Famous pirates and pirate ships - names with explanation

• Famous pirates and their pirate ships from AZ
  • Alexandre Olivier Exquemelin
  • Bartholomew Roberts
  • Calico Jack Rackham
  • Charles Vane
  • Edward "Blackbeard" Teach
  • Jean-David Nau aka François l'Olonnais
  • Klaus Störtebeker
  • Anne Bonny
  • Mary Read
  • Olivier "La Busse" Le Vasseur
  • Sir Francis Drake
  • Sir Henry Morgan
  • Sir John Hawkins
  • Thomas Tew
  • William Dampier
  • William Kidd
  • Zheng Yisao

Pirates and their adventures fascinate! Never before have exciting stories about piracy become more popular - whether young or old. We'll tell you what you did not know yet. Here you will learn everything about famous pirates and pirate ships. Did you know, for example, that it was Captain Jack Rackham who invented the pirate flag ">

Famous pirates and their pirate ships from AZ

Here you will find a selection of the most famous and notorious pirates of their time and their pirate ships.

Alexandre Olivier Exquemelin

Exquemelin became known as the author of what was probably the most historically important script on piracy in the 17th century. He lived from 1645 - 1707 and moved to Tortuga at 21 to work for the French West Indies Company.

He received training as a surgeon and went to sea as a ship's doctor. In his active time he sailed with Pierre Le Grande, Michel de Basque and Francis L'Olonnois as a buccaneer and is a caper with order.

In 1678 he wrote his work "De Americaen Zee-Rovers" - The American Buccaneers. In his book he described very precisely the life of pirates in his time, so that it still has a high historical - documentary value.

The revelations about the life of pirates did not appeal to all readers, especially buccaneers who have been named and whose craft has been described very accurately. So the notorious Sir Henry Morgan sued him for "reputational damage". Although he gets right and Alexandre Olivier Exquemelin is sentenced to a fine of 200 British pounds in damages, but this is never enforced and thus had more symbolic value to the buccaneer of the English crown mildly.

Bartholomew Roberts

Bartholomew Roberts, also called Black Barty, from South Wales lived from 1682 to 1722. He exploited in many waters - off North America, as well as South America, as well as off the west coast of Africa, he drove his mischief. He was a very strict captain, forbidding alcohol and gambling and was able to capture over 400 ships in this disciplined manner. Only Sir Henry Morgan was able to outdo this.

Black Barty has captained many different ships, including the Royal Rover, Fortune, Royal Fortune and Good Fortune . His self-designed pirate flag shows him holding a sword in his hand and standing on two skulls. Among them are the letters ABH for "a barbadian's head" and AMH for "a martinician's head" read - these stand for the head of a Barbadian Islander and the head of a Martiniquers.

Roberts died in 1722 in the attack of HMS Swallow, a warship with 60 guns. So one of the greatest pirate captains sank at the bottom of the sea, which was the captain's express wish after his death. His crew should throw him overboard in the event of death, which they did.

Calico Jack Rackham

Jack Rackham is one of the most famous pirates, as he is said to have invented the typical pirate flag with skull and bones. He lived and robbed around 1700 and was known for his colorful calico clothing - so many also called him Calico Jack.

As a helmsman he hired on the Treasure under Charles Vane, which was replaced not long after by a mutiny by Calico Jack. In New Providence Jack finally met Anne Bonny and fell head over heels in love. He presented you with many treasures and captured riches. As a member of the crew Anne fought many battles side by side with Jack. In November 1720, however, the two and the crew got involved.

In Jamaica, the entire team was put on trial after a shattering defeat. Pirate hunter Captain Barnet finally managed to capture Calico Jack. Tradition has it that Jack made a deal with the governor. He would surrender, leaving his beloved Anne, who was expecting a baby from him, and the pirate Mary Read. Both women were able to save themselves, but Jack was convicted and hanged on 17 November 1720.

Charles Vane

Little is known about the pirate Charles Vane. He lived at the beginning of the 18th century. It is known, however, that he succeeded in obtaining one of the largest captures by means of a single hull. The wreck of a Spanish galleon was the focus. Many pirates wanted to capture the precious goods of the stranded ship. However, Spanish warships chased everyone except Charles Vane. This made, after the way was free, over all the treasures ago.

However, Vane did not really know his name until 1718 when he set fire to a freshly hijacked ship in the harbor of New Providence and sent it to the then Governor Woodes Rogers and his fleet with kind regards. Vane had a high reputation with his crew - his leadership and talent for finding good prey was very popular.

