landed and quickly scattered with their plunder. Within a week Quelch was
in gaol, and was taken to Boston, where his trial began on June 17th,
1704, and he was found guilty. The days between the sentence and the
execution must have, indeed, been trying for the prisoner. We read in a
pamphlet published at the time: "The Ministers of the Town used more than
ordinary Endeavours to Instruct the Prisoners and bring them to
Repentance. There were Sermons Preached in their hearing Every Day, and
Prayer daily made with them. And they were Catechised, and they had many
occasional Exhortations. And nothing was left that could be done for their
Good."
On Friday, June 30th, 1704, Quelch and his companions marched on foot
through the town of Boston to Scarlil's Wharf with a strong armed guard of
musketeers, accompanied by various officials and two ministers, while in
front was carried a silver oar, the emblem of a pirate's execution. Before
the last act the minister gave a long and fervent harangue to the wretched
culprits, in all of whom were observed suitable signs of repentance except
Quelch, who, stepping forward on the platform, his hat in his hand, and
bowing left and right to the spectators, gave a short address, in which he
warned them "They should take care how they brought Money into New England
to be Hanged for it."
QUITTANCE, JOHN.
One of Captain Quelch's crew of the brigantine _Charles_. Tried with the
rest of that crew at the Star Tavern at Boston in June, 1704.
RACKAM, CAPTAIN JOHN, _alias_ CALICO JACK.
Served as quartermaster in Captain Vane's company. On one occasion Vane
refused to fight a big French ship, and in consequence was dismissed his
ship and marooned on an uninhabited island off the coast of America, while
the crew elected Rackam to be their captain in his place. This was on
November 24th, 1718, and on the very first day of his command he had the
good fortune to take and plunder several small vessels.
Off the Island of Jamaica they took a Madeira ship, and found an old
friend on board as a passenger--a Mr. Hosea Tisdell, who kept a tavern in
the island, and they treated him with great respect.
Christmas Day coming, the pirates landed on a small island to celebrate
this festival in a thorough manner, carousing and drinking as long as the
liquor lasted, when they sailed away to seek more. Their next prize was a
strange one. On coming alongside a ship, she surrendered, and the pirates
boarding her to examine her cargo, found it to consist of thieves from
Newgate on their way to the plantations. Taking two more vessels, Rackam
sailed to the Bahama Islands, but the Governor, Captain Woodes Rogers,
sent a sloop, which took away their prizes.
Rackam now sailed his ship to a snug little cove he knew of in Cuba, where
he had more than one lady acquaintance. Here the pirates were very happy
until all their provisions and money was spent. Just as they were about to
sail, in comes a Spanish Guarda del Costa with a small English sloop which
they had recently taken. Rackam was now in a very awkward position, being
unable to get past the Spaniard, and all he could do was to hide behind a
small island. Night came on, and when it was dark Rackam put all his crew
into a boat, rowed quietly up to the sloop, clambered aboard, threatening
instant death to the Spanish guards if they cried out, then cut the cables
and sailed out of the bay. As soon as it was light the Spanish ship
commenced a furious bombardment of Rackam's empty vessel, thinking he was
still aboard her.
In the summer of 1720 he took numbers of small vessels and fishing boats,
but nothing very rich, and was not above stealing the fishermen's nets and
landing and taking cattle. In October Rackam was chased near Nigril Bay by
a Government sloop commanded by a Captain Barret. After a short fight
Rackam surrendered, and was carried a prisoner to Port Royal.
On November 16th Rackam and his crew were tried at St. Jago de la Vega,
convicted and sentenced to death. Amongst the crew were two women dressed
as men, Anne Bonny and Mary Read. The former was married, in pirate
fashion, to Rackam.
On the morning of his execution Rackam was allowed, as a special favour,
to visit his Anne, but all the comfort he got from her was "that she was
sorry to see him there, but if he had fought like a man, he need not have
been hanged like a Dog."
Rackam was hanged on November 17th, 1720, at Gallows Point, at Port Royal,
Jamaica.
RAPHAELINA, CAPTAIN.
Much dreaded by the merchant sailors navigating the South Atlantic. In
1822 he controlled a fleet of pirate vessels in the vicinity of Cape
Antonio.
RAYNER, CAPTAIN.
In a letter to the Lords of Trade, dated from Philadelphia, February 28th,
1701, William Penn mentions that several of Captain Kidd's men had settled
as planters in Carolina with Rayner as their captain.
RAYNOR, WILLIAM.
One of Captain John Quelch's crew. Tried at Boston in 1704.
