu went to the open sea with her new husband. Most of his crew members believed that the presence of a woman on the ship meant bad luck. The lovers themselves laughed at this superstition. How their love story ended, no one knows for sure.
According to one version, Anne Dieu-le-Veu became the captain of de Graaff's ship after he was killed in a cannonball explosion. Some historians suggest that the couple fled to Mississippi in 1698, where they may have continued to engage in piracy.
Saida Al-Hurra
A contemporary and ally of the Turkish corsair Barbarossa, Saida al-Hurra became the last queen of Tetouan (Morocco); she inherited power after the death of her husband in 1515. Her real name is unknown. “Saida Al-Hurra” into Russian can be roughly translated as “noble lady, free and independent; a woman overlord who does not recognize any power over herself.
Saida al-Hurra ruled Tetouan from 1515 to 1542, controlling the western part with his pirate fleet mediterranean sea, while Barbarossa terrorized the eastern. Al-Hurra decided to engage in piracy in order to take revenge on the “Christian enemies” who in 1492 (after the conquest of Granada by the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile) forced her family to flee the city.
At the height of her power, Al-Hurra married the King of Morocco, but refused to hand over the reins of Tetouan to him. In 1542, Saida was overthrown by her stepson. She lost all power and property; nothing is known about her further fate. She is believed to have died in poverty.
Grace O'MailBald Greine"
Grace was also called the "Queen of the Pirates" and the "Witch of Rockfleet" . O it is impossible to write briefly for this woman))) everything in her life was so interesting and confusing. Dumas smokes nervously. She was so famous that the Queen of England Elizabeth I herself met with her.
Grace was born around 1530 in Ireland, in the family of the leader of the O`Malley clan, Owen Dubdara (Umall-Uakhtara). According to legend, she “lost her hair” by cutting off her hair in response to her father’s remark that a woman on a ship was a bad omen, and after her father’s death, she defeated her brother Indulf in a knife fight, becoming a leader.
By marrying O'Flaherty's tanist Domhnall the Warlike, Granual became the head of her husband's fleet. Three children were born in the marriage - Owen, Murrow and Margaret.
In 1560, Domhnall was killed, and Granual, with two hundred volunteers, went to Claire Island. Here she (continuing piracy) fell in love with the aristocrat Hugh de Lacy, who, however, was killed by the MacMahon clan, which was hostile to him. Granual, in response to this murder, took their fortress and killed the entire clan.
A year later, she announced a divorce and did not return the castle; however, she managed to give birth in this marriage to a son, Tibbot. According to legend, on the second day after giving birth, her ship was attacked by Algerian pirates, and Granual inspired her people to fight, declaring that giving birth is worse than fighting. Considering that men will not have to give birth anyway, this is a dubious motivation. Apparently, female logic was the most logical then ....
Gradually capturing the entire coast of Mayo, except for Rockfleet Castle, Granual married (according to Irish tradition, in the format of a “trial marriage” for a year) Iron Richard from the Burke clan.
In the life of Grania there were defeats; one day the British took her prisoner and placed her in Dublin Castle. Somehow, the pirate managed to escape, and on the way back she tried to spend the night in Howth. They didn't let her in; the next morning, she kidnapped the burgomaster's son, who went hunting, and released him free of charge, but on the condition that the doors of the city were to be open to everyone looking for an overnight stay, and there should be a place for them at every table.
Queen Elizabeth hosted her twice and wanted to enlist her in her service. The first time at the entrance, a hidden dagger was taken away from Grace and Elizabeth was very worried about the fact of his presence. Grace then refused to bow before the Queen because she "did not recognize her as the Queen of Ireland".
As Grace took a puff of snuff, one of the noble ladies handed her a handkerchief. Using it for its intended purpose, that is, blowing her nose, she threw the handkerchief into the nearest fireplace. Responding to Elizabeth's astonished look, Grace stated that they, in Ireland, once used a handkerchief are thrown away.
This meeting was captured in an engraving, the only lifetime image of a pirate; even the color of her hair is unknown, traditionally considered black, according to her father's nickname, but in one of the poems called red. Why her name was bald history is silent.
The pirate queen died in the same year as the queen of England - in 1603.
Zheng Shi
Zheng Shi has earned fame as the most merciless sea robber in history. Before meeting the famous Chinese pirate Zheng Yi, she made a living as a prostitute. In 1801, the lovers got married. The Yi fleet was huge; it consisted of 300 ships and about 30 thousand corsairs.
On November 16, 1807, Zheng Yi died. His fleet passed into the hands of his wife, Zheng Shi ("Zheng's widow"). Zhang Bao, the son of a fisherman, whom Yi kidnapped and adopted, helped her manage everything. They turned out to be a great team. By 1810, the fleet consisted of 1,800 ships and 80,000 crew members. Zheng Shi's ships were subject to strict laws. Those who violated them paid for it with their heads. In 1810, Zheng Shi's fleet and authority weakened, and she was forced to conclude a truce with the emperor and go over to the side of the authorities.
Zheng Shi became the most successful and richest pirate of all time. She died at the age of 69.
Madame Shan Wong
200 years after the death of the first Chinese "pirate queen" in the same waters where her fleets robbed, a completely worthy successor to her work appeared, who rightfully won the same title. Shang, a former Cantonese nightclub dancer who became famous as China's most seductive diva, married no less famous person. His name was Wong Kungkim, he was the largest pirate chieftain in Southeast Asia, who began robbing merchant ships as early as 1940.
His wife, Madame Wong, as her friends and foes called her, was a faithful friend and intelligent assistant to the pirate in all his operations. But in 1946, Wong Kungkit died. The story of his death is mysterious, it is believed that the pirate's competitors are to blame for it. When, in the end, two of Wong Kungkit's closest assistants came to the widow, so that she, purely formally (since everything had already been decided by these two), would approve the candidate they had named for the post of head of the corporation. “Unfortunately, there are two of you,” Madame replied, not looking up from the toilet, “and the company needs one head ...” After these words, Madame turned around sharply, and the men saw that she was holding a revolver in each hand. This is how the “coronation” of Madame Wong took place, because after this incident there were no hunters to talk with her about power in the corporation.
