Pirates and Privateers

Pirates liked to drink. Who would argue with this truism? Granted, some overindulged and some did not. Nor was drinking unusual in the past, since drinking tainted water carried its own risks. Still, drinking alcohol, especially to excess, wasn’t without jeopardy.

After the first glass you see things as you wish they were.
After the second, you see things as they are not.
Finally you see things as they really are,
and that is the most horrible thing in the world.

Those words, attributed to Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde, suggest that drinking to excess can compound one’s problems. There are numerous incidents in pirate history that back up this conclusion. Just ask Henry Morgan.

In late 1668, word reached the buccaneers that Henry Morgan was planning a grand assault on an unnamed target and any brethren who wished to participate were to gather at Île-à-Vache (Cow Island, off the coast of Hispaniola). In addition to Morgan’s twenty-six-gun frigate Oxford, eleven other ships and 900 men were eager to plunder anew. On 1 January 1669, he summoned the officers to decide on their target. Upon deciding to raid Cartagena, they refilled the punch bowl and celebrated with a feast.

They drank the health of the King of England and toasted their good success and fired off salvoes. The gentlemen made merry in the poop and the men did the same in the fo’c’sle – but when they were at the height of their joy . . . as the festive guns were being fired, some sparks landed in the gunpowder – and the ship blew up . . . There were only about thirty survivors. All those who had been in the great cabin saved their lives, with little harm done, Morgan being slightly injured in the leg. The survivors had all been in the stern of the ship, for in English ships the powder-room is generally forward. More might have escaped, but most of the men had been drunk. (Exquemelin, 142)

Excessive drinking also proved dangerous for the pirates holding William Snelgrave. One day, he received an invitation to dine with Howell Davis.

After we had been some time on board his Ship, Supper was brought up about eight a clock in the Evening; and the Musick was ordered to play, amongst which was a Trumpeter, that had been forced to enter out of one of the Prizes. About the middle of Supper, we heard upon Deck an outcry of Fire, and instantly a Person came to us, and said, “The Main-hatch-way was all in a Flame;” so we all went upon the Deck. (Snelgrave, 267)

Thinking straight proved difficult for the intoxicated pirates. The deck was a mass of confusion. Those less inebriated had already abandoned ship, escaping into boats tied alongside. Even Davis, Thomas Cocklyn, and Olivier Levasseur were befuddled and admitted so to Snelgrave, who said,

“I proposed to them to fire the Quarterdeck Guns at the Boats that had just put off to oblige them to come on board again,” which being instantly done, it frightned the People in them, that they forthwith came back, lent their helping hand to put out the Fire; which by this time was come to a great head in the Ship’s hold. (Snelgrave, 268)

After this, Snelgrave went below and found the gunner’s mate shouting for assistance to keep the fire from reaching the gunpowder.

Observing the Stupidity of the People about me, who stood looking at one another, I caught up several Blankets and Rugs which lay scattered about, and flung them to him, and so did others by my example. Then I run out of the Steerage upon Deck, where meeting with some People that were sober, I got them to go over the side, and draw up Buckets of Water; And others handing them to [the gunner], who had by this time placed the Blankets and Rugs against the Bulk-head of the Powder-Room, he flung this Water on them, and thereby prevented the Flames from catching the Powder, and consequently from blowing up the Ship, which must otherwise have happened: For there was then on board at least thirty thousand pounds of Gunpowder . . . . (Snelgrave, 269)

Confusion continued to reign and some pirates were so drunk they didn’t have a clue as to what was going on around them. Those fighting the flames in the hold despaired of succeeding in extinguishing the flames, so Snelgrave sought a quiet space to ponder what to do because he couldn’t swim. While doing this, he

heard a loud shout upon the Main-deck, with a Huzza, “For a brave blast to go to Hell with,” which was repeated several times. This not only much surprized me, but also many of the new entered Pirates; who were struck with a Pannick Fright, believing the Ship was just blowing up; so that several of them came running . . . and accidentally threw me down. (Snelgrave, 270-271)

These rookies were lamenting their choice and feared they were about to die and go to Hell. Some decided their best chance of survival was to take refuge “on the Bolt-sprit and the Sprit-sail-yard.” (Snelgrave, 271) In reality, none would have been spared if the ship exploded because there was so much powder on board. Fortunately for all,

Taylor, Master of this Pirate Ship . . . with fifteen more, spared no pains to extinguish the Fire in the Hold; and tho’ they were scalded in a sad manner by the Flames, yet they never shrunk till it was conquered; which was not till near ten a clock at night, when they came upon Deck, declaring the Danger was over . . . . (Snelgrave, 272)

Whereas the cause that resulted in the loss of Morgan’s Oxford could only be surmised, this was not the case aboard Davis’s ship. A Black man, using a candle to light his way, had gone below to get rum. He held “his Candle too near the Bung-hole, a Spark fell into the Hogshead, and set the Rum on fire.” (Snelgrave, 273)

Anne Bonny, Jack Rackham, and Mary Read

Being drunk also caused difficulties on the evening of 22 October 1720. Calico Jack Rackham and his crew were drinking and playing cards belowdecks. Around ten o’clock Anne Bonny and Mary Read went topside for a breath of fresh air and discovered a sloop beside theirs.

