Blackbeard

 

 

As the infamous pirate Blackbeard, Edward Teach carefully cultivated a reputation as the most fearsome villain on the seven seas. The sheer sight of his long black beard, decorated with flaming cannon fuses, struck fear into the heart of his enemies, who often chose to surrender rather than face his wrath. He carried a large number of loaded pistols and his ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, was decked out with 40 cannons. He had a habit of letting his victims live, not as an act of mercy, but so they could head back to land telling tales of the terrifying Blackbeard and his scurvy vagabond crew, but did this master of spin ever deliver on his promises, or was his bark worse than his bite?

 

 

The notorious Blackbeard is perhaps the most famous pirate of all time. His reign of terror on the high seas took place in the early years of the 18th century. During that time, he became known for his terrifying appearance: when he attacked a ship, he plaited his beard with black ribbons, stuffed burning coils of ropes under his hat and decked himself with pistols, swords and knives, so that people fled from him in terror. However, it is thought that in fact he may never have killed anyone, relying on his appearance alone to terrorize his victims into submission. Whatever the case, there is no doubt that he was a cruel and lawless man, amassing vast riches and double-crossing his crew mates so that he could keep his ill-gotten gains for himself. He eventually came to a violent end in a bloody battle against Lieutenant Robert Maynard of the Royal Navy, at the instigation of the Governor of Virginia.

 

Reign of terror

Blackbeard’s real name was Edward Teach, or possibly Edward Thatch, and he is thought to have been born in Bristol, England. He went to sea at a young age, working on a British privateer ship in the West Indies during the War of Spanish Secession. Although the ship flew Queen Anne of Britain’s flag, it was privately owned, and was at liberty not only to attack French and Spanish ships at random, but to keep any stolen booty as a reward. Not surprisingly, by the time the war ended, Teach and his crew mates had become expert sea robbers, operating independently outside the rule of law.

It was not long before the enterprising Teach acquired a stolen ship, named it Queen Anne’s Revenge, equipped it with 40 guns, and assembled a large pirate crew. He began to attack merchant ships, many of which carried wealthy passengers. The pirates would sail near to a ship, hoist the flag of the ship’s country, and so trick the captain into thinking that they were friends; then, as they drew near, they would hoist the pirate flag and let off a warning blast from the cannon. If the ship’s captain did not immediately surrender – and he often did when he saw Blackbeard’s flag – the pirates would move in.

Their first target would be the helmsman at the ship’s wheel. As the ship rocked about in the water, the pirates would throw over their grappling hooks and swarm on to the deck, taking the crew and passengers hostage. Then they would ransack the ship, seizing everything of value – cargo such as grain, molasses and kegs of rum, ammunition, rope and tools, liquor and food; and personal belongings from the passengers, such as gold coins and jewellery. Sometimes, not content with stealing everything on the ship, they would steal the ship as well! The lion’s share of the spoils would always go to Blackbeard himself, of course.

 

The Charleston Blockade

In May 1718, Blackbeard sailed into Charleston, South Carolina, and waylaid all the cargo ships entering or leaving the port. One of them was filled with wealthy passengers, whom he took prisoner, locking them all up in the hold of the ship, and demanding a ransom for their release in the form of a medicine chest. His envoys were sent ashore, but instead of delivering their message, they went out carousing. Meanwhile, the pirates prepared the victims, including children, for hanging. At the last minute, the chest was delivered and the hostages were released.

Amazingly, the authorities of the day turned a blind eye to Blackbeard’s escapades, and he was allowed to live in peace on a string of islands known as the Outer Banks in North Carolina, from where he preyed on passing ships travelling along the coastline. This was because he constantly bribed officials and supplied the local townspeople with cut-price stolen goods, including cloth and sugar. Eventually, Teach was given a royal pardon for his efforts, and retired to a favourite spot, Ocracoke Island. But the story was far from over.

 

Bloody battle

Legend has it that Blackbeard gave a huge party on the island, inviting several other famous pirates and their crews to join him. The party went on for days. Bonfires were lit and there was much drinking, dancing and making merry. However, when news of the gathering reached the governor of Virginia, Alexander Spotswood, he decided that he had had enough of Blackbeard’s antics, and sent Lieutenant Robert Maynard of the Royal Navy to deal with him.

On 11 November 1718 Maynard arrived with two small ships, the Ranger and Jane. There were a number of sandbars between the ships and the island where the pirates were carousing, so Maynard decided to wait until the tide came in before he attacked.

The pirates were outnumbered, but Blackbeard had the advantage of knowing the island’s terrain well. Even though half his crew were drunk, he managed to steer his ship, the Adventurer, through a narrow sandbar. When the navy followed, their ships got stuck. They eventually freed themselves, but by then the pirates had the advantage and mounted a fierce attack, killing and wounding many of Maynard’s men. Maynard persisted, however, until the Adventurer ran aground. Maynard brought his ship up alongside it, ordering his crew to hide below decks. The pirates thought the crew had all been killed and so boarded the ship. It was then that the naval crew rushed out with pistols, knives and swords, and a bloody battle began.

Accounts differ as to what happened next, but it is thought that during the battle, Maynard shot Blackbeard, while Blackbeard wounded Maynard with a cutlass. By the end of the battle, Blackbeard was reported to have been shot five times and stabbed over 20. Maynard then cut off Blackbeard’s head, hung it from the bow of the ship, and took it back to the Governor, who awarded him a prize of £100, and ordered the head to be placed on a pole by the Hampton River. Today, the spot is known as Teach’s Point.