Since then, her power over the pirates has been unquestioned. Her first independent operation was the attack on the Dutch steamer Van Heutz, which was boarded at night at the anchorage. In addition to the seizure of the cargo, everyone who was on board was robbed. Mining Madame Wong amounted to more than 400 thousand pounds. She herself rarely took part in the raids and in such cases she always wore a mask.
The police of the coastal countries, knowing that the pirates were led by a woman named Madame Wong, could not publish her portrait, which negated the possibility of her capture. It was announced that there was a £10,000 reward for her photograph, and whoever caught or killed Madame Wong could name the amount of the reward, and the authorities of Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines would guarantee him the payment of such an amount.
And one day, the head of the police of Singapore received a package with photographs, on which it was written that they were related to Madame Wong. They were photographs of two Chinese men cut into pieces. The caption read: They wanted to take a picture of Madame Wong.
That's almost all...
The theme of beautiful women among pirates is glorified by cinema... and every year it will only gain popularity.
Pictures (C) on the Internet. If they are highly artistic and colored, then they have nothing to do with the described pirate. I apologize to them and you, I'm sure in real life they looked more impressive ...
Pirates are sea (or river) robbers. The word "pirate" (Latin pirata) comes, in turn, from the Greek. πειρατής, cognate with the word πειράω ("try, test"). Thus, the meaning of the word would be "torturing happiness." The etymology testifies to how unsteady the boundary between the professions of a navigator and a pirate was from the very beginning.
Henry Morgan (1635-1688) became the most famous pirate in the world, enjoying a kind of fame. This man became famous not so much for his corsair exploits as for his activities as a commander and politician. Morgan's main merit was the help of England in seizing control over the entire Caribbean Sea. Ever since childhood, Henry was a fidget, which affected his adult life. In a short time, he managed to be a slave, collect his own gang of thugs and get his first ship. Along the way, many people were robbed. Being in the service of the queen, Morgan directed his energy to the ruin of the Spanish colonies, he did it perfectly. As a result, everyone learned the name of the active sailor. But then the pirate suddenly decided to settle down - he got married, bought a house ... However, a violent temper took its toll, moreover, at his leisure, Henry realized that it was much more profitable to capture coastal cities than just rob ships. Once Morgan used a tricky move. On the approach to one of the cities, he took a large ship and stuffed it to the top with gunpowder, sending it to the Spanish port at dusk. A huge explosion led to such turmoil that there was simply no one to defend the city. So the city was taken, and the local fleet was destroyed, thanks to Morgan's cunning. Storming Panama, the commander decided to attack the city from land, sending the army around the city. As a result, the maneuver was a success, the fortress fell. Last years Morgan spent his life as Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. His whole life was spent at a frantic pirate pace, with all the charms appropriate to the occupation in the form of alcohol. Only rum defeated the brave sailor - he died of cirrhosis of the liver and was buried as a nobleman. True, the sea took his ashes - the cemetery plunged into the sea after the earthquake.
Francis Drake (1540-1596) was born in England, the son of a priest. The young man began his maritime career as a cabin boy on a small merchant ship. It was there that the smart and observant Francis learned the art of navigation. Already at the age of 18, he received command of his own ship, which he inherited from the old captain. In those days, the queen blessed the pirate raids, so long as they were directed against the enemies of England. During one of these voyages, Drake fell into a trap, but, despite the death of 5 other English ships, he managed to save his ship. The pirate quickly became famous for his cruelty, and fortune fell in love with him. Trying to take revenge on the Spaniards, Drake begins to wage his own war against them - he robs their ships and cities. In 1572, he managed to capture the "Silver Caravan", carrying more than 30 tons of silver, which immediately made the pirate rich. An interesting feature of Drake was the fact that he not only sought to loot more, but also to visit previously unknown places. As a result, many sailors were filled with gratitude to Drake for his work in clarifying and correcting the map of the world. With the permission of the queen, the pirate went on a secret expedition to South America, with the official version of the exploration of Australia. The expedition was a great success. Drake maneuvered so cleverly, avoiding the traps of enemies, that he managed to make a trip around the world on his way home. Along the way, he attacked Spanish settlements in South America, circled Africa and brought home potato tubers. The total profit from the campaign was unprecedented - more than half a million pounds. Then it was twice the budget of the whole country. As a result, right on board the ship, Drake was knighted - an unprecedented case, which has no analogues in history. The apogee of the pirate's greatness came at the end of the 16th century, when he took part as an admiral in the defeat of the Invincible Armada. In the future, luck turned away from the pirate, during one of the subsequent voyages to the American shores, he fell ill with dengue fever and died.
Edward Teach (1680-1718) is better known by his nickname Blackbeard. It was because of this external attribute that Tich was considered a terrible monster. The first mention of the activities of this corsair refers only to 1717, what the Englishman did before that remained unknown. By indirect evidence, one can guess that he was a soldier, but deserted and became a filibuster. Then he was already pirating, terrifying people with his beard, which covered almost the entire face. Tich was very brave and courageous, which earned him the respect of other pirates. He wove wicks into his beard, which, smoking, terrified opponents. In 1716, Edward was given command of his sloop to conduct privateer operations against the French. Teach soon captured a larger ship and made it his flagship, renaming it Queen Anne's Revenge. The pirate at this time operates in the Jamaica region, robbing everyone in a row and gaining new henchmen. By the beginning of 1718, there were already 300 people under the command of Tich. In a year, he managed to capture more than 40 ships. All the pirates knew that the bearded man was hiding a treasure on some of the uninhabited islands, but no one knew exactly where. The atrocities of the pirate against the British and the robbery of the colonies forced the authorities to declare a hunt for Blackbeard. An impressive reward was announced and Lieutenant Maynard was hired to track down Teach. In November 1718, the pirate was overtaken by the authorities and was killed during the battle. Teach's head was chopped off, and the body was hung on a yardarm.
