The peak of maritime robberies occurred in the 17th century, when the World Ocean was the scene of struggle between Spain, England and some other growing European colonial powers. Most often, pirates made their living through independent criminal robberies, but some of them ended up in government service and deliberately harmed foreign fleets. Below is a list of the ten most famous pirates in history.
William Kidd (22 January 1645 - 23 May 1701) was a Scottish sailor who was convicted and executed for piracy after returning from a voyage to the Indian Ocean to hunt pirates. Considered one of the most cruel and bloodthirsty sea robbers of the seventeenth century. The hero of many mysterious stories. Some modern historians, such as Sir Cornelius Neale Dalton, consider his pirate reputation to be unfair.
Bartholomew Roberts (May 17, 1682 - February 17, 1722) was a Welsh pirate who robbed about 200 ships (according to another version 400 ships) in the vicinity of Barbados and Martinique over two and a half years. Known primarily as the opposite of the traditional image of a pirate. He was always well dressed, had refined manners, hated drunkenness and gambling, and treated well the crew of the ships he captured. He was killed by cannon shot during a battle with a British warship.
Blackbeard or Edward Teach (1680 - November 22, 1718) was an English pirate who traded in the Caribbean in 1716–1718. He liked to strike terror into his enemies. During the battle, Teach wove incendiary wicks into his beard and, in clouds of smoke, like Satan from hell, burst into the ranks of the enemy. Due to his unusual appearance and eccentric behavior, history has made him one of the most famous pirates, despite the fact that his “career” was quite short, and his success and scale of activity were much smaller compared to his other colleagues on this list.
Jack Rackham (December 21, 1682 - November 17, 1720) was an English pirate, famous primarily for the fact that his crew included two more equally famous corsairs, female pirates Anne Bonny, nicknamed “Mistress of the Seas” and Mary Read.
Charles Vane (1680 – March 29, 1721) was an English pirate who plundered ships between 1716 and 1721 in North American waters. He became famous for his extreme cruelty. As history says, Vane was not attached to such feelings as compassion, pity and empathy; he easily broke his own promises, did not respect other pirates and did not take anyone’s opinion into account. The meaning of his life was only production.
Edward England (1685 - 1721) was a pirate active off the coast of Africa and in the waters of the Indian Ocean from 1717 to 1720. He differed from other pirates of that time in that he did not kill prisoners unless absolutely necessary. Ultimately, this led to his crew mutinying when he refused to kill sailors from yet another captured English merchant ship. England was subsequently landed in Madagascar where he survived for some time by begging and eventually died.
Samuel Bellamy, nicknamed Black Sam (February 23, 1689 - April 26, 1717) was a great English sailor and pirate who traded at the beginning of the 18th century. Although his career lasted just over a year, he and his crew captured at least 53 ships, making Black Sam the richest pirate in history. Bellamy was also known for his mercy and generosity towards those he captured in his raids.
Saida al-Hurra (1485 – c. 14 July 1561) - last queen of Tetouan (Morocco), reigning between 1512–1542, pirate. In alliance with the Ottoman corsair Arouj Barbarossa of Algeria, al-Hura controlled the Mediterranean Sea. She became famous for her fight against the Portuguese. She is rightfully considered one of the most outstanding women of the Islamic West of the modern era. The date and exact circumstances of her death are unknown.
Thomas Tew (1649 - September 1695) was an English privateer and pirate who made only two major piracy voyages, a voyage later known as the "Pirate Circle". He was killed in 1695 while attempting to rob the Mughal ship Fateh Muhammad.
Steed Bonnet (1688 - December 10, 1718) was a prominent English pirate, nicknamed the "pirate gentleman." Interestingly, before Bonnet turned to piracy, he was a fairly wealthy, educated and respected man, owning a plantation in Barbados.
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For a long time, the Caribbean islands served as a bone of contention for the great maritime powers, since untold riches were hidden here. And where there is wealth, there are robbers. Piracy in the Caribbean has exploded and become a serious problem. In reality, 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 Mayans of South America went to the ungrateful Spaniards. The 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 national flag, designed to capture enemy ships.Francis Drake
As a corsair, Drake possessed not only the usual greed and cruelty, but was also extremely inquisitive, and, eager to visit new places, eagerly took on 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 was carrying 30 tons of silver.
