 Pirates and Privateers
The History of Maritime
Piracy
Cindy Vallar, Editor
& Reviewer
P.O. Box 425,
Keller, TX 76244-0425
 
Welcome aboard Pirates and
Privateers, a site devoted to the history
of maritime piracy, privateering, and the sea
before the Age of Steam.
Within these pages you will find articles
dealing with the history and culture of these
topics from ancient times to modern day. Click
one of the links above or below to explore the
treasures within this website.
Each month, I send out a newsletter
about the latest article and reviews posted
here. I also include information that doesn't
appear at Pirates and Privateers, but is
still of interest to adherents of piracy and
maritime history. By subscribing to the
newsletter, you'll never miss out on the latest
happenings here at Pirates and Privateers.
As
always, if you have a question about pirates,
please write
and ask. If there is a particular pirate
or subject, you'd like me to write about, let
me know.
One cautionary note for those
seeking genealogical information: Historical
records about pirates are rare. Much of what
is known comes from government records,
newspaper accounts, and the few contemporary
accounts written during a particular period.
This information rarely contains details
pertinent to what you need to know to identify
an ancestor. The simple fact is that the vast
majority of pirates' names remain unknown. I cannot answer
genealogical questions. Instead, I recommend
contacting genealogical depositories and
websites, historical societies, and
national archives --
places where the librarians and curators are
better trained to assist in this type of
query.
A special note to teachers
and students: If
you need help with a project or
report, please contact
me. Should you use any of my
articles or reviews, please let me
know and remember to include the
proper citation. The majority of
material contained with this
website is copyrighted.
Have
a happy and merry holiday
season!
Fair winds and
following seas,
Cindy
(site last updated 6 December 2024)
Pirate Quotes of the
Month
I observ’d
nothing in him tending to any
of the common Vices, too
common among Seafareing Men,
especially those who have
frequented these Parts; to
with, Swearing, Drunkenness,
Debauchery, &c.
— Captain
George Roberts, 1726
a merchant master captured
and spent time in the
company of
pirates Edward Low and
Francis Spriggs
 December Article |
 December
Reviews |
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
One of the hardest parts of writing
for me is coming up with a title.
Sometimes the best one comes when I’m
out walking in the early morning when
the rest of the world sleeps. That’s
what happened this time. Why choose
this particular phrase for the title?
It best captures the primary facets of
pirate life to be discussed, although
there are a few twists along the way
and what we deem “merry” may not fit a
pirate’s definition.
Author’s Note:
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
|
Manxmen
at Sea in the Age of Nelson, 1760-1815
by Matthew Richardson
History: Navy
Eldorado
by Wayne Savage
Fantasy
British
Warship Losses in the Age of
Sail, 1649-1860
by David Hepper
Disasters,
Mutinies, & Shipwrecks
Blackbeard
by Robert Jacob
Biography:
Pirates, Privateers, &
Pirate Hunters
The
Force of Fate
by Seth Hunter
Nautical
Fiction
|
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Pirate & Maritime News
|
Events & Activities
|
Some pages remain in the
old style, while others are in the new
style. We apologize for this. After
twenty-four years, there are many
pages to overhaul and this takes time.
We appreciate your understanding and
patience.
Update: All review pages have been
completed. Rather than a front list of
all the books in a particular
category, reviews have been subdivided
into like topics, such as Biography:
Pirates and Privateers.
Also completed is a revised Recommended
Pirate Links page. Categories
have been expanded. Broken links
removed. New websites added. There is
also a link to a page that explains
the ratings given to these links.
If ye be wantin’ to read about
pirates, there be no better way
than to sneak a peek at the Summer
issue of Wreckwatch.
’Tis yours for simply visitin’
their website and addin’ your name
to the roll. The first treasure to
explore be about a 300-year-old
mystery. Your editor, Cindy
Vallar, investigates “Who Wrote
the First Pirate Blockbuster.” Ye,
o’ course, ken she’s wonderin’
just who be Captain Charles
Johnson, who put pen to paper to
regale us wi’ tales of famous
scurvy knaves.
|
Voyage
to the Deep
Underwater Adventures
Now-12 January 2025
Mystic Seaport Museum
Mystic, Connecticut
Lantern
Light Village
6-7, 13-14, 20-22 December 2024
Mystic Seaport Museum
Mystic, Connecticut
Piracy's
'Golden Age' Revisited
Pursuing the Notorious Edward Low
presenter: Len Travers
19 December 2024
at 3 pm Eastern
In-person & Virtual
Colonial Society of Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts
Boarded!
A New Pirate Adventure
28 December 2024
Maritime Museum of San Diego
San Diego, California
Children's
Gasparilla
18 January 2025
Tampa, Florida
Gasparilla
Pirate Festival
25 January 2025
Tampa, Florida
Brick
Wrecks
Sunken Ships in LEGO Bricks
8 March - 31 August 2025
The Historic Dockyard Chatham
Chatham, Kent, United Kingdom
Sail 250th New York
4 July 2026
New York City, New York
|
The Rebel & the Spy
These
five people played roles in the War of 1812.
James Madison (far left) was president at
the time and, in my current
work-in-progress, he has a special
assignment for Lucas Burnett, one of the
protagonists in the novel. Jean Laffite
(beside Madison) operates a smuggling
operation, based on barrier islands
southwest of New Orleans. One of his
captains, is Dominique You, whose sister
Alexine has been raised in this nefarious
world of smugglers, pirates, privateers, and
cutthroats. Dolley Madison is the country's
presidentress (first lady) and plays a vital
role in preserving some of our national
treasures during the British invasion of
Washington City. General Andrew Jackson
(second from right) has no intention of
allowing the British to gain entry to the
United States through its back door (the
Mississippi). Governor William C. C.
Claiborne (far right) is Lucas's cousin and
a constant thorn in Laffite's side. They
come together within the pages of The
Rebel & the Spy, a historical
novel where it's not always easy to decide
who is the rebel and who is the spy.
The links below are to a gallery of places
depicted in my novel and a resource list for
those seeking information on the people
pictured above, pirates, ships in the age of
sail, the Battle of New Orleans, the
invasion and burning of Washington, the
bombardment of Fort McHenry, and much more.
(Please note that these pages are updated
from time to time, so check back to see
what's been added.) I hope you enjoy.
Pirates & Privateers
Newsletter
Each month I alert
readers to the posting of the
latest piracy article and book
reviews, new additions made to the
website, and interesting maritime
tidbits. If you would like to
receive the monthly Pirates
& Privateers Newsletter,
send
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If you're not sure,
here's a sample
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you enjoy!
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to subscribers: If you fail
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it's possible that your
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If your
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welcome to resubscribe if that
occurs.
Copyright ©2023 Cindy
Vallar
Click to contact me
Background image compliments
of Anke's Graphics |
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