William Kidd (1645-1701). Born in Scotland near the docks, the future pirate decided from childhood to connect his fate with the sea. In 1688, Kidd, being a simple sailor, survived a shipwreck near Haiti and was forced to become a pirate. In 1689, having betrayed his associates, William took possession of the frigate, calling it "Blessed William". With the help of a letter of marque, Kidd took part in the war against the French. In the winter of 1690, part of the team left him, and Kidd decided to settle down. He married a wealthy widow, taking possession of land and property. But the heart of a pirate demanded adventure, and now, after 5 years, he is already a captain again. The powerful frigate "Brave" was intended to rob, but only the French. After all, the expedition was sponsored by the state, which did not need unnecessary political scandals. However, the sailors, seeing the scarcity of profits, periodically revolted. The capture of a rich ship with French goods did not save the situation. Fleeing from his former subordinates, Kidd surrendered into the hands of the British authorities. The pirate was taken to London, where he quickly became a bargaining chip in the fight. political parties. On charges of piracy and the murder of a ship's officer (who was the instigator of the mutiny), Kidd was sentenced to death. In 1701, the pirate was hanged, and his body hung in an iron cage over the Thames for 23 years, as a warning to the corsairs of imminent punishment.
Mary Read (1685-1721). Since childhood, the girl was dressed in the clothes of a boy. So the mother tried to hide the death of her son who died early. At the age of 15, Mary went to serve in the army. In the battles in Flanders, under the name Mark, she showed miracles of courage, but she did not wait for promotion. Then the woman decided to join the cavalry, where she fell in love with her colleague. After the end of hostilities, the couple got married. However, the happiness did not last long, her husband died unexpectedly, Mary, dressed in men's clothes, became a sailor. The ship fell into the hands of pirates, the woman was forced to join them, cohabiting with the captain. In battle, Mary wore a male uniform, participating in skirmishes on an equal basis with everyone else. Over time, the woman fell in love with an artisan who helped the pirates. They even got married and were going to end the past. But even here the happiness did not last long. Pregnant Reid was caught by the authorities. When she was caught along with other pirates, she said that she was committing robberies against her will. However, other pirates showed that there was no one more determined than Mary Read in the matter of robbing ships and boarding. The court did not dare to hang a pregnant woman, she patiently waited for her fate in a Jamaican prison, not being afraid of a shameful death. But a high fever killed her first.
Olivier (Francois) le Wasser became the most famous French pirate. He bore the nickname "La blues", or "buzzard". A Norman nobleman of noble origin was able to turn the island of Tortuga (now Haiti) into an impregnable fortress of filibusters. Initially, Le Vasseur was sent to the island to protect the French settlers, but he quickly drove the British out of there (according to other sources - the Spaniards) and began to pursue his own policy. Being a talented engineer, the Frenchman designed a well-fortified fortress. Le Vasseur issued filibuster very dubious documents for the right to hunt the Spaniards, taking the lion's share of the booty for himself. In fact, he became the leader of the pirates, without taking a direct part in the hostilities. When in 1643 the Spaniards failed to take the island, having discovered fortifications with surprise, the authority of le Wasser grew noticeably. He finally refused to obey the French and pay deductions to the crown. However, the spoiled character, tyranny and tyranny of the Frenchman led to the fact that in 1652 he was killed by his own friends. According to legend, Le Wasser collected and hid the largest treasure of all time, worth 235 million pounds in today's money. Information about the location of the treasure was kept in the form of a cryptogram around the neck of the governor, but the gold has never been found.
William Dampier (1651-1715) is often referred to not only as a pirate, but also as a scientist. After all, he made as many as three round-the-world voyages, discovering many islands in the Pacific Ocean. Orphaned early, William chose the sea path. At first he took part in trading voyages, and then he managed to make war. In 1674, an Englishman came to Jamaica as a trading agent, but his career in this capacity did not work out, and Dampier was forced to become a sailor of a merchant ship again. After exploring the Caribbean, William settled on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, on the Yucatan coast. Here he found friends in the form of runaway slaves and filibusters. Dampier's later life took place in the idea of traveling through Central America, plundering Spanish settlements on land and at sea. He sailed in the waters of Chile, Panama, New Spain. Dampier began to keep notes of his adventures almost immediately. As a result, in 1697, his book "A New Journey Around the World" was published, which made him famous. Dampier became a member of the most prestigious houses in London, entered the royal service and continued his research, writing new book. However, in 1703, on an English ship, Dampier continued a series of robberies of Spanish ships and settlements in the Panama region. In 1708-1710, he took part as a navigator of a corsair round-the-world expedition. The works of the pirate scientist turned out to be so valuable for science that he is considered to be one of the fathers of modern oceanography.
Zheng Shi (1785-1844) is considered one of the most successful pirates. The facts that she commanded a fleet of 2000 ships, on which more than 70 thousand sailors served, will tell about the scale of her actions. The 16-year-old prostitute "Madame Jing" married the famous pirate Zheng Yi. After his death in 1807, the widow inherited a pirate fleet of 400 ships. Corsairs not only attacked merchant ships off the coast of China, but also swam deep into the mouths of the rivers, devastating coastal settlements. The emperor was so surprised by the actions of the pirates that he sent his fleet against them, but this did not have significant consequences. The key to Zheng Shi's success was the strict discipline she established on the courts. She put an end to traditional pirate freedoms - plundering allies and raping prisoners was punishable by death. However, as a result of the betrayal of one of her captains, a female pirate in 1810 was forced to conclude a truce with the authorities. Her further career was held as the owner of a brothel and a gambling den. The story of a pirate woman is reflected in literature and cinema, there are many legends about her.
Edward Lau (1690-1724) also known as Ned Lau. For most of his life, this man traded in petty theft. In 1719, his wife died in childbirth, and Edward realized that from now on nothing ties him to the house. After 2 years, he became a pirate operating around the Azores, New England and the Caribbean. This time is considered the end of the age of piracy, but Lau became famous for a short time managed to capture more than a hundred ships, while showing a rare bloodthirstiness.
Aruj Barbarossa(1473-1518) became a pirate at the age of 16, after the Turks captured his native island of Lesvos. Already at the age of 20, Barbarossa became a merciless and brave corsair. Having escaped from captivity, he soon seized a ship for himself, becoming the leader. Aruj entered into an agreement with the Tunisian authorities, who allowed him to organize a base on one of the islands in exchange for a share of the booty. As a result, the pirate fleet of Arouge terrorized all Mediterranean ports. Having got involved in politics, Arouj eventually became the ruler of Algeria under the name of Barbarossa. However, the fight against the Spaniards did not bring good luck to the Sultan - he was killed. His work was continued by his younger brother, known as Barbaross II.