Once he got carried away and even traveled around the world. 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 its annual income. The Queen personally arrived on the ship to bestow a knighthood on Jack. 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 Drake's work. The Spaniards considered him their most terrible enemy, for them he was even more terrible than Francis Drake. Having brought an entire army of pirates to the walls of the Spanish city of Panama at that time, he mercilessly 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 some time. King Charles II of England personally knighted Morgan and appointed him governor of Jamaica, where he spent his last years.
Golden Age of Piracy
Beginning in 1690, active trade was established between Europe, Africa and the Caribbean islands, which led to an extraordinary rise in piracy. Numerous ships of the leading European powers, transporting valuable goods, on the high seas became tasty prey for sea robbers, who multiplied in numbers. Real sea robbers, outlaws, 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 completely prosperous man - a successful 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 become proficient in it, he bought himself a ten-gun ship called “Revenge,” recruited a crew of 70 people and set off towards 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 cannons, attacked Steed's ship and easily captured it. But Steed could not come to terms with this and constantly pestered Teach, repeating that real pirates do not act like that. And Teach set him free, but with only a few pirates and completely disarming his ship.
Then Bonnet went to North Carolina, where he had recently pirated, repented to 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 his invariable wide-brimmed hat was nicknamed “Blackbeard.” He did indeed wear a long black beard, braided into pigtails with wicks woven into them. During the battle, he set them on fire, and at the sight of him, many sailors surrendered without a fight. But it is quite possible that the wicks are just an artistic invention. Blackbeard, although he had a terrifying appearance, was not particularly cruel, and defeated the enemy only by intimidation.
Thus, he captured his flagship ship, Queen Anne's Revenge, without firing a single shot - the enemy team surrendered only after seeing Teach. Teach landed all the prisoners on the island and left them a boat. Although, according to other sources, Teach was indeed very cruel and never left his prisoners alive. At the beginning of 1718, he had 40 captured ships under his command, and about three hundred pirates were under his command.
The British became seriously concerned about his capture; a hunt was announced for him, which ended in success at the end of the year. In a brutal duel with Lieutenant Robert Maynard, Teach, wounded by more than 20 shots, resisted to the last, killing many British in the process. And he died from a blow from a saber - when his head was cut off.
British, one of the most cruel and heartless pirates. Without feeling the slightest compassion for his victims, he also did not take into account the members of his team at all, 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 mutiny, the pirates removed him from his captain's post and dropped him off the ship onto a boat, which the waves carried to a desert island during a storm. After some time, a passing ship picked him up, but a person was found who identified him. Vane's fate was sealed; he was hanged at the entrance to the port.
He was nicknamed "Calico Jack" because he liked to wear wide trousers made of bright calico. Not being the most successful pirate, he glorified his name by being the first to allow women 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 fiercely resisted them; as it turned out later, they were women - the legendary Anne Bonny and Mary Read. And everyone else, including the captain, was completely drunk.
In addition, it was Rackham who came up with the same flag (skull and crossbones), the so-called “Jolly Roger”, which we all now associate with pirates, although many sea robbers flew under other flags.
A tall, handsome dandy, he was a fairly educated man, knew a lot about fashion, and observed etiquette. And what is completely uncharacteristic of pirates is that he did not tolerate 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 would definitely be lucky!
In a short period, Roberts captured more than two hundred ships and about 50 million pounds sterling. But one day, Lady Luck betrayed him. The crew of his ship, busy dividing up the spoils, was taken by surprise by an English ship under the command of Captain Ogle. At the first shot, Roberts was killed, the buckshot hit him in the neck. The pirates, having lowered 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,” Lowe, in a short time, showing extraordinary cruelty, captured more than 100 ships.
Decline 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 entirely fictitious, a Hollywood parody of pirates, and many of the charismatic features of this colorful and charming character were invented on the fly by Johnny Depp.
Yes, yes, the same Morgan, whose dynasty now stands behind the backs of many presidents of various countries and tells who and what to do.
Henry Morgan (1635-1688) became the most famous pirate in the world, enjoying a peculiar fame. This man became famous not so much for his corsair exploits as for his activities as a commander and politician. Morgan's main achievement was helping England seize control of the entire Caribbean Sea. Since childhood, Henry was restless, which affected his adult life. In a short time, he managed to be a slave, gather his own gang of thugs and get his first ship. Along the way, many people were robbed. While in the queen's service, Morgan directed his energy to the ruin of the Spanish colonies, which he did very well. As a result, everyone learned the name of the active sailor. But then the pirate unexpectedly decided to settle down - he got married, bought a house... However, his violent temper took its toll, and in his spare time, Henry realized that it was much more profitable to capture coastal cities than simply rob sea vessels. One day Morgan used a cunning move. On the way to one of the cities, he took a large ship and filled it to the top with gunpowder, sending it to the Spanish port at dusk. The huge explosion led to such chaos 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. While storming Panama, the commander decided to attack the city from land, sending his army around the city. As a result, the maneuver was a success and the fortress fell. Morgan spent the last years of his life as Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. His whole life passed at a frantic pirate pace, with all the delights 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 sank into the sea after the earthquake.
