Pirates & Privateers: Georgie Telfer's Books

When people think of pirates, Canada is not the first place they associate with these villainous rogues. Yet Canada hosted – willingly and not so willingly – a number of pirates, including Bartholomew Roberts, from the 17th through the 18th century. Canadians have also been the victims of pirates, both in the past and during modern times. Within the pages of Real Canadian Pirates readers meet the likes of Peter Easton, Henry Mainwaring, and Bill Johnston. Other chapters discuss privateers, Oak Island, and pirate lingo and nautical vocabulary.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It’s packed full of interesting and factual information, as well as side comments that sometimes made me smile or had me nodding in agreement. Only one thing puzzled me as I read the chapter “Henry Mainwarring and Others.” Telfer mentions Charles Bellamy, but he never talks about this person. I think it should be Peter Bellamy, who’s discussed earlier in the chapter. Telfer also mentions that sailors kept parrots as pets. This may be true, but they were more likely to sell them at tidy sums, since these exotic creatures were highly prized. Of all the pirates discussed here, my favorite is Gunpowder Gertie, the pirate queen of the Kootenays. The chapter on Oak Island is one of the clearest and most concise accounts on the Money Pit I’ve read.

Readers will find many golden nuggets about piracy and privateering far north of the Caribbean here. I wish this book had been available when I researched this subject several years ago for my article on this subject. Canadian pirates are rarely discussed anywhere, so Real Canadian Pirates is a gem worth savoring.