The women shouted to the men to come up on deck, and a few of them did, but several of the men were so rum-soaked that they had already passed out. (Eastman, 35)

According to testimony given at the pirates’ trial in Jamaica, Captain Jonathan Barnett had been pursuing the pirates for a time. When he demanded their surrender, someone on board yelled,

they would strike no Strikes, and immediately fired a Swivil Gun . . . at Barnet’s Sloop; whereupon Barnet order’d his Men to fire a Broad-side and Volley of Small-shot at the said Sloop, which they did, and carried away the Enemy’s Sloops Boom, and then they called to Barnet for Quarter, which he gave them, and afterwards took the said Sloop . . . and delivered [the pirates] to Major Richard James (a Militia-Officer) who procured a Guard, in order to carry them to Spanish-Town Goal . . . . (Tryals of Captain,11)

The capture resulted in Rackham and his crew being convicted and sentenced to hang. While Bonny and Read got temporary reprieves because of their pregnancies – Anne disappeared; Mary died of gaol fever – Jack danced the hempen jig on 18 November and his body was gibbeted at Plum Point (now Rackham’s Cay), Jamaica.

Sometimes, trouble came from a combination of drinking too much and not imbibing. In early 1722, Bartholomew Roberts and his men were off the coast of Cape Lopez, Africa, when a vessel veered away, as if the master had finally seen the three pirate ships and meant to flee. (In actuality, the ship was avoiding a sand bar.) Roberts’s crews enjoyed quaffing punch, but were running low on sugar, a key ingredient. As a result of the shortage, there was bickering. Fearing it might escalate and thinking the fleeing ship carried sugar, Roberts sent Ranger after her.

This proved a fatal mistake. The mysterious ship being chased wasn’t a merchantman. It was HMS Swallow of the Royal Navy and Captain Chaloner Ogle was savvy enough to understand that he had finally succeeded in locating the prey he’d been hunting for some time. Once he deemed that he had drawn the pirates far enough away from Roberts to prevent him and his men from hearing the coming fight, he ordered Swallow to reverse course and fired a broadside at Ranger. A bloody, mostly one-sided, running battle ensued. All but a handful of die-hard pirates surrendered. (The latter went below to blow up the ship, but something went awry and they suffered horrible burns instead.)

When Swallow’s surgeon, John Atkins, came aboard Ranger,

The pirates were as dandily dressed as ever ‘with white shirts, watches, and a deal of silk vests’. Those unhurt remained ‘gay and brisk’. But the ship was awash with blood, and dead and hideously injured men lay all about, victims both of the battle and the explosion afterwards. (Sanders, 216)

Chaloner’s account to the Admiralty Office was less dramatic.

About eleven that Morning [Ranger] got within Gun-shot of me and fired several Chace Guns, under English Colours and a black Flag at her Mizzen-Peek; soon afterwards being come within Musket shot, I Starboarded my Helm and gave her a Broad-side, and in an Hour and an half’s Time she struck and called for Quarter, we having disabled her very much, and shot down her Main-Top-Mast . . . she had 26 Men killed and wounded the, Captain’s name was Skyrm, who had a Leg shot off . . . (Full, v)

On 7 February, Swallow and the repaired Ranger set sail to capture the rest of the pirates. They arrived at Cape Lopez as evening fell and since the pirates had yet to spot them, Ogle decided to wait until the next morning to attack. One reason for this was because instead of finding two ships at anchor, as they expected, there were three and he assumed it was a recently-taken prize. This suggested the pirates were celebrating.

As the sun rose on 10 February, Ogle made his move. Many of the pirates were drunk, nursing hangovers, or still passed out. According to Surgeon Atkins, “They were ‘very easy in the bay . . .  and stayed so long that we doubted whether they would stir for us’.” (Sanders, 218)

When “Sail ahoy!” was sounded, Bartholomew Roberts was having “a breakfast of weak beer and salmagundi.” The pirates, being befuddled, mistook Swallow for a merchantman or their compatriots returning on Ranger.