Francis Drake (1540-1596) born in England, in the family 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 pirate raids, as 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 also loved him. Trying to take revenge on the Spaniards, Drake begins to wage his own war against them - he plunders 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 grateful to Drake for his work in clarifying and correcting the world map. 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 cunningly, avoiding the traps of his enemies, that he was able to travel around the world on his way home. Along the way, he attacked Spanish settlements in South America, circumnavigated Africa and brought home potato tubers. The total profit from the campaign was unprecedented - more than half a million pounds sterling. At that time it was twice the budget of the entire country. As a result, right on board the ship, Drake was knighted - an unprecedented event that 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. Later, the pirate’s luck turned away; during one of his subsequent voyages to the American shores, he fell ill with tropical fever and died.
Edward Teach (1680-1718) better known by his nickname Blackbeard. It was because of this external attribute that Teach was considered a terrible monster. The first mention of the activities of this corsair dates back only to 1717; what the Englishman did before that remains unknown. Based on indirect evidence, one can guess that he was a soldier, but deserted and became a filibuster. Then he was already a pirate, terrifying people with his beard, which covered almost his entire face. Teach was very brave and courageous, which earned him respect from other pirates. He wove wicks into his beard, which, when smoking, terrified his opponents. In 1716, Edward was given command of his sloop to conduct privateering operations against the French. Soon Teach captured a larger ship and made it his flagship, renaming it Queen Anne's Revenge. At this time, the pirate operates in the Jamaica area, robbing everyone and recruiting new henchmen. By the beginning of 1718, Tich already had 300 people under his command. Within a year, he managed to capture more than 40 ships. All the pirates knew that the bearded man was hiding treasure on some uninhabited island, but no one knew where exactly. The pirate's outrages against the British and his plunder of the colonies forced the authorities to announce a hunt for Blackbeard. A massive reward was announced and Lieutenant Maynard was hired to hunt down Teach. In November 1718, the pirate was overtaken by the authorities and was killed during the battle. Teach's head was cut off and his body was suspended from a yardarm.
William Kidd (1645-1701). Born in Scotland near the docks, the future pirate decided to connect his destiny with the sea from childhood. In 1688, Kidd, a simple sailor, survived a shipwreck near Haiti and was forced to become a pirate. In 1689, betraying his comrades, William took possession of the frigate, calling it the Blessed William. With the help of a privateering patent, 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 rich widow, taking possession of lands and property. But the pirate’s heart demanded adventure, and now, 5 years later, he is already a captain again. The powerful frigate "Brave" was designed 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 meager profits, periodically rebelled. 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 English 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). From childhood, girls were dressed in boy's clothes. So the mother tried to hide the death of her early deceased son. At age 15, Mary joined the army. In the battles in Flanders, under the name Mark, she showed miracles of courage, but she never received any advancement. 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 clothing, became a sailor. The ship fell into the hands of pirates, and the woman was forced to join them, cohabiting with the captain. In battle, Mary wore a man's uniform, participating in skirmishes along with everyone else. Over time, the woman fell in love with the artisan who helped the pirate. They even got married and were going to put an end to the past. But even here the happiness did not last long. Pregnant Reed was caught by authorities. When she was caught along with other pirates, she said that she committed the robberies against her will. However, other pirates showed that there was no one more determined than Mary Read in the matter of plundering and boarding ships. The court did not dare to hang the pregnant woman; she patiently awaited her fate in a Jamaican prison, not fearing a shameful death. But a severe fever finished her off early.
Olivier (Francois) le Vasseur became the most famous French pirate. He was nicknamed "La Blues", or "the 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 expelled the British (according to other sources, the Spaniards) from there and began to pursue his own policy. Being a talented engineer, the Frenchman designed a well-fortified fortress. Le Vasseur issued a filibuster with very dubious documents for the right to hunt the Spaniards, taking the lion's share of the spoils for himself. In fact, he became the leader of the pirates, without taking direct part in the hostilities. When the Spaniards failed to take the island in 1643, and were surprised to find fortifications, Le Vasseur's authority grew noticeably. He finally refused to obey the French and pay royalties to the crown. However, the deteriorating 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 Vasseur collected and hid the largest treasure of all time, worth £235 million in today's money. Information about the location of the treasure was kept in the form of a cryptogram on the governor's neck, but the gold remained unfound.
