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. Morgan spent the last years of his life in the status of 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 struggle of 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 Vasseur 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 by writing a 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 the fact that in a short time he 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 home island of Lesbos. 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 included fugitive criminals and slaves of various nationalities, calling themselves the "House of Lords". And the name of Black Bart inspired terror throughout the Atlantic.
Pirates! Gentlemen of the sea. For many centuries, their names inspired fear in people. Captain Flint, Jack Sparrow, John Silver, James Hook... The list of names goes on and on! Thunderstorm of the royal fleet, cunning and treacherous, "people without honor and conscience", tireless adventurers. Read about such fearless marines below.
1 Jetrow Flint (1680-1718)
The famous Captain Flint begins our selection today. Despite the fact that this is the name of a fictional character created by the thought of the Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson, his mention is worthy of this collection. Flint was a merciless man. This is confirmed by the famous pirate song, which contains the words - "Fifteen people for a dead man's chest, yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum." It was fifteen people who unwittingly witnessed the place where Flint buried his treasures. And with that, they signed their own death warrant.
2 Henry Morgan (1635-1688)
The name of this pirate, we know from the film "Hearts of Three", based on the novel of the same name by Jack London.
However, unlike the previous participant in our selection, Henry Morgan really existed. He was not only a pirate, but also a man who helped England gain control over the entire Caribbean region. For this, he received the rank of Governor of Jamaica. However, the sea could not part with its favorite, and as a result of the earthquake, the cemetery where the old pirate was buried went under water. The cause of Morgan's death was liver disease, caused by the indefatigable use of rum, a favorite drink of pirates.
3 Francis Drake (1540-1596)
Despite the fact that Francis was born in the family of a priest, he was not an exemplary Christian. This was facilitated by the blessing of the Queen of England, who was ready for anything, if only the Spaniards were not the leading power in the world. At 18, Drake becomes the captain of a pirate ship that robs and destroys Spain's property. In 1572, he participated in the capture of the Spanish "Silver Caravan", thanks to which he brought 30,000 kg of silver to the treasury. In addition, with the desire to visit unknown countries, Drake was a participant. Thanks to her, the treasury of England received an income that was three times the size of its annual budget. In addition, the British got acquainted with the then exotic vegetable - potatoes. For this, Drake was knighted and received the rank of admiral.
4 William Kidd (1645-1701)
His fate has become a reminder to all pirates of the inevitable punishment. By a court verdict, he was executed, and his body was placed on display in a metal cage in London for more than 23 years. The reason for this was the pirate antics of Kidd, who was a real disaster not only for the French, but also for the British.
This name is forever entered into the annals of piracy. The life of this girl is a continuous series of love and adventurous adventures. In the beginning, she is a pirate along with her father. Then, after the death of her father, she herself becomes the leader of the Owen clan. With a saber in hand and loose hair, she made her enemies tremble. However, this did not stop her from loving and being loved. The mother of four children, even when she was no longer young, continued to raid. At the same time, she rejected the proposal of the Queen of England to enter the service of Her Royal Majesty.
6 Olivier (Francois) le Vasseur (1690-1730)
One of the most famous pirates, whose homeland was France. Without taking a direct part in the pirate raids against the British and Spaniards, Vasser, meanwhile, received the lion's share of all booty. The reason for this was the island of Tortuga (present-day Haiti), which this talented engineer turned into an impregnable fortress and became a haven for pirating elements. There is a legend that during the years of managing the island, he saved up more than 235 million pounds. But his character, which deteriorated over time, played a cruel joke with him, as a result of which he became food for sharks. Gold, which has not been found so far, remains hidden somewhere on the islands in the middle of the world's oceans.
7 William Dampier (1651-1715)
Despite the fact that William Damir's main occupation was piracy, he is also considered the father of modern oceanography. This is explained by the fact that he not only pirated, but also described all his travels and what was connected with them. The result of this was a book called A New Journey Around the World.