Finally, Vane made a mistake - showing weakness during a duel with a French warship. He ordered the retreat, whereupon his team accused him of cowardice and mutinied against him. Calico Jack took his place as captain. Exposed in a small sloop together with the last loyal friends he had left, he continued his career - just three months later he was captain of a new crew.

However, a hurricane sank Vanes ship and he was the only survivor to save himself on a small island. As a disguised sailor he managed to escape from the island. When his new captain met Holiford on the high seas, his camouflage flew open. Holiford recognized Vane and revealed his true identity. In Port Royal Charles Vane was finally hung in March 1721.

Edward "Blackbeard" Teach

One of the most famous and terrible pirates was Edward Thatch, who went down in piracy under the name Blackbeard. He is also known as Edward "Blackbeard" Teach due to a false tradition of his name. There are no concrete indications about the year of his birth. It is believed that he was born in 1680 in Bristol.

He was feared by many and his atrocities and raids in the West Indies and on the coasts of North Carolina and Virginia formed his formidable image. His appearance also helped - his thick black beard earned him the name Blackbeard.

He began his career at sea as a sailor during the Spanish War of Succession. Around 1717 he had the first command of a ship - the Sloop Revenge . Not much later, the slave transport La Concorde fell into his hands. He rebuilt the ship, renamed it Queen Anne's Revenge and made it the flagship of his 4-piece pirate fleet. It was one of the few famous ships with many iron cannons.

In 1718, however, Blackbeard was killed in an attack by two British ships. The $ 100 bounty earned Captain Robert Maynard of the Royal Navy - it is said that he needed 20 saber-strokes and 5 shots to finally bring down Blackbeard.

Jean-David Nau aka François l'Olonnais

Nau, born in France, counts as one of the cruelest pirate captains ever and lived 1630 - 1671.

In the 1660s, he started to spread his evil in the Caribbean, after which he started working there. He undertook many cruel raids by land and sea.

He was notorious for being unscrupulous. L'Olonnais tormented, tortured and abused his victims in the most frightful ways and did not shy away from cannibalism.

Klaus Störtebeker

Störtebeker is probably the most well-known "German" buccaneer, with many legends surrounding him and his life. It is difficult to determine where historical facts and the great myth surrounding him are.

He lived (probably) 1360 - 1401 in the area of ​​the North Sea and Baltic Sea, where he was at work with his "Vital Brothers" (partly under the protection of the Swedish crown and capercaillie).

There are different versions about his life and actions. From the "horror of the Hanseatic League" over the protection of the English merchant fleet to mercenaries against the Danish crown, there are many stories about him and his people. His name Störtebeker = "tumble the cup" = Schnelltrinker comes from his reputation to have emptied a boot-sized pitcher with mead or beer on a train.

According to legend, after his arrest and his death sentence, he is said to have negotiated that after his beheading all the men on whom his headless body is still passing will be acquitted. It is said that he ran past eleven of his men until the executioner broke his leg or threw the block of guards between his legs to stop him.

Anne Bonny

The pirate queen Anne Bonny is one of the few known women among the pirates. She lived and fought around 1700 in the Atlantic Ocean. The Irish-born young woman was fed up with her father's plantation in South Carolina someday. They wanted to devote themselves to other things.

New Providence, today's Nassau, has been the stronghold of piracy and that's where it began as a pirate. She hired disguised as a man on Charles Vanes ship and met there and know Calico Jack Rackham and love. She also met the pirate Mary Read, with whom she always fought side by side.

When on November 28, 1720, the team was accused of piracy, Anne Bonny was pregnant. For that reason, their charges were adjourned. On the day of her beloved Jack's execution, she said to him, "I'm sorry to see you here, Jack, but if you'd have fought like a man you don't hang like a dog." ("I'm sorry "See you here, Jack, but if you had fought like a man, you would not have to hang like a dog.") Somehow, Anne got away without charge, and she made her escape. Nobody knows exactly what happened to her then. Some say she lived her life as a pirate.

Mary Read

Another dreaded pirate who was born in London - England in 1685 and died in captivity in 1721 in Santiago de la Vega - Jamaica.

Her mother had her child wear the clothes of her deceased brother to continue to be financially supported by her deceased husband's family. At a young age, she hired on a warship as "Mark Read" and fought in the army of Flanders, all in identity as a man.

In the military, she valorized by her bravery, rose in rank and fought in cavalry regiment. There she fell in love with a corporal. She married them and led an inn with him, and lived again as a wife until his death.

As a widow, she disguised herself as a man and hired on a slave ship, which was attacked during the trip to the Caribbean by pirates, whom she immediately joined.

On the pirate ship of Carlo Jack Rackham, she met the pirate Anne Bonny and revealed herself to her. Both became friends and fought together from now on. In an attack even both women should have defended the entire ship together, because the rest of the team was hiding drunk under deck. The men came to help them, but Mary was said to be so angry that she shot at her own people and killed one of them.