William Dampier (1651-1715) often referred to not just as a pirate, but also as a scientist. After all, he completed three voyages around the world, discovering many islands in the Pacific Ocean. Having been orphaned early, William chose the sea path. At first he took part in trade voyages, and then he managed to fight. In 1674, the Englishman came to Jamaica as a trading agent, but his career in this capacity did not work out, and Dampier was forced to again become a sailor on a merchant ship. After exploring the Caribbean, William settled on the Gulf Coast, on the Yucatan coast. Here he found friends in the form of runaway slaves and filibusters. Dampier's further life revolved around the idea of traveling around Central America, plundering Spanish settlements on land and sea. He sailed in the waters of Chile, Panama, and New Spain. Dhampir almost immediately began keeping notes about his adventures. As a result, his book “A New Voyage Around the World” was published in 1697, which made him famous. Dampier became a member of the most prestigious houses in London, entered the royal service and continued his research, 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 expedition around the world. 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) considered one of the most successful pirates. The scale of her actions will be indicated by the facts that she commanded a fleet of 2,000 ships, on which more than 70 thousand sailors served. 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 sailed deep into river mouths, ravaging 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. It put an end to traditional pirate freedoms - robbery of allies and rape of prisoners was punishable by death. However, as a result of the betrayal of one of her captains, the female pirate in 1810 was forced to conclude a truce with the authorities. Her further career took place as the owner of a brothel and a gambling den. The story of a female pirate 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 lived in petty theft. In 1719, his wife died in childbirth, and Edward realized that from now on nothing would tie him to home. After 2 years, he became a pirate operating near 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 rare bloodthirstiness.
Arouj Barbarossa (1473-1518) became a pirate at age 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 captured a ship for himself, becoming the leader. Arouj entered into an agreement with the Tunisian authorities, who allowed him to set up a base on one of the islands in exchange for a share of the spoils. As a result, Urouge's pirate fleet terrorized all Mediterranean ports. Getting involved in politics, Arouj eventually became the ruler of Algeria under the name of Barbarossa. However, the fight against the Spaniards did not bring success to the Sultan - he was killed. His work was continued by his younger brother, known as Barbaross the Second.
Bartholomew Roberts (1682-1722)
Captain Bartholomew Roberts is no ordinary pirate. He was born in 1682. Roberts was the most successful pirate of his time, always well and tastefully dressed, with excellent manners, he did not drink alcohol, read the Bible and fought without removing the cross from his neck, which greatly surprised his fellow corsairs. A stubborn and brave young man who set foot on the slippery path of sea adventures and robberies, during his short four-year career as a filibuster, he became quite a famous person of that time. Roberts died in a fierce battle and was buried, in accordance with his will, at sea.
Sam Bellamy (1689-1717)
Love led Sam Bellamy to the path of sea robbery. Twenty-year-old Sam fell in love with Maria Hallett, the love was mutual, but the girl’s parents did not let her marry Sam. He was poor. And in order to prove to the whole world the right to the hand of Maria Bellamy, she becomes a filibuster. He went down in history as “Black Sam.” He got his nickname because he preferred his unruly black hair to a powdered wig, tying it in a knot. At his core, Captain Bellamy was known as a noble man; dark-skinned people served on his ships along with white pirates, which was simply unthinkable in the era of slavery. The ship on which he sailed to meet his beloved Maria Hallett was caught in a storm and sank. Black Sam died without leaving the captain's bridge.
Nothing sounds better to the ear than a firm, stern, and quickly memorable pirate name. When people became sea robbers, they often changed their names in order to make it difficult for the authorities to identify them. For others, the name change was purely symbolic: the newly minted pirates were mastering not only a new activity, but also a completely new life, which some preferred to enter with a new name.
In addition to the many pirate names, there are also many recognizable pirate nicknames. Nicknames 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 origins 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 battle he wove burning wicks into it, the smoke of which made him look like the devil himself from the underworld.
- Calico Jack. Nickname pirate, so he was dubbed for his love for various decorations made of chintz fabric.
- Spaniard Killer. This is what they called the famous man who was cruel and ruthless towards the Spaniards.
- Red, Bloody Henry. Two nicknames that belonged to the famous pirate. The first nickname has a direct relation to the color of his hair, and the second - to his far from merciful deeds.
