Pirates and Privateers

Remember those words attributed to Bartholomew Roberts, a merry but short life? The average life expectancy between 1700 and 1745 was forty-five years. Three out of five pirates who sailed between 1716 and 1726 were in their twenties, and their lives were fraught with danger. Each was far more likely to die from disease, an accident, or during battle than he was to die of old age. Little wonder that pirates just wanted to have fun . . . once they had their treasure.

Take for instance the day Charles Vane and his crew joined Blackbeard and his men on the beach at Ocracoke in October 1718. According to Captain Charles Johnson,

Captain Vane went into an Inlet, to the Northward, where he met with Captain Thatch, or Teach, otherwise call’d Black-beard, whom he saluted . . . with his great Guns, loaded with Shot, (as is the Custom among Pyrates when they meet,) which are fired wide, or up into the Air: Black-beard answered the Salute in the same Manner, and mutual Civilities passed for some Days . . . . (107)

When you read “Civilities,” think P-A-R-T-Y rather than the actual definition of “civilized” conduct. This isn’t an afternoon tea with savories or scones with potted cream. Even if, Black Bart prefers tea to stronger spirits. No, the civilities this time involve carousing and reveling (if this festive gathering takes place – historical documents make no mention of it). If you peruse Charles Ellms’s The Pirates Own Book, you might think that the following illustration is a good depiction the event.

Examine this picture closely and think about what you see.

[T]here are nearly as many women in the picture as there are men. All are well-dressed, looking like they are attending a church meeting, except that most of the men have pistols tucked into their belts. The artist thoughtfully included a long row of heavily built tables, a fiddler playing from the top of an upturned cask, and men and women sprightly engaging in a circle dance on the beach. There is even a woman with a baby! A man who may be Black Beard with a neatly coiffed beard, appears in the image seated next to a Rubenesque woman holding a wine bottle in one hand and a drinking cup in the other. (Duffus, 127)

The description makes the etching seem more fanciful than accurate. If there is one truth depicted in this picture, it is the fiddler. Musicians, whether willing participants or not, are significant members of a pirate crew; they rouse their fighting spirit and keep them entertained during those lulls in the action.

A more pragmatic portrayal of the party comes from Kevin Duffus.

Black Beard and Vane’s men probably feasted on barbecued beef, pork, or lamb killed by hunting parties sent into the interior of the island that had been used for decades as open grazing lands by mainland planters. Bluefish, mackerel, herring, turtle and shellfish may have been purchased from the few fishermen or pilots who lived around the inlet and cooked in stews or slowly smoked. The air along the gently lapping shore would have been infused with fragrant smells of sea salt, scattered cedar and bayberry boughs, wood smoke, tobacco, smoldering meats, savory fish stews, sweet rum punch, which may have had the faintest chance of overpowering the musky, pungent odors of the participants. (127)

According to Captain Johnson, the all-important task of selecting a captain was another reason for celebration. Take for instance the election involving the pirates to which Howell Davis belonged.

[A] Counsel of War was called, over a large Bowl of Punch, at which it was proposed to chuse a Commander; the Election was soon over, for it fell upon Davis by a great Majority of legal Pollers, there was no Scrutiny demanded, for all acquiesced in the Choice: As soon as he was possess’d of his Command, he drew up Articles, which were signed and sworn to by himself and the rest, then he made a short Speech, the Sum of which, was, a Declaration of War against the whole World. (Johnson, 146)

Merriment was also a given after capturing and pillaging a prize, especially if spirits were found. During one trial of Stede Bonnet’s men, Captain Peter Manwareing testified that his captors “were all very brisk and merry; and had all Things plentiful, and were a-making Punch, and drinking.” (Tryals of Major, 13) His first mate, James Killing, elaborated.

So when they came into the Cabin, the first thing they begun with was the Pine-Apples, which they cut down with their Cutlasses. They asked me if I would not come and eat along with them? I told them I had but little Stomach to eat. They asked me, why I looked so melancholy? I told them I look as well as I could. They asked me what Liquor I had on board? I told them some Rum and Sugar. So they made Bowls of Punch, and went to Drinking of the Pretender’s Health, and hope to see him King of the English Nation: Then sung a Song or two. (Tryals, 13)

After acquiring the clothes and money of those aboard Samuel, Bartholomew Roberts and his men set about pillaging the cargo in the hold. The Boston News-Letter reported that

the Pirates made themselves very merry aboard of Capt. Carry’s Ship with some Hampers of fine wines that were either presents, or sent to some Gentlemen in Boston; it seems they would not wait to unty them and pull out the Corks with Skrews, but each man took his bottle and with his Cutlash cut off the Neck and put it into their Mouths and drank out. (Jameson, 316)

(Rather than just striking off each bottle with a single blow, creating a jagged edge, it’s more likely that the pirates score each bottle neck with a sword, and then snap off the top.)

Nautical traditions also called for celebration. After Olivier Le Vasseur joined Thomas Cocklyn and Howell Davis off the coast of Guinea in 1719, he was in desperate need of a new vessel since his was about to sink. He appropriated William Snelgrave’s Bird Galley; once she was fitted out to the pirates’ liking, they marked the completion with a naming ceremony to which Snelgrave was invited.

