Edward Teach, The Infamous Pirate Blackbeard Part 1
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Edward Teach, The Infamous Pirate Blackbeard.
Blackbeard was born in Bristol in 1680 and as a youth no doubt joined the navy and served as a crewman during the 1701-1714 war of Spanish Succession. But only two years after the war ended he was reported as having become a pirate by joining the crew of Captain Benjamin Hornigold.
Teach had a fearsome reputation, he wove burning fuses into his hair and great black beard and fought not with one, but with two swords or pistols in his hands.
Much of what is written of Blackbeard and other pirates that I quote in the following pages comes from the fifth edition of a book entitled “The History And Lives Of All The Most Notorious Pirates And Their Crews” which was written by an anonymous author and printed in 1735. The author claimed to have gotten his information from a friend called William Ingram. Ingram was a pirate who was hanged for piracy on the 11th of June 1714, had sailed under Anstis, Roberts and many others.
A. A. Tells us of Teach…
Edward Teach was a Bristol Man, and had served many years in the late wars, in a Privateer fitted out from Jamaica, in which he had often distinguished himself for his boldness. He was never thought fit to be entrusted with any Command, till he went a-pirating in the Year 1716, when Captain Benjamin Hornigold put him into a Prize Sloop, with whom he kept company till Hornigold surrendered.
In 1727, Teach and Hornigold sailed from Providence for America, where, in their way, they took a vessel with above 100 Barrels of Flour, as also a Sloop from Bermudas, and a Ship bound to Carolina; from which they had a good plunder. After cleaning at Virginia, they returned to the West-Indies, and made Prize of a French Guinea Man bound to Martinico, which Teach was made Captain of; but Hornigold with his Sloop returned to Providence, and surrendered to mercy. Aboard the French Guinea Ship, Teach mounted 46 guns, and called her Queen Anne’s Revenge. Not long after he fell in with the Scarborough Man-of-War, who, after a long fight finding she could do no good with Teach, left him, and returned to Barbadoes, while Teach sailed to Spanish America. In his way, he met with Major Bonnet a Gentleman, formerly of a good estate in Barbadoes, in a small Sloop with which he had turned Pirate: But Teach finding Bonnet knew nothing of the matter, took him into his own Ship, and put one Richards Captain in his room, telling the Major, That he had not been us’d to the Fatigues of the Sea, he had better decline it, and take his pleasure aboard his Ship. At Turnissi they took in fresh water; but seeing a Sloop coming in, they ran to meet her, which struck her sail, upon the sight of the Black Flag, to Teach, who took the Captain and his men aboard, and put Israel Hands to mann the Sloop: From thence they sailed to the Bay, where they found a ship and four Sloops. Teach hoisted his Black Colours, at the Sight of which, the Captain and his men left the Ship, and ran into the woods. Teach’s Quarter-Master, with some of his Men, took possession of her, and Richards secured the Sloops: One of which they burnt, because she belonged to Boston, where some of his Men had been hanged; but the others they let go after plundering them.
into a Prize Sloop, with whom he kept company till Hornigold surrendered.