Bartholomew Roberts(1682-1722). This pirate was one of the most successful and successful in history. It is believed that Roberts was able to capture more than four hundred ships. At the same time, the cost of the pirate's extraction amounted to more than 50 million pounds. And the pirate achieved such results in just two and a half years. Bartholomew was an unusual pirate - he was enlightened and loved to dress fashionably. Roberts was often seen in a burgundy waistcoat and breeches, he wore a hat with a red plume, and a gold chain with a diamond cross hung on his chest. The pirate did not abuse alcohol at all, as was customary in this environment. Moreover, he even punished his sailors for drunkenness. We can say that it was Bartholomew, who was nicknamed "Black Bart" and was the most successful pirate in history. In addition, unlike Henry Morgan, he never cooperated with the authorities. And the famous pirate was born in South Wales. His maritime career began as third mate on a slave ship. Roberts' duties included looking after the "cargo" and its safety. However, after being captured by pirates, the sailor himself was in the role of a slave. Nevertheless, the young European was able to please the captain Howell Davis, who captured him, and he accepted him into his crew. And in June 1719, after the death of the leader of the gang during the storming of the fort, it was Roberts who led the team. He immediately captured the ill-fated city of Principe on the coast of Guinea and razed it to the face of the earth. After going to sea, the pirate quickly captured several merchant ships. However, booty off the African coast was scarce, which is why in early 1720 Roberts headed for the Caribbean. The glory of a successful pirate overtook him, and merchant ships already shied away at the sight of Black Bart's ship. In the north, Roberts sold African goods profitably. All summer of 1720 he was lucky - the pirate captured many ships, 22 of them right in the bays. However, even while engaged in robbery, Black Bart remained a pious person. He even managed to pray a lot in between murders and robberies. But it was this pirate who came up with a cruel execution with the help of a board thrown over the side of the ship. The team loved their captain so much that they were ready to follow him to the ends of the world. And the explanation was simple - Roberts was desperately lucky. At various times, he managed from 7 to 20 pirate ships. The teams were runaway criminals and slaves of the most of different nationalities called themselves the "House of Lords". And the name of Black Bart inspired terror throughout the Atlantic.
Jack Rackham (1682-1720). And this famous pirate was nicknamed Calico Jack. The fact is that he loved to wear Calico pants, which were brought from India. And although this pirate was not the most cruel or the most successful, he managed to become famous. The fact is that Rackham's team had two women dressed in men's clothes at once - Mary Reed and Ann Boni. Both of them were mistresses of a pirate. Thanks to this fact, as well as the courage and courage of his ladies, the Rackham team also became famous. But luck changed him when in 1720 his ship met with the ship of the governor of Jamaica. At that time, the entire crew of pirates was dead drunk. To get away from persecution, Rackham ordered to cut the anchor. However, the military were able to catch up with him and take him after a short fight. The captain of the pirates, along with his entire crew, was hanged in Jamaica, in Port Royal. Just before his death, Rackham asked for a meeting with Ann Boni. But she herself refused him this, saying that if the pirate had fought like a man, he would not have died like a dog. It is said that John Rackham is the author of the famous pirate symbol - the skull and crossbones, the "Jolly Roger".
Jean Lafitte (? -1826). This famous corsair was also a smuggler. With the tacit consent of the government of the young American state, he calmly robbed the ships of England and Spain in the Gulf of Mexico. The heyday of the activity of the pirate fell on the 1810s. It is not known where and when exactly Jean Lafitte was born. It is possible that he was a native of Haiti and was a secret Spanish agent. It was said that Lafitte knew the coast of the bay better than many cartographers. It was known for sure that he sold the stolen goods through his brother, a merchant who lived in New Orleans. The Lafittes illegally supplied slaves to the southern states, but thanks to their guns and people, the Americans were able to defeat the British in 1815 in the battle for New Orleans. In 1817, under pressure from the authorities, the pirate settled on the Texas island of Galveston, where he even founded his own state of Campeche. Lafitte continued to supply slaves as well, using intermediaries for this. But in 1821, one of his captains personally attacked a plantation in Louisiana. And although Lafitte was ordered by an insolent man, the authorities ordered him to sink his ships and leave the island. The pirate has only two ships left from the once entire fleet. Then Lafitte with a group of his followers settled on the island of Isla Mujeres off the coast of Mexico. But even then, he did not attack American ships. And after 1826, there is no information about the valiant pirate. In Louisiana itself, there are still legends about Captain Lafitte. And in the city of Lake Charles, "smugglers' days" are even held in his memory. Even a nature reserve near the coast of Barataria is named after the pirate. And in 1958, Hollywood even released a film about Lafitte, played by Yul Brynner.
Thomas Cavendish (1560-1592). Pirates not only robbed ships, but were also brave travelers, discovering new lands. In particular, Cavendish was the third sailor who decided to travel around the world. His youth was spent in the English fleet. Thomas led such a turbulent life that he quickly lost all his inheritance. And in 1585, he left the service and went for his share of the booty to rich America. He returned home rich. Easy money and the help of fortune forced Cavendish to choose the path of a pirate to gain fame and fortune. On July 22, 1586, Thomas sailed from Plymouth to Sierra Leone at the head of his own flotilla. The expedition aimed to find new islands, to study winds and currents. However, this did not prevent them from engaging in parallel and outright robbery. At the very first stop in Sierra Leone, Cavendish, along with his 70 sailors, robbed the local settlements. A good start allowed the captain to dream of future exploits. January 7, 1587 Cavendish passed through the Strait of Magellan, and then went north along the coast of Chile. Before him, only one European traveled this way - Francis Drake. The Spaniards controlled this part of the Pacific Ocean, generally calling it the Spanish Lake. The rumor of English pirates forced the garrisons to gather. But the Englishman's flotilla was worn out - Thomas found a quiet bay for repairs. The Spaniards, however, did not wait, finding the pirates during the raid. However, the British not only repelled the attack of superior forces, but also put them to flight and immediately robbed several neighboring settlements. Two ships have gone on. On June 12, they reached the equator and until November the pirates waited for the "treasury" ship with all the proceeds of the Mexican colonies. Persistence was rewarded, and the British captured a lot of gold and jewelry. However, when dividing the booty, the pirates quarreled, and Cavendish was left with one ship. With him he went to the west, where he obtained a load of spices by robbery. On September 9, 1588, Cavendish's ship returned to Plymouth. The pirate not only became one of the first to circumnavigate the world, but also did it very quickly - in 2 years and 50 days. In addition, 50 people of his team returned with the captain. This record was so significant that it lasted more than two centuries.