When I came on board, the Pirate Captains told me, “It was not out of Disrespect they had sent for me, but to partake of the good Cheer provided on this occasion:” So they desired I would be chearful, and go with them into the great Cabin. When I came there, Bumpers of Punch were put into our Hands, and on Captain Cocklyn’s saying aloud, God bless the Windham Galley, we drank our Liquor, broke the Glasses, and the Guns fired. (Snelgrave, 263)

Even Woodes Rogers noticed how much his men favored punch while he was recuperating after being wounded in a fight with a Manila galleon.

Some of them were hugging each other, others blessing themselves, where they could have Arack for 8 Pence per Gallon, and Sugar for 1 Peny a Pound; others quarrelling who should make the next Bowl, for now the Labout was worth more than the Liquor, whereas a few Weeks past, a Bowl of Punch to them was worth half the Voyage. (Rogers, 286)

John Oldmixon, a writer who lived in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, described a different revelry of pirates. Having secured a treasure of silver and/or gold, they sailed for Jamaica.

[A]s soon as these Buccaneers landed, they fled to the Stews and Gaming-Houses, to ease themselves of the Load that they had scrap’d together with so much Hazard. They have given 5,000 pieces of eight for a favor from a Strumpet. (Brooks, 107-108)

Even the backbreaking, tedious work of careening pirate ships signaled party time. After Lowther captured a sloop, he and his men sailed to an island to clean the hulls.

[They] stay’d some Time to take their Diversions, which consisted in unheard of Debaucheries, with drinking, swearing and rioting, in which there seemed to be a kind of Emulation among them, resembling rather Devils than Men, striving who should out doe one another in new invented Oaths and Execrations. (Johnson, 276)

Sometimes, such revels included acting out judicial proceedings, which Johnson described in the 1726 edition of his book.

[T]hey appointed a Mock-Court of Judicature to try one another for Pyracy, and he that was a Criminal one Day was made Judge another. . . .

The Court and Criminal being both appointed, as also Council to plead, the Judge got up in a Tree, and had a dirty Tarpaulin hung over his Shoulders; this was done by Way of Robe, with a Thrum Cap on his Head, and a large Pair of Spectacles upon his Nose: Thus equipp’d, he settled himself in his Place, and abundance of Officers attending him below, with Crows, Handspikes, &c. instead of Wands, Tipstaves, and such like.—The Criminals were brought out, making a thousand sour Faces; and one who acted as Attorney-General opened the Charge against them; their Speeches were very laconick, and their whole Proceedings concise. . . .

Attorn. Gen. An’t please your Lordship, and you Gentlemen of the Jury, here is a Fellow before you that is a sad Dog, a sad sad Dog; and I humbly hope your Lordship will order him to be hang’d out of the Way immediately. . . . But this is not all, my Lord, he has committed worse Villainies than all these, for we shall prove, that he has been guilty of drinking Small-Beer, and your Lordship knows, there never was a sober Fellow but what was a Rogue.—My Lord, I should have spoke much finer than I do now, but that, as your Lordship knows our Rum is all out, and how should a Man speak good Law that has not drank a Dram. (Defoe, 292-293)

The defendant then declared his guilt or innocence. In this case, he claimed to have been forced. The pirate-prosecutor objected to the need for bringing forth and cross-examining witnesses, considering this to be “an Affront to the Court.” (Defoe, 293). The prisoner at the bar protested, but at this point the pirates’ dinner was ready to be served, so the Judge sped up the proceedings.

Then heark’ee, you Raskal at the Bar . . . You must suffer for three Reasons: First, because it is not fit I should sit here as Judge, and no Body be hang’d.—Secondly, you must be hang’d, because you have a damn’d hanging Look:—And thirdly, you must be hang’d, because I am hungry; for know, Sirrah, that ’tis a Custom, that whenever the Judge’s Dinner is ready before the Tryal is over, the Prisoner is to be hang’d of Course.—There’s Law for you, ye Dog.—So take him away Gaoler. (Defoe, 293-294)

During one mock trial, the defendant was judged guilty and sentenced to hang. Already inebriated, no longer thinking straight and finding most things humorous, the pirates accidentally executed him.

If ships sailed in consort and were separated by stormy seas, reuniting gave them an excuse for more celebrating. One example of this occurred in April 1615, while five vessels were navigating the Straits of Magellan.

For joy at our re-union, the Admiral invited all the principal officers to dinner on board his ship, and they were well regaled there with many fresh dishes of meat, pork, poultry, oranges, lemons, candied peel and marmalades, most of which we had procured at Saint Vincente; also with olives, capers, good Spanish and French wine, Dutch beer, and many other things which it would take too long to mention here; and, moreover, we enjoyed there a fine concert of various instruments, and music of many voices. (Bradley, 32)

Although Joris van Spilbergen and the other officers dined well, the rest of the pirates aboard Sun feasted on berries, cress, mussels, and parsley.


. . . To be continued
Part 1: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry


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While I worked on this article, my father passed away. He shared his affinity for the water and boats with me in my youth, which helped awaken a desire to write about pirates. This article is for him. Now that you are at peace and without pain, Dad, may you eat, drink, and be merry. Lee Aker Rest in peace

Copyright ©2024 Cindy Vallar

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