In 1720 she was captured and sentenced to death. The sentence was deferred because she was pregnant at the time. She died of fever in prison.

Olivier "La Busse" Le Vasseur

The French pirate lived from about 1680/1690 - 1730. He was up to 1720 in the Caribbean as part of the "Flying Gang" of the "Republlic of Pirates" in the Bahamas, which included, inter alia, Blackbeard and Mary Read.

But after more and more pirate hunters in the Caribbean, Le Vasseur decided to leave before his craft in the Indian Ocean. There he conquered several ships and captured great treasures.

During his execution, he threw a cryptogram into the crowd and said that the one who understood this would find his huge treasure. The treasure was not found until today and is, according to legend, on one of the numerous islands in the Indian Ocean.

Sir Francis Drake

Drake lived from 1540 to 1596 and was a skilled and well trained sailor. He was a merchant sailor between England, France and the Spanish Netherlands. Due to the Spanish trade embargo, he was forced to seek other work. He worked for a cousin on your slave trader ship. This hunted people in West Africa and sold them as slaves to the Spanish settlers in the Caribbean and today's Latin America.

With the support of the English crown, in the form of a caper letter, he "worked" as a pirate on various ships. From 1571 Francis Drake undertook his own forays in the West Indies.

1577-1580 he was the first British circumnavigator . He captured and raided numerous ships and Spanish settlements on the west coast of South America.
Later he was still knighted. This was followed by further fishing trips, with which he harmed the Spanish merchant fleet and England made an emerging naval power.

Sir Henry Morgan

Morgan (after whom a rum today is named) lived from about 1634/35 to 1688 and was a Welsh buccaneer.

Morgan piled on a small fortune with raids against Spanish merchant ships and branches in the Caribbean to later organize their own raids.
As an excellent tactician and unscrupulous blackmailer, he captured many treasures and was later even elevated to the peerage.

He introduced the "Articles of Agreement" - the Pirate Codex (written by Alexandre Olivier Exquemelin). In this the distribution of the looted treasures is determined and what compensation it gives in the case of injuries resulting in the fight or loss of body parts. It also clarifies the hierarchy, ground rules, codetermination and serves as something similar to an "employment contract".

Sir John Hawkins

John Hawkins lived from 1532 to 1595 and was a slave trader between Africa and America. His flagship was until 1568 the Jesus of Lübeck .

Hawkins was a relative of Sir Francis Drake and also worked with him temporarily. He tried his actions to damage the Spanish merchant fleet and to trade with Spanish settlements in the Caribbean and South America.

Like many others in his profession, he worked with a hijacking letter and was later knighted for his services.

Thomas Tew

The pirate from Rhode Island - British colony in North America lived from 1649 to 1695. His ship was the Liberty .

Tew received the cover letter from Governor of Bermuda Island to plunder French trading posts on the West African coast (Gorée). In 1693 he and his men moved to the Indian Ocean where they captured great treasures.

In another raid, with a caper letter from the governor of New York, in the mouth of the Red Sea, Thomas Tew died in the attempt to capture an Islamic pilgrim ship.

William Dampier

The British buccaneer lived 1651-1715, but was actually more discoverer, avid sailor and triple circumnavigator .

As an active caper he worked only 1679 - 1681, where he spent much of his life at sea. One of his ships here Bachelor's Delight .

Dampier wrote successful books about the seafaring and his discoveries.
His true legacy is the discoveries, cartographies, documentaries, collections and much more. which he did during his fishing trips.

For his ability as a navigator, he enjoyed great prestige and was praised by many great of his time also appreciative, such as by A. v.. Humboldt.

William Kidd

From 1645 - 1701, the Scot lived and emigrated to New York City, where he became a very successful merchant.

On a trip to England he gets the buccaneer license, with which he may chase French merchant ships and pirate ships.

One of his caper rides was only successful, but he also had a very big booty. Nobody knows where his treasure is, and many rumors and myths surround it, but it was never found.

Zheng Yisao

The most famous Chinese pirate lived from 1775 - 1844. Her area of ​​activity was the South China Sea and the coast of southern China. She took over the pirate fleet of her late husband Zheng Yi (1765-1807).

By skillfully building alliances, strengthening the fleet with her new husband, and following a strict code of conduct, she managed to increase her fleet size to well over 800 ships and 80, 000 men.

When the government sought support from the Portuguese and British military, it took advantage of the offer of amnesia and provided its fleet to the navy, kept its captured assets and operated peacefully and prosperously to the end of its life a casino and an extensive opium smuggling.