 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.
  
Fair winds and
following seas,
Cindy
(site last updated 2 December 2025)
Pirate Quotes of the
Month
Law is not
forged by agreement. It is
tested by hunger.
~ Fragment
from an unknown captain’s
log, burned and copied.
in By
Blood, Ink & Salt
by Frederick Samuel (2025)
Ye pirates
who against God’s laws did
fight,
Have all
been taken which is very
right.
Some of them
were old and others young,
But on the
flats of Boston were all
hung.
~
by Salem poet inspired by
hanging of John Quelch and
his men,
recorded in
Ralph D. Paine’s The Ships
and Sailors of Old Salem
(1912)
 December Article |
 December
Reviews |
A Test Case
Law & Order: Pirate Edition (part 4)
I am not
afraid of Death, I am not afraid of
the Gallows, but I am afraid of what
follows; I am afraid of a Great God,
and a Judgment to Come.
These were the words John Quelch spoke
to a minister as he went to his death,
but his last words to the gathered
crowd differed from these.
Gentlemen, ’Tis but little I have
to speak: What I have to say is
this, I desire to be informed for
what I am here, I am Condemned only
upon Circumstances. I forgive all
the World: So the Lord be Merciful
to my Soul.
He also warned those who would bring
money into New England to be wary, for
there was a chance they would “be
Hanged for it!” just as he was.
Quelch’s claim to fame wasn’t so much
that he was a pirate; it was because
he and five others were the guinea
pigs for King William’s vice-admiralty
courts.
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By
Blood, Ink & Salt
by Frederick Samuel
Historical Fiction:
Pirates & Privateers
|
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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.
|
Pirates
29 March 2025 - 4 January 2026
National Maritime Museum
Greenwich, United Kingdom
Vikings
Before Vikings
11 April - 30 December 2025
Vrak -- Museum of Wrecks
Stockholm, Sweden
Boarded
A New Pirate
Adventure
27 December
2025
Maritime
Museum of San
Diego
San Diego,
California
Children's Gasparilla
24 January
2026
Tampa, Florida
Gasparilla Pirate Fest
31 January
2026
Tampa, Florida
Sail 250th New York
4 July 2026
New York City, New York
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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,
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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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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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