Incredible Facts
Blackbeard
Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard, instituted a reign of terror in the Caribbean that lasted from 1716 to 1718.
The sailor began as a privateer fighting for England during the War of the Spanish Succession, honing his skills as a pirate before turning to piracy.
A fierce fighter, Blackbeard was known both for his particular style of taking over ships and for his huge mane of hair.
Anne Bonnie
The most famous female pirate in history was as intimidating as her male counterparts, and besides, she was very smart and educated.
The daughter of a plantation owner, Ann left her settled life in the early 1700s and went to conquer the seas.
She joined the crew of Jack Rackham's Calico ship disguised as a man, but legend has it that she was spared the death penalty after the crew was captured because she was pregnant.
Captain Samuel Bellamy
Although he died in a very young age(he was only 28 years old), "Black Sam" made a name for himself after he captured several ships, including the Whydah Gally, a ship that was full of gold, silver and other valuable goods. Bellamy made the ship his own in 1717, but he sank in a storm that same year.
Jin Shih
The golden age of piracy did not pass by China, and women on board or even at the helm were not uncommon.
From 1801, her "career" developed very rapidly, and she became one of the most powerful female captains, and, in the end, the commander of a fleet of 2,000 ships and 70,000 sailors.
It is believed that the key to Jin's success was the iron discipline that reigned on her ships.
Bartholomew Roberts
"Black" Bart Roberts was one of the most successful pirates of the Golden Age, patrolling the waters off the coast of Africa and the Caribbean.
In less than four years, he captured 400 ships.
Bart was very cold-blooded and rarely left anyone alive on the captured ships, so the British authorities actively searched for him. He died at sea.
Captain Kidd
Pirate or privateer? Scottish sailor William Kidd is known for high-profile litigation with the British government regarding his cruelest crimes and pirate attacks.
However, the veracity of this claim is still disputed. According to some modern historians, Kidd acted according to his letter of marque and did not attack allied ships.
However, he was hanged in 1701. Rumors about the whereabouts of the vast treasures he hid still haunt the minds of many adventurers to this day.
Henry Morgan
So popular that a rum was named after him, Captain Morgan first served as a privateer in the Caribbean, then became a pirate, and famously wreaked havoc in the "golden" Spanish colony of Panama City in the mid-1600s.
He is also known as one of the few pirates who managed to "retire".
Calico Jack (Calico Jack)
"Jolly Roger Flag Pioneer" Calico Jack Rackham was a pirate caribbean, who has had several epic names, but is known for his association with Anne Bonnie, as well as for his classic pirate death.
Captured in Jamaica in 1720, Rackham was hanged, doused with tar and set on fire to show what would happen to every pirate. Now the place where this event took place is called Cay Rackham.
Sir Francis Drake
Noble to some and criminal to others, Drake spent the time between the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 and his world tour active in piracy and the slave trade in the Caribbean.
The conquests he carried out, especially the attacks on the Spanish colonies in Central America, were considered among the richest in the amount of piracy taken in the history.
Brothers Barbarossa
Names such as Aru and Khizir may not seem familiar to you, but the nickname given to Turkish corsairs by Europeans - Barbarossa (red beard) - probably conjures up images of tough and stern sailors in the Mediterranean.
In the 16th century, using North Africa as a base, the Barbarossa brothers attacked several coastal towns and became one of the most powerful people in the area.
The phenomenon of piracy has given human history many names of legendary adventurers. The peak of maritime robberies came in the 17th century, when the World Ocean was the scene of a struggle between Spain, England and some other European colonial powers gaining momentum. Most often, pirates made their living by independent criminal robberies, but some of them ended up on public service and purposefully harmed the foreign fleet.
Francis Drake
Born in 1540, he came from an ordinary farming family, and nothing foreshadowed that he would become a great pirate and navigator. A sharp turn in his life happened at the age of 12, when his parents moved to Kent. There, the teenager became a cabin boy on a merchant barge. The owner of the ship was his distant relative. Dying, he handed over the ship as a legacy to Drake. So, by an amazing coincidence, already at the age of 18, the young man turned out to be a captain.
Like all other contemporary sailors, Francis dreamed of distant western seas, where the Spaniards continued to rule since their discovery. Most famous pirates of that time, as one, they hunted the royal galleons loaded with American gold. The Spaniards really controlled the West Indies and were not going to give its resources to the British. Skirmishes constantly occurred between the ships of these two countries. In one of them, in 1567, Francis Drake almost lost his life. Of the entire English flotilla, only two ships survived. After this episode, the Spaniards became Drake's sworn enemies.
Francis received from his authorities a letter of marque and the right to free robbery of enemy bases. Using this opportunity, the pirate captured Spanish fortresses and outposts in the Caribbean. In 1572, his detachment intercepted a huge cargo of silver. The robber sailed to England with 30 tons of precious metal.
Drake became famous not only as a thunderstorm of the Spaniards, but also as a brave navigator. In 1577, Queen Elizabeth I sent him on an expedition around the world. It was this pirate who became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. During his journey, he found out that Tierra del Fuego is an island, and not the southern mainland, as was previously believed in Europe. After his triumphant return, Francis Drake received a knighthood and became a sir. The high rank did not change the habits of the sea wolf. On the contrary, over and over again he rushed into another adventurous voyage.
In 1588, Francis Drake participated in the defeat of the Spanish Invincible Armada. The victory of the English fleet was a harbinger of British maritime dominance for several centuries. After this success, Drake went on expeditions to the West Indies several times. In it, he destroyed enemy bases of pirates that interfered with the lucrative English trade. Sir Drake died in 1596 while traveling in Panama. His lead coffin was buried in the ocean. Without a doubt, the adventurer is the most famous pirate of the 16th century.
Henry Morgan
Henry Morgan was born in 1635 in the Welsh outback to a landowner's family. The boy could become the heir of his father, but from childhood his passion was not Agriculture, and the sea. As time has shown, love for distant horizons was justified. The most famous pirates envied the success of Henry Morgan, who became a living legend of his time.