8 Zheng Shi (1785-1844)
"Night Butterfly", who first became the wife and then the widow of the famous pirate Zheng Yi, she inherited more than 400 ships after the death of her husband, which were a thunderstorm for the Chinese merchant fleet. The strictest discipline was introduced on the ships, which put an end to such pirate liberties as the robbery of allies and violence against prisoners. In addition, Zheng Shi is known in history as the owner of brothels and the patroness of gambling.
9 Arouge Barbarossa (1473-1518)
Potter's son. His homeland was the island of Lesvos. Probably because he did not find his great love on it, or perhaps because of the capture of the island by the Turks, Barbarossa becomes a pirate at the age of 16. After 4 years, he concludes an agreement with the authorities of Tunisia, according to which he can create his own base on one of the islands, and in return, he shares a percentage of the profits. Soon he becomes Sultan of Algiers. However, as a result of a clash with the Spaniards, he was killed. His successor was a younger brother known as Barbaross II.
10 Edward Teach (1680–1718)
This name not without reason frightened the British and French governments. Thanks to his courage and cruelty, Teach soon became one of the most feared pirates operating in the Jamaica area. By 1718, more than 300 men were fighting under him. The enemies were horrified by Tich's face, almost completely covered with a black beard, in which the wicks woven into it smoked. In November 1718, Teach was overtaken by the English lieutenant Maynardt and, after a short trial, was hung up on a yardarm. It was he who became the prototype of the legendary Jetrow Flint, from Treasure Island.
Nothing sounds as good as a firm, stern, and easy-to-remember pirate's name. Having succumbed to the sea robbers, people often changed their names in order to complicate the authorities' ability to identify them. For others, the change of name was purely symbolic: the newly minted pirates mastered not only new activities, but also a completely new life, which some preferred to enter with a new name.
In addition to many pirate names, there are also many recognizable pirate nicknames. Aliases have always been an integral part of gangster culture, and pirates were no exception in this regard. We will talk about the most common pirate nicknames, analyze their origin and provide a list of the most popular ones.
- Blackbeard. The origin of the nickname is very trivial. had a thick black beard, and, according to legend, before the battle he wove burning wicks into it, the smoke of which made him look like the devil himself from the underworld.
- Calico Jack. The nickname of the pirate, so he was christened for his love for various calico decorations.
- Spaniard killer. That is what they called the cruel and ruthless towards the Spaniards famous.
- Redhead, Bloody Henry. Two nicknames that belonged to the famous pirate. The first nickname is directly related to the color of his hair, and the second - to his far from merciful deeds.
- Pirate Gentleman. A nickname given to him due to his aristocratic origin.
- Vulture. Nickname for a French pirate. It is not entirely clear why this nickname stuck to him, apparently, after all, it better reflected his character and temper.
- Lanky John. Pirate nickname for a fictional pirate. In addition to this nickname, he had one more - Ham.
- Black Corsair. The nickname of the protagonist in the novel of the same name by Emilio Salgari.
These were the nicknames of the most famous real and fictional pirates. If you need unique thematic names, then in the game Corsairs Online, when creating a character, you have at your disposal a pirate nickname generator, you can try to pick up something interesting for yourself.
Pirate nicknames for the party
If you're hosting a pirate-themed party and need to name everyone in attendance, the list below should help you with that.
There aren't many documentaries on piracy. Many of the existing facts are only partly true. Information about who these people really were has undergone many different interpretations. As often happens in the absence of reliable first-hand data, quite a large amount of folklore is devoted to this topic. With all of the above in mind, we've decided to present a dossier on several legendary sea robbers.
Period of activity: 1696-1701
Territories: East coast of North America, Caribbean Sea, Indian Ocean.
How he died: he was hanged in a specially designated place in the docks, located in the east district of London. Subsequently, his body was hung over the Thames, where it hung for three years as a warning to would-be sea robbers.
What is famous for: the founder of the idea of buried treasures.