READ, CAPTAIN.
Commanded a brigantine which had its headquarters at Madagascar. Rescued
the pirate Thomas White. Read died at sea.
READ, MARY. Woman pirate.
Born in London of obscure parentage; all that is known for certain is that
her mother was a "young and airy widow." Mary was brought up as a boy, and
at the age of 13 was engaged as a footboy to wait on a French lady. Having
a roving spirit, Mary ran away and entered herself on board a man-of-war.
Deserting a few years later, she enlisted in a regiment of foot and fought
in Flanders, showing on all occasions great bravery, but quitted the
service to enlist in a regiment of horse. Her particular comrade in this
regiment was a Fleming, with whom she fell in love and disclosed to him
the secret of her sex. She now dressed as a woman, and the two troopers
were married, "which made a great noise," and several of her officers
attended the nuptials. She and her husband got their discharge and kept an
eating house or ordinary, the Three Horseshoes, near the Castle of Breda.
The husband died, and Mary once again donned male attire and enlisted in a
regiment in Holland. Soon tiring of this, she deserted, and shipped
herself aboard a vessel bound for the West Indies. This ship was taken by
an English pirate, Captain Rackam, and Mary joined his crew as a seaman.
She was at New Providence Island, Bahama, when Woodes Rogers came there
with the royal pardon to all pirates, and she shipped herself aboard a
privateer sent out by Rogers to cruise against the Spaniards. The crew
mutinied and again became pirates. She now sailed under Captain Rackam,
who had with him another woman pirate, Anne Bonny. They took a large
number of ships belonging to Jamaica, and out of one of these took
prisoner "a young fellow of engaging behaviour" with whom Mary fell deeply
in love. This young fellow had a quarrel with one of the pirates, and as
the ship lay at anchor they were to go to fight it out on shore according
to pirate law. Mary, to save her lover, picked a quarrel with the same
pirate, and managed to have her duel at once, and fighting with sword and
pistol killed him on the spot.
She now married the young man "of engaging behaviour," and not long after
was taken prisoner with Captain Rackam and the rest of the crew to
Jamaica. She was tried at St. Jago de la Vega in Jamaica, and on November
28th, 1720, was convicted, but died in prison soon after of a violent
fever.
That Mary Read was a woman of great spirit is shown by her reply to
Captain Rackam, who had asked her (thinking she was a young man) what
pleasure she could find in a life continually in danger of death by fire,
sword, or else by hanging; to which Mary replied "that as to hanging, she
thought it no great Hardship, for were it not for that, every cowardly
Fellow would turn Pirate and so unfit the Seas, that Men of Courage must
starve."
READ, ROBERT.
Tried for piracy with Gow's crew at Newgate in 1725, and acquitted.
READ, WILLIAM.
Of Londonderry, Ireland.
One of Captain Harris's crew. Was hanged at Newport, Rhode Island, in
1723, at the age of 35.
READHEAD, PHILIP.
One of Captain Heidon's crew of the pirate ship _John of Sandwich_,
wrecked on Alderney Island in 1564. Was arrested and hanged at St.
Martin's Point, Guernsey, in the same year.
[Illustration: ANN BONNY AND MARY READ, CONVICTED OF PIRACY, NOVEMBER 28,
1720, AT A COURT OF VICE-ADMIRALTY HELD AT ST. JAGO DE LA VEGA IN THE
ISLAND OF JAMAICA.
To face p. 256.]
RHOADE, CAPTAIN JOHN.
A Dutch coasting pilot of Boston.
In 1674 appointed chief pilot to the Curacao privateer _Flying Horse_, and
sailed along the coast of Maine and as far north as the St. John River.
Afterwards attacked and plundered several small English craft occupied in
bartering furs with the Indians. Condemned to be hanged at Cambridge,
Massachusetts, in June, 1675.
RICE, DAVID. Welsh pirate.
Of Bristol.
Taken out of the Cornwall galley by Captain Roberts, he served in the
_Royal Fortune_. Tried and found guilty of piracy and condemned to death,
but was reprieved and sold to the Royal African Company to serve for seven
years in their plantations.
RICE, OWEN. Welsh pirate.
Of South Wales.
Hanged at the age of 27 at Rhode Island in 1723. One of Captain Charles
Harris's crew.
RICHARDS, LIEUTENANT.
Lieutenant to Blackbeard on board the _Queen Ann's Revenge_. Cruised in
the West Indies and along the coast of Carolina and Virginia.