As a young man, an Englishman hired himself on a ship sailing to the harbor of the island of Barbados. Once in the Caribbean, Morgan began to build an amazing career as a pirate. Joining the sea robbers, he moved to Jamaica. Junga quickly became a participant in raids, the main purpose of which was to rob ships that came to hand. In a short time, the boy learned all the laws and customs of marine life. Already in his youth, he became the owner of considerable capital, knocked together from pirate proceeds and winnings in dice. With this money, Henry bought his first ship.
Very soon, even the most famous pirates heard about the prowess and luck of Morgan. A group of like-minded people formed around the pirate. New ships began to join his ship. The growth of influence could not but lead to the growth of ambitions. In 1665, Morgan decided to give up plundering ships and began planning an operation to capture the entire city. Trujillo was his first target. Then the robber captured several Spanish bases in Cuba. Both simple privateers and the most famous pirates could not boast of such success.
Morgan's most famous military enterprise was his campaign against Panama in 1670. By this time, the robber already had a fleet of 35 ships and a team of 2 thousand people at his disposal. This gang landed in Panama and moved to the Spanish fortress of the same name. Although the garrison consisted of 2.5 thousand soldiers, he was unable to defend the city. Having taken Panama, the pirates exterminated all those who resisted and plundered everything they could reach. The city was set on fire and destroyed. After this raid, the names of the most famous pirates faded against the background of the name of Henry Morgan.
When an English subject returned to Jamaica, which belonged to the crown, the authorities unexpectedly arrested him. The fact was that on the eve of London and Madrid made peace. Pirates did not act on behalf of the state, but enjoyed its benevolent connivance. Having made peace with Spain, the British government promised to rein in their pirates. Henry Morgan was expelled to his homeland. At home, a court was waiting for him, but the process turned out to be only a sham demonstration. The authorities were not going to punish the pirate who had rendered them so many services in the fight against Spanish rule at sea.
Henry Morgan soon returned to Jamaica. He became vice-governor of the island and commander-in-chief of its fleet and army. In the future, the pirate continued to faithfully serve the crown. He died in 1688 and was buried with honors in the church of Port Royal. A few years later, Jamaica was rocked by a catastrophic earthquake, and Morgan's grave was washed into the ocean.
Ann Bonnie
Although sea robbery has traditionally been considered an exclusively male business at all times, the most famous female pirates are no less interesting. One of them was (born in 1700). The girl came from a wealthy Irish family. When she was still a child, her father purchased an estate in distant America. So Ann moved to the New World.
At the age of 18, her daughter ran away from home and embarked on a path of adventurous adventure. She met a pirate and decided to join his sea adventures. The girl had to get used to men's clothes and master the skills of combat and shooting. Rackham's crew was seized by the authorities in 1720. The captain was executed, but the punishment for Ann was constantly postponed due to her pregnancy. Her further fate remains unknown.
According to one version, Bonnie was released and died during another raid, according to another, her influential father rescued her, after which the former robber spent her whole life in South Carolina and died in 1782 at a ripe old age. Be that as it may, the most famous female pirates (another famous robber at the time was even more rumored than their male counterparts.
Blackbeard
The legendary figure of Blackbeard remains one of the most recognizable in the pirate pantheon. Under this nickname was Edward Teach. Almost nothing is known about his childhood. The sailor made himself known in 1713, when at the age of 33 he joined the robbers of Benjamin Hornigold. Like all world-famous pirates, this team hunted in the Caribbean Sea, which is attractive for valuable cargo. Teach was the true ideal of a pirate. He knew nothing but regular raids and robberies. His ship, Queen Anne's Revenge, terrified both sailors and civilians on earth.
In 1717, thanks to the efforts of the governor of the Bahamas, the official authorities began an uncompromising fight against pirates. In new unusual conditions, many robbers (including the same Hornigold) decided to lay down their arms and receive a royal pardon. However, Teach refused to change his lifestyle. From that moment on, he became enemy No. 1 for the British military and naval forces.
Many famous pirates who did not want to fit into the new order joined Blackbeard. The most famous adventure of this captain was the blockade of Charleston in South Carolina. The raiders captured many high-ranking citizens and received a colossal ransom in exchange for their return.
The treachery of the owner of Queen Anne's Revenge did not go unpunished. The authorities promised 100 pounds for the head of a pirate, which was then a fortune. A real hunt began for Blackbeard. Very soon, on November 22, 1718, he died in a boarding battle against the team of Lieutenant Robert Maynard. Often the most famous pirates and their ships disturbed the seas for an extremely short, but eventful period. The same was the fate of Blackbeard.
Bartholomew Roberts
The fame enjoyed by the most famous pirates in history gave rise to many rumors and myths around them. Bartholomew Roberts was no exception to this rule. It is he who is credited with the authorship of the Code of Pirates - a set of rules according to which many generations of sea robbers lived.
Roberts was born in 1682 in the small Welsh town of Haverfordwest. His sea travels began on a slave ship, where Bartholomew was the captain's mate. He got to the pirates at the age of 37, when he was hired on the ship "Princess of London". A month and a half later, the novice robber was elected captain of his own ship.
Further independent enterprises of Roberts glorified him in many seas and countries. At that time, it was believed that he was the most famous pirate in the world. Bartholomew's team operated not only in the Caribbean, but also in the coastal waters of West Africa, Brazil and even Canada. The thugs plundered everything that could be profitably sold: ships with noble metals, galleons with northern furs, barges with rare American goods. Roberts made his flagship a stolen French brig, which he called the "Royal Pirate".
Bartholomew was killed in 1722 while on another trip to Africa, where he intended to engage in a profitable slave trade. The legendary pirate was killed by the addiction of his companions to drink. When a British ship unexpectedly attacked Roberts' ship, his entire crew was dead drunk. The most famous pirates of the Caribbean and the admirals of the Royal Navy were amazed by what happened: it seemed to everyone that Bartholomew was invincible. Roberts stood out noticeably from his comrades not only in his own successes, but also in his habit of dressing well, as well as his aversion to gambling and foul language. There is no doubt that he was one of the most extravagant pirates of his time.
Henry Avery
During his short life, he managed to acquire many nicknames. Some contemporaries called him Lanky Ben, others called him the Arch-Pirate. Avery's love of the sea was predetermined by his own roots. Henry's father was a captain in the English navy. In 1659, a son appeared in the officer's family, who was destined to become one of the brightest and most legendary pirates of his era.