In fact, the exploits of this Scottish sailor and British privateer were not particularly extraordinary. Kidd took part in several small battles with pirates and other ships as a privateer for the British authorities, but none of them significantly affected the course of history.
The most interesting thing is that the legend of Captain Kidd appeared after his death. During his career, many colleagues and superiors suspected him of exceeding his letters of marque and indulging in piracy. After the appearance of irrefutable evidence of his actions, warships were sent for him, which were supposed to return Kidd to London. Suspecting what awaited him, Kidd allegedly buried untold wealth on Gardines Island off the coast of New York. He wanted to use these treasures as insurance and a bargaining tool.
The British court was unimpressed by the stories of buried treasure, and Kidd was sentenced to the gallows. This is how his story suddenly ended and a legend appeared. It was thanks to the efforts and skill of writers who became interested in the adventures of a terrible robber that Captain Kidd became one of the most famous pirates. His actual actions were significantly inferior to the glory of other sea robbers of that time.
Period of activity: 1719-1722
Territories: from the eastern coast of North America to the eastern coast of Africa.
How he died: was killed by a cannon shot during the battle against the British fleet.
What is famous for: he can be considered the most successful pirate.
Despite the fact that Bartholomew Roberts is not the most famous pirate, he was the best in everything he undertook. During his career, he managed to capture more than 470 ships. He operated in the waters of the Indian and Atlantic oceans. In his youth, when he was a sailor on board a merchant ship, his ship, along with the entire crew, was captured by pirates.
Thanks to his navigational skills, Roberts stood out from the crowd of hostages. Therefore, it soon became a valuable shot for the pirates who captured their ship. In the future, an incredible career takeoff awaited him, which led to the fact that he became the captain of a team of sea robbers.
Over time, Roberts came to the conclusion that it was completely pointless to fight for the miserable life of an honest employee. From that moment on, his motto was the statement that it is better to live for a short time, but for your own pleasure. We can safely say that with the death of 39-year-old Roberts, the end of the Golden Age of piracy has come.
Period of activity: 1716-1718
Territories: Caribbean Sea and East Coast of North America.
How he died: in battle against the British fleet.
What is famous for: successfully blocked the port of Charleston. He had a bright appearance and a thick dark beard, into which during the battles he wove ignition wicks, frightening the enemy with emitted clouds of smoke.
He was probably the most famous pirate, both in terms of pirate prowess and memorable appearance. He managed to mobilize a rather impressive fleet of pirate ships and lead it in many battles.
So, the flotilla under the command of Blackbeard managed to block the port of Charleston for several days. During this time, they captured several ships and took many hostages, who were subsequently traded for various medical supplies for the crew. For many years, Teach kept the Atlantic coast and the islands of the West Indies at bay.
This continued until his ship was surrounded by the British fleet. This happened during the battle off the coast of North Carolina. Then Teach managed to kill many Englishmen. He himself died from multiple saber blows and gunshot wounds.
Period of activity: 1717-1720
Territories: Indian Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
How he died: died shortly after being removed from command of the ship and landing in Mauritius.
Famous for: He was the first to use the flag with the image of the classic Jolly Roger.
Edward England became a pirate after being captured by a band of thugs. He was simply forced to join the team. After a short stay in the waters of the Caribbean Sea, he was waiting for a rapid rise through the pirate career ladder.
As a result, he began to command his own ship, used to attack slave ships in the Indian Ocean. It was he who invented the flag with the image of a skull over two crossed femurs. This flag later became a classic symbol of piracy.
Period of activity: 1718-1720
Territories: waters of the Caribbean Sea.
How he died: was hanged in Jamaica.
Known for: First pirate to allow women on board.
Calico Jack cannot be classified as a successful pirate. His main occupation was the capture of small commercial and fishing vessels. In 1719, during a brief retirement attempt, the pirate met and fell in love with Anne Bonny, who subsequently dressed in men's clothing and joined his crew.