- Gentleman Pirates. A nickname given to him due to his aristocratic origins.
- Vulture. Nickname of a French pirate. It is not entirely clear why this nickname stuck to him; apparently, it somehow better reflected his character and temper.
- Lanky John. Pirate nickname of a fictional pirate. In addition to this nickname, he had one more - Ham.
- Black Corsair. Nickname of the main character 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 Corsairs Online game, 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 a party
If you are throwing a pirate-themed party and need to somehow name everyone present, then the list below should help you with this.
Pirates, “gentlemen of fortune” have always terrified the population of coastal cities. They were feared, raided, executed, but interest in their adventures never waned.
Madame Jin is her son's wife
Madame Jin, or Zheng Shi, was the most famous "sea robber" of her time. The army of pirates under her command terrified the coastal cities of Eastern and Southeast China at the beginning of the 19th century. Under her command there were about 2,000 ships and 70,000 people, which even the large fleet of the Qing Emperor Jia-ching (1760-1820), sent in 1807 to defeat the willful pirates and capture the powerful Jin, could not defeat.
Zheng Shi's youth was unenviable - she had to engage in prostitution: she was ready to sell her body for hard cash. At the age of fifteen, she was kidnapped by a pirate named Zheng Yi, who, like a true gentleman, took her as his wife (after marriage she received the name Zheng Shi, which meant “Zheng’s wife”). After the wedding, they went to the shores of Vietnam, where the newly-made couple and their pirates, attacking one of the coastal villages, kidnapped a boy (the same age as Zheng Shi) - Zhang Baotsai - whom Zheng Yi and Zheng Shi adopted, since the latter could not have children. Zhang Baozai became Zheng Yi's lover, which apparently did not bother the young wife at all. When her husband died in a storm in 1807, Madame Jin inherited a fleet of 400 ships. Under her, there was iron discipline in the flotilla, and nobility was not alien to it, if this quality can be correlated with piracy at all. Madame Jin sentenced the perpetrators to death for the plunder of fishing villages and the rape of captive women. For unauthorized absence from the ship, the culprit's left ear was cut off, which was then presented to the entire crew for intimidation.
Zheng Shi married her stepson, putting her in command of her fleet. But not everyone on Madame Jin’s team was happy with the woman’s power (especially after the unsuccessful attempt of two captains to woo her, one of whom Zheng Shi shot). The dissatisfied rebelled and surrendered to the mercy of the authorities. This undermined Madame Jin's authority, which forced her to negotiate with the emperor's representatives. As a result, according to the agreement of 1810, she went over to the side of the authorities, and her husband received a sinecure (a position that did not give any real powers) in the Chinese government. After retiring from pirate affairs, Madame Zheng settled in Guangzhou, where she ran a brothel and gambling den until her death at the age of 60.
Arouj Barbarossa - Sultan of Algeria
This pirate, who terrorized the cities and villages of the Mediterranean, was a cunning and resourceful warrior. He was born in 1473 in the family of a Greek potter who converted to Islam, and from a young age, together with his brother Atzor, began to engage in piracy. Urouge went through captivity and slavery on the galleys owned by the Ionite knights, from which his brother ransomed him. The time spent in slavery hardened Urouge; he plundered ships belonging to Christian kings with particular cruelty. So in 1504, Arouj attacked galleys loaded with valuable cargo that belonged to Pope Julius II. He managed to capture one of the two galleys, the second tried to escape. Arunj used a trick: he ordered some of his sailors to put on the uniform of soldiers from the captured galley. Then the pirates moved to the galley and took their own ship in tow, thus simulating the complete victory of the papal soldiers. Soon the lagging galley appeared. The sight of a pirate ship in tow caused a surge of enthusiasm among Christians, and the ship approached the “trophy” without any fear. At that moment, Urouge gave a sign, after which the crew of pirates began to brutally kill the fugitives. This event significantly increased Arouj's authority among the Muslim Arabs of North Africa.
In 1516, in the wake of the Arab uprising against the Spanish troops settled in Algeria, Aruj proclaimed himself sultan under the name Barbarossa (Redbeard), after which he, with even greater zeal and cruelty, began to plunder the cities of southern Spain, France, and Italy, amassing enormous wealth. The Spaniards sent a large expeditionary force (about 10,000 people) led by the Marquis de Comares against him. He managed to defeat the army of Arouj, and the latter began to retreat, taking with him the wealth accumulated over the years. And, as the legend says, along the entire retreat route, Arouj scattered silver and gold in order to delay his pursuers. But this did not help, and Urouj died, his head was cut off along with the pirates loyal to him.