In 1717 Teach blockaded the harbour at Charleston and sent Richards with a
party of pirates to the Governor to demand a medicine chest and all
necessary medical supplies, with a threat that if these were not
forthcoming he would cut the throats of all his prisoners, many of them
the leading merchants of the town. While waiting for the Governor's reply,
Richards and his companions scandalized the towns-folk of Charleston by
their outrageous and swaggering conduct.
RICHARDSON, JOHN.
His father was a goldsmith at New York. John, tiring of the trade of
cooper, to which he was apprenticed, ran away to sea. For many years he
served both in men-of-war and in merchant ships. Although an unmitigated
blackguard, he did not commit piracy nor murder until some years later,
when, being at Ancona, he met a Captain Benjamin Hartley, who had come
there with a loading of pilchards. Richardson was taken on board to serve
as ship's carpenter, and sailed for Leghorn. With another sailor called
Coyle, Richardson concocted a mutiny, murdered the captain in the most
brutal manner, and was appointed mate in the pirate ship. As a pirate
Richardson was beneath contempt. His life ended on the gallows at
Execution Dock on January 25th, 1738.
RICHARDSON, NICHOLAS.
One of Captain Quelch's crew. Taken out of the brigantine _Charles_, and
tried for piracy at Boston in 1704.
RIDGE, JOHN.
Of London.
One of Major Stede Bonnet's crew. Hanged in 1718 at Charleston, South
Carolina.
RINGROSE, BASIL. Buccaneer, pirate, and author.
Sailed in 1679 to the West Indies. A year later Ringrose had joined the
buccaneers at their rendezvous in the Gulf of Darien, where they were
preparing for a bold enterprise on the Spanish Main. They landed and
marched to the town of Santa Maria, which they plundered and burnt.
Thence they travelled in canoes down the river to the Bay of Panama. After
attacking the Spanish fleet and laying siege to the city, the buccaneers
cruised up and down the West Coast of South America for eighteen months,
sacking towns and attacking Spanish ships. All this while Ringrose kept a
very full and graphic journal, in which he recorded not only their
exploits, but also their hardships and quarrels, and gave descriptions as
well of the various natives and their customs, and drew charts and
sketches.
In 1681 Ringrose was still with Captain Sharp, and sailed through the
Straits of Magellan, and on January 30th of the same year anchored off
Antigua. Here he got a passage in a ship to England, landing safely at
Dartmouth on March 26th.
A year later he published an account of his voyage, as a second volume to
Esquemeling's, "Bucaniers of America." In 1684 he went to sea again in the
_Cygnet_ (Captain Swan), to traffic with the Spanish colonies. But the
Spaniards refused to trade with them. In October, 1684, they met the
famous Captain Edward Davis at that favourite haunt of the buccaneers, the
Isle of Plate. The two captains agreed to join forces and to go together
"on the account," so all the cargo was thrown overboard the _Cygnet_, and
the ships set out to make war on any Spanish ships they might meet with.
In February, 1686, Ringrose with one hundred men took the town of Santiago
in Mexico, but while returning with the plunder to their ship were caught
by the Spaniards in an ambush, and Ringrose was killed.
Ringrose never attained any rank among the buccaneers beyond occasionally
being put in charge of a boat or a small company on shore, but as a
recorder of the doings of his companions he proved both careful and
painstaking. Dampier had a great regard for him, and in his book he
writes: "My ingenious friend Ringrose had no mind to this voyage, but was
necessitated to engage in it or starve."
The title of Ringrose's book, first published in 1685, is "The Dangerous
Voyage and Bold Assaults of Captain Bartholomew Sharp and Others."
Written by Mr. Basil Ringrose.
Printed for William Crooke, 1685.
ROACH, PETER.
When Captain Quelch was captured with his crew, Roach escaped near the
Cape by Snake Island. He was afterwards captured and thrown into the gaol
at Salem. Tried for piracy at the Star Tavern at Boston, and on June 30th,
1704, was hanged. At the place of execution Roach disappointed the
onlooking crowd, as, instead of the expected and hoped-for repentant
speech, "he seemed little concerned, and said but little or nothing at
all."
ROB, ALEXANDER.
One of Captain Gow's crew. Hanged at Execution Dock, Wapping, in June,
1724. He was not one of the original crew of the _George_ galley, but was
taken out of a prize and joined the pirates of his own free-will.
ROBBINS, JAMES.
Hanged in Virginia in 1718 along with the rest of Captain Teach's crew.
ROBBINS, JAMES.
Of London.