After some time, Rackham's team captured a Dutch merchant ship, and without knowing it, took another woman in a man's outfit aboard the pirate ship. Reed and Bonnie turned out to be brave and brave pirates, which made Rackham famous. Jack himself is by no means a good captain.
When his crew hijacked the Governor of Jamaica's ship, Rackham was so drunk that he couldn't even fight, and only Mary and Ann defended their ship to the last. Before the execution, Jack asked for a meeting with Ann Bonnie, but she flatly refused and, instead of dying words of consolation, told her former lover that his pitiful appearance caused her indignation.
The Adventure Galley is the favorite ship of William Kidd, an English privateer and pirate. This unusual frigate galley was equipped with straight sails and oars, which made it possible to maneuver both against the wind and in calm weather. The 287-ton vessel with 34 guns accommodated 160 crew members and was primarily intended to destroy the ships of other pirates.
Queen Anne's Revenge is the flagship of the legendary captain Edward Teach, nicknamed Blackbeard. This 40-gun frigate was originally called Concorde, belonged to Spain, then moved to France until it was finally captured by Blackbeard Under his leadership, the ship was strengthened and renamed.Queen Anne's Revenge sank dozens of merchant and military ships that got in the way of the famous pirate.
The Whydah is the flagship of Black Sam Bellamy, one of the pirates of the golden age of piracy. The Ouida was a fast and manoeuvrable vessel, capable of carrying many treasures. Unfortunately for Black Sam, only a year after the start of the pirate "career" the ship was caught in a terrible storm and was thrown ashore. The entire team, except for two people, died. By the way, Sam Bellamy was the richest pirate in history, according to Forbes recalculation, his fortune totaled about 132 million dollars in the modern equivalent.
"Royal Fortune" (Royal Fortune) belonged to Bartholomew Roberts, the famous Welsh corsair, whose death ended the golden age of piracy. Bartholomew changed several ships in his career, but the 42-gun, three-masted ship of the line was his favorite. On it, he accepted his death in battle with the British warship "Swallow" in 1722.
The Fancy is the ship of Henry Avery, also known as Lanky Ben and the Arch-Pirate. The Spanish 30-gun frigate Charles II successfully plundered French ships, but eventually a riot broke out on it, and power passed to Avery, who served as first mate. Avery renamed the ship Imagination and sailed on it until he ended his career.
The Happy Delivery is a small but favorite ship of George Lauter, an 18th century English pirate. His crowning tactic was to ram his enemy ship with simultaneous lightning-fast boarding.
The Golden Hind was an English galleon under the command of Sir Francis Drake who circumnavigated the world between 1577 and 1580. Initially, the ship was called the Pelican, but upon entering the Pacific Ocean, Drake renamed it in honor of his patron, Lord Chancellor Christopher Hutton, who had a golden doe on his coat of arms.
The Rising Sun was a ship owned by Christopher Moody, a truly ruthless thug who took no prisoners on principle. This 35-gun frigate terrified Moody's enemies until he was safely hanged - but he went down in history with the most unusual pirate flag known, yellow on a red background, and even with a winged hourglass to the left of the skull.
The Speaker is the first capital ship of corsair John Bowen, a successful pirate and excellent tactician. The Talkative is a large 50-gun ship with a displacement of 450 tons, originally used to transport slaves, and after being captured by Bowen, for daring attacks on Mauritanian ships.
The Revenge is the ten-gun sloop of Steed Bonnet, also known as the "gentleman of the pirates". Bonnet lived a rich, albeit short-lived life, having managed to be a small landowner, serve under Blackbeard, fall under an amnesty and again embark on the path of piracy. The small, maneuverable Retribution sank many larger ships.
Large and tiny, powerful and maneuverable - all these ships, as a rule, were built for completely different purposes, but sooner or later ended up in the hands of corsairs. Some ended their "career" in battle, others were resold, others were drowned in storms, but all of them glorified their owners in one way or another.
