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Famous Pirate Ships and Captains

Updated: Dec 2, 2022

1 ... Sam Bellamy and the Whydah ... In February 1717, the pirate Sam Bellamy captured the Whydah, a large British ship used for the transportation of enslaved people. He was able to mount 28 cannons onboard her and for a short while terrorized Atlantic shipping lanes. The pirate ship Whydah did not last long. It was quickly sank by a horrendous storm off of Cape Cod in April 1717. This was barely two months after Bellamy captured her ... The wreck of The Whydah was discovered in 1984 ... Thousands of artifacts were recovered, including the ship's bell. Many of the artifacts are on display in the Bedford Whaling Museum in Provincetown, Massachusetts ... 2 ... Stede Bonnet’s Revenge ... Major Stede Bonnet was a captain who was unlikely to become a pirate. He was a wealthy plantation owner from Barbados with a wife and family when suddenly, at about the age of 30, he decided to become a pirate.

... Bonnet ... is probably the only pirate in history to buy his own ship ... In 1717 he outfitted a ten-gun sloop he named the Revenge ... He told the authorities he was going to get a privateering license, but instead he engaged in piracy immediately upon leaving the harbor ... After losing a battle, the Revenge met up with Blackbeard, who borrowed the Revenge for a while as Bonnet rested ... Later, Bonnet was Betrayed by Blackbeard. Ultimately, Bonnet was captured in a battle and executed on December 10, 1718 ... 3 ... Captain William Kidd ... In 1696 Captain William Kidd was a rising star in seafaring circles. In 1689 he captured a large French prize while sailing as a ... Privateer ... Soon after, he married a wealthy heiress. In 1696, he convinced some wealthy friends to fund a privateering expedition ... He the then acquired and outfitted the Adventure Galley. This was 34-gun monster !!! Quickly, William Kid went into the business of hunting French vessels and other pirates ... However ... Kidd had bad luck and his crew forced him to turn pirate not long after they set sail. Hoping to clear his name, William Kid returned to New York and turned himself in ... Unfortunately, he was hanged anyway ... 4 ... Henry Avery ... In 1694, Henry Avery was an officer onboard the Charles II, an English ship in service to the King of Spain. After months of poor treatment, the sailors on board were ready to mutiny, and Avery was ready to lead them ... On May 7, 1694, Avery and his fellow mutineers took over the Charles II, then renamed her the Fancy ... The crew then decided to become pirates sailing in the Indian Ocean. Here they struck it big !!! In July 1695 they captured the Ganj-i-Sawai, a treasure ship owned by ... the Grand Moghul of India ... This was one of the largest scores ever captured by a pirate ... Avery sailed back to the Caribbean where he sold off most of his treasure ... he then Disappeared from History ... but he did not not disappear from popular legend ... 5 ... George Lowthern ... On a ship named Gambia Castle, Lowthern was the second mate on board. It was a mid-sized English Man of War when she sailed for Africa in 1721. The Gambia Castle was bringing a garrison to a fortress on the African coast. When they arrived, the soldiers found that their accommodations and provisions were unacceptable. Lowthern had fallen out of favor with the captain and convinced the unhappy soldiers to join him in mutiny. They took over the Gambia Castle, and re-named her ... 6 ... Delivery ... Once in control the crew set out to engage in piracy. Lowthern had a relatively long career as a pirate and eventually traded the Delivery for a more seaworthy ship. Lowther died marooned on a desert island after losing his ship

... 7 ... Sir Francis Drake and the Golden Hind ... Francis Drake was an English explorer, sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician. Drake is best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580 . He was Born in Tavistock, United Kingdom. He Died on January 28, 1596, in Portobelo, Panama ... 8 ... Sir Henry Morgan ... His Ship was named Satisfaction ... Henry Morgan was a privateer ... a plantation owner, and, later ... The Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica ... From his base in Port Royal, Jamaica, he raided settlements and shipping on the Spanish Main, and he became very wealthy as he did so ... His Nickname was ... Morgan the terrible ... His Nationality was Welsh ... Later work ... Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica ... 9 ... Edward Teach ... His boat's name was ... Queen Anne's Revenge ... He is better known as Blackbeard ... The English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North American colonies. Born in Bristol, United Kingdom. His full name is ... Edward Teach. His Nickname is ... BlackBeard ...

10. Captain William Kidd. Also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd. He was a Scottish sea captain who was commissioned as a privateer and had experience as a pirate. He was tried and executed in London in 1701 for murder and piracy ... 11 ... Grace O’Malley ... The Pirate Queen of Ireland and one of the most famous pirates of all time. A historic meeting with Queen Elizabeth 1 and the Pirate Queen took place in September 1893. at Greenwich Castle. The meeting was a success because the queen granted all of her requests ...12 ... Anne Bonny ... Ship name ... The William ... The head of the Ó Máille dynasty in the west of Ireland. She was an Irish Pirates operating in the Caribbean, and one of the few female pirates in recorded history ...13 ... Bartholomew Roberts, born John Roberts. He was Welsh and the most successful pirate in the Golden Age of Piracy !!! His Nickname was ... Black Bart ... He was a Welsh pirate and the most successful pirate in the Golden Age of Piracy !!! He comendered over 400 prizes in his career ... He died on February 10, 1722 ...

...14 ... Sir Henry Morgan ... Ship name ... Satisfaction ... Sir Henry Morgan was a privateer, plantation owner, and, later, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. From his base in Port Royal, Jamaica, he raided settlements and shipping on the Spanish Main, becoming wealthy as he did so. Born: January 24, 1635, Died: August 25, 1688 ...15 ... Cheung Po Tsai was a navy colonel of the Qing dynasty and former pirate. "Cheung Po Tsai" literally means "Cheung Po the Kid". He was known to the Portuguese Navy as Quan Apon Chay during the Battle of the Tiger's Mouth. WikipediaBorn: 1786, Xinhui Districtm Died: 1822, Penghu, Taiwan Spouse: Zheng Yi Sao (m. 1810–1822) Parents: Cheung Yi Base of operations: South China Sea Known for: well known Chinese pirate Boat Name Aqua Luna Nickname: Samuel Bellamy Wealth Equiv. US$151 million in 2021; #1 Forbes top-earning pirates.

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