One of the crew of the _Royal James_. Hanged in 1718 at Charleston, South
Carolina.
ROBERTS, CAPTAIN BARTHOLOMEW. Welsh pirate.
Born 1682. Died 1722.
If a pirate is to be reckoned by the amount of damage he does and the
number of ships he takes there can be no doubt that Captain Roberts should
be placed at the very head of his profession, for he is said to have taken
over 400 vessels. The only man who can be said to rival him is Sir Henry
Morgan, but Morgan, although in some ways an unmitigated blackguard, was a
man of much greater breadth of outlook than Roberts ever was, and,
moreover, was a buccaneer rather than a pirate.
Roberts, like many other successful pirates, was born in Wales, not far
from Haverfordwest. He is described as being "a tall black man," and was
about 40 years of age at the time of his death. He was remarkable, even
among his remarkable companions, for several things. First of all, he only
drank tea--thus being the only total abstainer known to the fraternity.
Also he was a strict disciplinarian, and on board his ships all lights had
to be extinguished by 8 p.m., any of the crew who wished to continue
drinking after that hour had to do so on the open deck. But try as he
would this ardent apostle of abstemiousness was unable to put down
drinking. If Roberts had lived to-day, no doubt he would have been on the
council of the local vigilance committee. He would allow no women aboard
his ships, in fact he made it a law that any man who brought a woman on
board disguised as a man was to suffer death. Roberts allowed no games at
cards or dice to be played for money, as he strongly disapproved of
gambling. He was a strict Sabbatarian, and allowed the musicians to have a
rest on the seventh day. This was as well, for the post of musician on a
pirate ship was no sinecure, as every pirate had the right to demand a
tune at any hour of the day or night. He used to place a guard to protect
all his women prisoners, and it is sadly suspicious that there was always
the greatest competition amongst the worst characters in the ship to be
appointed sentinel over a good-looking woman prisoner. All quarrels had to
be settled on shore, pirate fashion, the duellists standing back to back
armed with pistol and cutlass. Roberts would have no fighting among the
crew on board his ship.
Bartholomew must have looked the very part of a pirate when dressed for
action. A tall, dark man, he used to wear a rich damask waistcoat and
breeches, a red feather in his cap, a gold chain round his neck with a
large diamond cross dangling from it, a sword in his hand, and two pairs
of pistols hanging at the end of a silk sling flung over his shoulders.
We first hear of Roberts as sailing, in honest employ, as master of the
_Princess_ (Captain Plumb), from London in November, 1719, bound for the
coast of Guinea to pick up a cargo of "black ivory" at Anamaboe. Here his
ship was taken by the Welsh pirate Howel Davis. At first Roberts was
disinclined for the pirate life, but soon changed his mind.
On the death of Davis there were several candidates for the post of
commander, all brisk and lively men, distinguished by the title of
"Lords," such as Sympson, Ashplant, Anstis, and others. One of these
"Lords," Dennis, concluded an eloquent harangue over a bowl of punch with
a strong appeal for Roberts to be the new chief. This proposal was
acclaimed with but one dissenting voice, that of "Lord" Sympson, who had
hopes of being elected himself, and who sullenly left the meeting swearing
"he did not care who they chose captain so it was not a papist." So
Roberts was elected after being a pirate only six weeks; thus was true
merit quickly appreciated and rewarded amongst them.
[Illustration: CAPTAIN BARTHOLOMEW ROBERTS.
To face p. 262.]
Roberts's speech to his fellow-pirates was short but to the point, saying
"that since he had dipped his hands in muddy water, and must be a pyrate,
it was better being a commander than a common man," not perhaps a graceful
nor grateful way of expressing his thanks, but one which was no doubt
understood by his audience.
Roberts began his career in a bright manner, for to revenge the perfectly
justifiable death of their late captain he seized and razed the fort,
bombarded the town, and setting on fire two Portuguese ships so as to act
as torches, sailed away the same night. Sailing to Brazil they found in
the Bay of Bahia a fleet of forty-two Portuguese ships ready laden and on
the point of leaving for Lisbon, and Roberts, with the most astounding
boldness, sailed right in amongst them until he found the deepest laden,
which he attacked and boarded, although his was a much smaller ship. He
sailed away with his prize from the harbour. This prize, amongst the
merchandise, contained 40,000 moidors and a cross of diamonds designed for
the King of Portugal.
He then took a Dutch ship, and two days later an English one, and sailed
back to Brazil, refitting and cleaning at the Island of Ferdinando.