Forced to be a man
One of the famous pirates who lived at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries, Mary Reed, was forced to hide her gender all her life. Even as a child, her parents prepared a fate for her - to “take the place” of her brother, who died shortly before Mary was born. She was an illegitimate child. To hide the shame, the mother, having given birth to a girl, gave her to her rich mother-in-law, having previously dressed her daughter in the clothes of her dead son. Mary was a “grandson” in the eyes of her unsuspecting grandmother, and all the time the girl was growing up, her mother dressed and raised her as a boy. At the age of 15, Mary went to Flanders and joined an infantry regiment as a cadet (still dressed as a man, under the name Mark). According to the memoirs of contemporaries, she was a brave fighter, but still could not advance in the service and transferred to the cavalry. There, gender took its toll - Mary met a man with whom she fell passionately in love. Only to him did she reveal that she was a woman, and they soon got married. After the wedding, they rented a house near the castle in Breda (Holland) and equipped the Three Horseshoes tavern there.
But fate was not favorable; soon Mary’s husband died, and she, again disguised as a man, went to the West Indies. The ship she was sailing on was captured by English pirates. Here a fateful meeting took place: she met the famous pirate Anne Bonny (a woman dressed as a man, just like her) and her lover John Rackham. Mary joined them. Moreover, she and Anne began to cohabit with Rackham, forming a bizarre “love triangle.” The personal courage and bravery of this trio made them famous throughout Europe.
Scientist Pirate
William Dampier, born into an ordinary peasant family and having lost his parents at an early age, had to make his own way in life. He began by becoming a cabin boy on a ship, then took up fishing. A special place in his activities was occupied by a passion for research: he studied new lands to which fate had thrown him, their flora, fauna, climatic features, participated in an expedition to explore the shores of New Holland (Australia), discovered groups of islands - the Dampier archipelago. In 1703, he went to the Pacific Ocean to become a pirate. On the island of Juan Fernandez Dampier (according to another version, Stradling, the captain of another ship) landed the sailing master (according to another version, the boatswain) Alexander Selkirk. The story of Selkirk's stay on a desert island formed the basis of Daniel Defoe's famous book Robinson Crusoe.
Bald Grainne
Grace O'Malle, or, as she was also called, Grainne the Bald, is one of the controversial figures in English history. She was always ready to defend her rights, no matter what. She became acquainted with navigation thanks to her father, who took his little daughter on long trading voyages. Her first husband was a match for Grace. About the O'Flagherty clan, to which he belonged, they said: “Cruel people who most brazenly rob and kill their fellow citizens.” Although, in fairness, it should be noted that for the Irish clans of mountainous Connacht, civil strife is a common thing. When he was killed, Grace returned to her family and took control of her father's flotilla. Thus, she had in her hands a truly enormous force, with the help of which she could keep the entire West Coast of Ireland in obedience.
Grace allowed herself to behave so freely, even in the presence of the queen. After all, she was also called the “queen”, only the pirate one. When Elizabeth I handed her lace handkerchief to Grace to wipe her nose after snuff, Grace used it and said, “Do you need it? In my area they are never used more than once!” - and threw the handkerchief to her retinue. According to historical sources, two long-time opponents - and Grace managed to send to a dozen English ships - were able to come to an agreement. The Queen granted the pirate, who was already about 60 years old at that time, forgiveness and immunity.
Black beard
Thanks to his courage and cruelty, Edward Teach became one of the most feared pirates operating in the Jamaica area. By 1718, more than 300 men were fighting under his leadership. The enemies were horrified by Teach's face, almost completely covered by 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 strung up on a yardarm. It was he who became the prototype of the legendary Jethrow Flint from Treasure Island.
Pirate President
Murat Reis Jr., whose real name is Jan Janson (Dutch), converted to Islam in order to avoid captivity and slavery in Algeria. After this, he began to cooperate and actively participate in the pirate raids of such pirates as Suleiman Reis and Simon the Dancer, just like him - the Dutch who converted to Islam. Jan Janson in 1619 moved to the Moroccan city of Sale, which lived off piracy. Soon after Janson arrived there, he declared his independence. A pirate republic was created there, the first head of which was Janson. He married in Sale, his children followed in their father's footsteps, becoming pirates, but then joined the Dutch colonists who founded the city of New Amsterdam (present-day New York).