At first, the future criminal sailed on merchant ships and only then changed them to robber ones. In 1694, 25-year-old Emery was employed on a privateer ship. The main difference between such a ship and a classic pirate ship was that it robbed and attacked foreign merchants with the permission of its government. Sometimes contracts were violated: when the ship stopped paying salaries, the crew rebelled. The sailors decided to become pirates and instead of the old captain they chose a new one. It turned out to be Henry Emery.
The new leader of the robbers left the Caribbean Sea and went to the Indian Ocean, where there was also something to profit from. The place of the first long stop was Madagascar. Emery's team then attacked ships belonging to the Indian Mughal Empire. The robbers managed to capture a huge amount of rare oriental goods and all kinds of jewelry. All the pirates of America dreamed of such a profitable enterprise. After that expedition, Avery disappeared from view. There were rumors that he moved to England and tried to start an honest business and ended up completely broke.
Thomas Tew
The path that Henry Emery followed during his famous expedition was called the "Pirate Circle". Thomas Tew was the first to pass this route (Atlantic - South Africa - Madagascar - India). Like Emery, he started out as a privateer and ended up as a pirate. In 1693 he robbed several ships in the Red Sea. Before his attack, European thugs had never hunted in this area. Perhaps this is the reason for Tew's success - no one expected the appearance of Caribbean gentlemen of fortune.
During his second voyage to Madagascar, Thomas met Henry Emery by chance. Because of the rumors about easy money in the eastern countries, the most famous sea robbers now sought to repeat the success of Tew. In the memory of the pirates, this captain remained precisely as the discoverer of the "Circle". He couldn't do more. In 1695, Thomas Tew died during an attack on a Mughal flotilla.
Thomas Cavendish
The list, which includes the most famous pirates in world history, cannot be complete without mentioning Thomas Cavendish (1560-1592). He was a contemporary of Francis Drake. The biographies of these two pirates, who acted in the interests of the English crown, have many similarities. Cavendish, following Drake, decided to travel around the world. The expedition, made in 1586-1588, was not peaceful at all. Rounding America, English pirates robbed many Spanish ships full of gold. In a sense, Thomas Cavendish's journey was audacity. The Spaniards considered Pacific Ocean their "inner lake" and became furious when foreign robbers penetrated these still unknown waters.
The Cavendish team made the most profitable attack near the coast of Mexico. The subjects of Elizabeth I attacked the galleon, which was carrying a year's supply of Peruvian gold (120,000 pesos). Another lucrative enterprise for pirates was a stopover in Java. This island was famous for its pepper and cloves. Spices at that time were valued by weight precious metals. Cavendish managed to get a large cargo of this expensive commodity. The pirates returned to their native Plymouth in 1588. Having completed a round-the-world trip in 2 years and 50 days, they set a speed record that lasted for two whole centuries.
Cavendish quickly spent his fortune. A few years after his amazing success, he assembled a second expedition, intending to repeat his last triumph exactly. However, this time the pirate was pursued by failures. In 1592 he died in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Presumably Cavendish's ship sank near Ascension Island.
Francois Olone
Although the most famous pirates and their ships, as a rule, were associated with England, other countries also had their own nuggets. For example, the Frenchman Francois Olone (1630-1671) left a significant mark on history. In his youth, he became famous in the main Caribbean pirate port of Tortuga. In 1662, a young robber received a letter of marque and began to hunt Spanish ships. One day Olone's ship was wrecked. The pirate was thrown onto the Mexican coast, where he, along with his team, was attacked by the Spaniards who came to the rescue. All the French died, and only Olona, who pretended to be dead, managed to survive.
François' most ambitious undertaking was his capture of the Spanish city of Maracaibo in present-day Venezuela. The daredevils who attacked the colony fit in only five ships. On the way, the pirates plundered a Spanish ship and obtained a valuable cargo of jewelry and cocoa. Arriving on the mainland, Olone led the assault on the fort, which was garrisoned by 800 people. The pirates captured the fortress and got 80,000 silver piastres. In honor of the fall of Maracaibo, the captain was nicknamed "the scourge of the Spaniards."
The last campaign for the famous French robber was his expedition to Nicaragua. After three months of looking for profit, the pirates seized a ship loaded with cheap paper. Due to failure, part of the team returned to Tortuga. Olone continued the raid, but unfortunately for the captain near Cartagena, his ship ran aground. A French detachment of 40 people that reached the shore was attacked by a crowd of Indians. Local cannibals tore and ate Olone and his team.
Amaro Pargo
Amaro Pargo is one of the most famous Spanish pirates. He was born in 1678 in the Canary Islands and already in his youth began to trade in the transportation of slaves from Africa to America. Free laborers on the plantations were highly valued, thanks to which Pargo quickly got rich. He was a sworn enemy of Blackbeard and, in general, of all English pirates.
Before his death in 1747, Pargo made a will, in which he indicated that he buried a chest with fabulous treasures: silver, gold, pearls, jewelry, precious stones and expensive fabrics. For several decades, many adventurers have tried to find this treasure, including the most famous pirates. There are still a lot of blank spots in the story of Pargo's legacy. Despite a long search, no one found the treasure of the Spanish pirate.
For a long time, the Caribbean islands served as a bone of contention for the great maritime powers, since untold riches lurked here. And where there is wealth, there are robbers. Piracy in the Caribbean has blossomed into full bloom and turned into a serious problem. In fact, the sea robbers were much more cruel than we imagine.
In 1494, the Pope divided the New World between Spain and Portugal. All the gold of the Aztecs, Incas and Maya South America went to the ungrateful Spaniards. Other European maritime powers naturally did not like this, and conflict was inevitable. And their struggle for Spanish possessions in the New World (this mainly concerned England and France) led to the emergence of piracy.
famous corsairs
At the very beginning, piracy was even approved by the authorities and was called privateering. A privateer or corsair is a pirate ship, but with a state flag, designed to capture enemy ships.Francis Drake
As a corsair, Drake possessed not only their usual greed and cruelty, but was also extremely inquisitive, and, eager to visit new places, he eagerly took on the fulfillment of orders from Queen Elizabeth, mainly concerning the Spanish colonies. In 1572, he was especially lucky - on the Isthmus of Panama, Drake intercepted the Silver Caravan, en route to Spain, which carried 30 tons of silver.