Roberts, unconcerned, continued his breakfast. His men were debating how many guns they should fire as a salute . . . when suddenly a look of horror passed across the face of David Armstrong, the deserter from HMS Swallow. . . . He dashed down to Roberts’ cabin. (Sanders, 218)

Battle between HMS Swallow and Bartholomew Roberts's Royal Fortune
by Charles Edward Dixon (Source: Wikipedia)

Unperturbed, Roberts calmly decided to sail directly toward Swallow, unleash a broadside as they passed, and head out to sea. The odds of succeeding in this mad dash were low, but with so many of his men unfit to fight because of their inebriation, what choice did he have? As a storm unleashed its fury, so too did HMS Swallow. When the battle ended, Roberts was dead (grapeshot to the throat), and those who survived the battle were destined for trial at Cape Coast Castle.

Although rounded up with the rest of the pirates, Henry Glasby found himself in a precarious situation. He had served as the sailing master of Royal Fortune for eighteen months, but he was also a prisoner, forced to do the pirates’ bidding. (This eventually came out during the trial and he was acquitted.)

When Lieutenant Isaac Sun came aboard to take command, he sought out Glasby. This was when Joseph Mansfield, a navy deserter and highwayman turned drunken pirate, emerged from the hold “vapouring with a Cutlass, to know who would go on board the Prize; and it was some time before they could perswade him to the truth of their Condition.” (Full, 51) This wasn’t Glasby’s only observance about the pirates and their drinking. When he was first forced to be their sailing master,

he was staggered by the ferocious, incessant consumption of alcohol. They ‘loved drinking and mirth’ . . . and there were many occasions when there were ‘all hands drunk, and nobody fit for duty. (Sanders, 119)

Even Joseph Mansfield admitted that “the love of drink and a lazy life” attracted him to pirate life more than the promise of gold. (Sanders, 119)

During the trial, Stephen Thomas recounted how James Phillips “was down with a lighted Match to blow the Ship up, swearing very prophanely, let’s all go to H—ll together, and threw the Deponent against the Ladder, wounding his Hand, as they were struggling about the Match till Glasby came to his Assistance. [Phillips] was ever moross and drunk, carrying his Pistols sometimes about him, and threaten’d new Comers, if they offered to speak.” (Full, 70)

Another example where excessive drinking ended with dire consequences was related by Captain Johnson in his chapter on Samuel Bellamy. One of his men was an aspiring playwright.

This whimsical Fellow made a Play whilst he was on board, which he called the Royal Pyrate; and this (which to see once would make a Cynick laugh) was acted on the Quarter-Deck with great Applause, both of the Actors and Poet; but an Accident which turn’d the Farce into Tragedy, occasioned an Order of Council to forbid its being play’d a second Time. The Cast was thus; Alexander the Great, environ’d by his Guards, was examining a Pyrate who was brought before him: The Gunner, who was drunk, took this to be in earnest, and that his Mess-Mate was in Danger, and hearing Alexander say,

Know’st thou that Death attends the mighty Crimes,
And thou shall’st hang to Morrow Morn betimes.

Swore by G—d he’d try that, and running into the Gun-Room where he left three Companions over a Bowl of Rum Punch as drunk as himself, told them, they were going to hang honest Jack Spinckes; and if they suffered it, they should be all hang’d one after another, but by G—d, they should not hang him, for he’d clear the Decks; and taking a Grenado with a lighted Match, followed by his Comrades with their Cutlash, he set Fire to the Fuze and threw it among the Actors. The Audience was on the Gang Ways and Poop, and falling in with their Cutlashes, poor Alexander had his left Arm cut off, and Jack Spinckes his Leg broke with the bursting of the Shell. (Defoe, 588-589)

The gunner and two mates who survived the brouhaha were immediately “clapp’d into Irons, and the next Day at a Court-Marshal, not only acquitted but applauded for their Zeal.” (Defoe, 589)

Another incident involved the boarders of Morning Star in 1828. One man had been drinking Madeira ever since the discovery of two crates in the hold.

[W]ithout warning one wild-eyed pirate found a long-handled axe in the hold and in a frenzied attack began hacking at the mainmast. At almost 4ft thick and ringed with a girdle of iron at its base, he was cheered on by his colleagues. Then part of the way through the mast, he became exhausted in the heat of the day and gave up his endeavour. (Ford, 73-74)

Although fighting was part of their daily lives while hunting for ships to plunder, pirates could also end up fighting amongst themselves. Emotions were fueled by jealousy and greed, and drink could fuel the embers until flames erupted. Samuel Perkins gave a statement in 1698, about an incident he heard of five years before while visiting Ste. Marie, the pirate haven on Madagascar.

[A] little before my arrival fourteen of the pirates had by consent divided themselves into two parties of seven to fight for what they had, thinking that there was not enough for all, and that the whole of one seven were killed and five of the other, so that two men enjoyed the whole booty. (“America,” Aug. 25. 771.)

Such examples reinforced the hazards of drinking to excess, but pirates had other vices to entertain them during their short but merry lives.

. . . To be continued

Part 1: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry          Part 2: Pirates Party Hearty          Part 3: Articles & Taverns

Part 4: On the Menu

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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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