Once he, carried away, even made a round-the-world trip. And he completed one of his campaigns with unprecedented profit, replenishing the royal treasury by 500 thousand pounds sterling, which was more than one and a half times her annual income. The queen personally arrived on the ship to give Jack a knighthood. In addition to treasures, Jack also brought potato tubers to Europe, for which in Germany in the city of Offenburg they even erected a monument to him, on the pedestal of which it is written: “To Sir Francis Drake, who spread potatoes in Europe.”
Henry Morgan
Morgan was a world-famous successor to the Drake cause. The Spaniards considered him their most terrible enemy, for them he was even more terrible than Francis Drake. Having brought a whole army of pirates to the walls of the Spanish city of Panama at that time, he ruthlessly plundered it, taking out huge treasures, after which he turned the city into ashes. Largely thanks to Morgan, Britain was able to seize control of the Caribbean from Spain for a while. King Charles II of England personally knighted Morgan and appointed him governor of Jamaica, where he spent his last years.
The golden age of piracy
Beginning in 1690, an active trade was established between Europe, Africa and the Caribbean, which led to an extraordinary flowering of piracy. Numerous ships of the leading European powers, carrying valuable goods, on the high seas became tasty prey for sea robbers, who bred in abundance. Real sea robbers, standing outside the law, who were engaged in outright robbery of all passing ships indiscriminately, at the end of the 17th century they replaced the corsairs. Let's remember some of these legendary pirates.
Steed Bonnet was a quite prosperous person - a prosperous planter, worked in the municipal police, was married and suddenly decided to become a robber of the seas. And Steed was just very tired of the gray everyday life with his always grumpy wife and routine work. Having independently studied maritime affairs and having become adept at it, he bought himself a ten-gun ship called "Revenge", recruited a crew of 70 people and set off against the wind of change. And soon his raids became quite successful.
Steed Bonnet also became famous for not being afraid to argue with the most formidable pirate at that time - Edward Teach, Blackbeard. Teach on his ship with 40 guns, attacking Steed's ship, easily captured it. But Steed could not come to terms with this and constantly bothered Teach, insisting that real pirates do not do this. And Teach let him go free, but with only a few pirates and completely disarming his ship.
Then Bonnet went to North Carolina, where he had recently been pirating, repented before the governor and offered to become their corsair. And, having received consent from the governor, a license and a fully equipped ship, he immediately set off in pursuit of Blackbeard, but to no avail. Steed, of course, did not return to Carolina, but continued to engage in robberies. At the end of 1718 he was caught and executed.
Edward Teach
An indomitable lover of rum and women, this famous pirate in the invariable wide-brimmed hat was nicknamed "Blackbeard". He did wear a long black beard, braided into pigtails, into which wicks were woven. During the battle, he set fire to them, and from the very sight of him, many sailors surrendered without a fight. But, it is quite possible that the wicks are just fiction. Blackbeard, although he had an intimidating appearance, was not particularly cruel, but took the enemy only by intimidation.
So, he captured his flagship "Queen Anne's Revenge" without firing a single shot - the enemy team surrendered only when they saw Tich. Tich landed all the prisoners on the island and left them a boat. Although, according to other sources, Teach was really very cruel and never left his prisoners alive. At the beginning of 1718, he had 40 captured ships, and under his command were about three hundred pirates.
The British were seriously concerned about his capture, a hunt was announced for him, which ended in success at the end of the year. In a fierce duel with Lieutenant Robert Maynard, Teach, being wounded by more than 20 shots, resisted to the last, killing many Englishmen in the process. And he died from a blow with a saber - when his head was cut off.
Briton, one of the most cruel and heartless pirates. Not feeling the slightest compassion for his victims, he also completely disregarded the members of his team, constantly deceiving them, trying to appropriate as much profit as possible. Therefore, everyone dreamed of his death - both the authorities and the pirates themselves. During another riot, the pirates removed him from the captain's position and landed him on a boat, which the waves during a storm carried to desert island. After some time, a passing ship picked him up, but there was a person who identified him. Wayne's fate was sealed, he was hanged at the entrance to the port.
He was nicknamed "Calico Jack" because he liked to wear wide pants made of bright chintz (calico). Not being the most successful pirate, he glorified his name by being the first to allow women to be on the ship, contrary to all maritime customs.
In 1720, when Rackham's ship met at sea with the ship of the governor of Jamaica, to the surprise of the sailors, only two pirates offered fierce resistance to them, as it turned out later, they were women - the legendary Anne Bonny and Mary Reed. And all the rest, including the captain, were drunk as a fool.
In addition, it was Rackham who invented the very flag (a skull and crossbones), the so-called "Jolly Roger", which we all now associate with pirates, although many sea robbers went under other flags.
Tall handsome dandy, he was pretty an educated person, knew a lot about fashion, observed etiquette. And what is absolutely not typical for pirates - he could not stand alcohol and punished others for drunkenness. Being a believer, he wore a cross on his chest, read the Bible and held services on the ship. The elusive Roberts was distinguished by extraordinary courage and, at the same time, was very successful in his campaigns. Therefore, the pirates loved their captain and were ready to follow him anywhere - after all, they will definitely be lucky!
In a short period, Roberts seized over two hundred ships and about £50 million. But one day, lady luck nevertheless betrayed him. The crew of his ship, busy dividing up the booty, were taken by surprise by an English ship under the command of Captain Ogle. At the first shot, Roberts was killed, buckshot hit his neck. The pirates, lowering his body overboard, resisted for a long time, but were still forced to surrender.
From an early age, spending his time among street criminals, he absorbed all the worst. And being a pirate, he turned into one of the most bloodthirsty sadistic fanatics. And although his time was already at the end of the Golden Age, Low in a short time, showing extraordinary cruelty, captured more than 100 ships.
Sunset of the "Golden Age"
By the end of 1730, the pirates were finished, they were all caught and executed. Over time, they began to be remembered with nostalgia and a certain touch of romanticism. Although in fact, for their contemporaries, pirates were a real disaster.As for the well-known captain Jack Sparrow, such a pirate did not exist at all, there is no specific prototype of him, the image is completely fictional, a Hollywood parody of pirates, and many of the charismatic features of this colorful and charming character were invented by Johnny Depp on the go.