In a work such as this is, it is impossible to recount all, or even a few,
of the daring adventures, or the piratical ups and downs of one pirate.
Roberts sailed to the West Indies devastating the commerce of Jamaica and
Barbadoes. When things grew too hot there, he went north to Newfoundland,
and played the very devil with the English and French fishing fleets and
settlements.
His first ship he called the _Fortune_, his next, a bigger ship, the
_Royal Fortune_, another the _Good Fortune_.
On two occasions Roberts had been very roughly handled, once by a ship
from Barbadoes and once by the inhabitants of Martinica, so when he
designed his new flag, he portrayed on it a huge figure of himself
standing sword in hand upon two skulls, and under these were the letters
A.B.H. and A.M.H., signifying a Barbadian's and a Martinican's head.
In April, 1721, Roberts was back again on the Guinea Coast, burning and
plundering. Amongst the prisoners he took out of one of his prizes was a
clergyman. The captain dearly wished to have a chaplain on board his ship
to administer to the spiritual welfare of his crew, and tried all he could
to persuade the parson to sign on, promising him that his only duties
should be to say prayers and make punch. But the prelate begged to be
excused, and was at length allowed to go with all his belongings, except
three prayer-books and a corkscrew--articles which were sorely needed
aboard the _Royal Fortune_.
The end of Roberts's career was now in sight. A King's ship, the _Swallow_
(Captain Chaloner Ogle), discovered Roberts's ships at Parrot Island, and,
pretending to fly from them, was followed out to sea by one of the
pirates. A fight took place, and after two hours the pirates struck,
flinging overboard their black flag "that it might not rise in Judgement
over them." The _Swallow_ returned in a few days to Parrot Island to look
for Roberts in the _Royal Fortune_. Roberts being at breakfast, enjoying a
savoury dish of solomongundy, was informed of the approach of the ship,
but refused to take any notice of it. At last, thoroughly alarmed, he cut
his cables and sailed out, but most of his crew being drunk, even at this
early hour, the pirates did not make as good a resistance as if they had
been sober. Early in the engagement Roberts was hit in the throat by a
grape-shot and killed; this being on February 10th, 1722. His body, fully
dressed, with his arms and ornaments, was thrown overboard according to
his repeated request made during his lifetime. Thus the arch-pirate died,
as he always said he wished to die, fighting. His motto had always been "A
short life and a merry one." One good word can be said for Roberts, that
he never forced a man to become a pirate against his wish.
ROBERTS, OWEN. Welsh pirate.
Carpenter in the _Queen Ann's Revenge_, and killed on November 22nd, 1718,
off the North Carolina Coast.
ROBINSON, EDWARD.
Of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Hanged at Charleston, South Carolina, in 1718.
ROCHE, CAPTAIN PHILIP, _alias_ JOHN EUSTACE.
In company with three other mariners--Cullen, Wife, and Neale--this Irish
pirate shipped himself on board a French snow at Cork in November, 1721,
for a passage to Nantes. Owing to Roche's briskness, genteel manners, and
knowledge of navigation, the master used occasionally to place him in
charge of the vessel. One night a few days out a pre-arranged mutiny took
place, the French crew being butchered and thrown overboard. The captain,
who pleaded for mercy, was also thrown into the sea. Driven by bad weather
to Dartmouth, the new captain, Roche, had the ship repainted and
disguised, and renamed her the _Mary_. Then sailing to Rotterdam he sold
the cargo of beef and took on a fresh cargo with the owner, Mr. Annesly.
The first night out of port they threw Mr. Annesly overboard, and he swam
alongside for some while pleading to be taken in. On going into a French
port, and hearing that an enquiry was being made about his ship, Roche ran
away. The crew took the ship to Scotland, and there landed and
disappeared, and the ship was seized and taken to the Thames.
Later on Roche was arrested in London and committed to Newgate Prison,
found guilty of piracy, and hanged on August 5th, 1723, at Execution Dock,
at the age of 30. The hanging was not, from the public spectators point of
view, a complete success, for the culprit "was so ill at the time that he
could not make any public declaration of his abhorrence of the crime for
which he suffered."
RODERIGO, PETER.
A "Flanderkin."
Commanded a Dutch vessel, the _Edward and Thomas_, that sailed from Boston
in 1674, and took several small English vessels along the coast of Maine.
Tried for piracy at Cambridge, Massachusetts, and condemned to be hanged,
but was afterwards pardoned.
ROGERS, CAPTAIN THOMAS.
Commanded a ship, the _Forlorn_. Routed the Spaniards at Venta Cruz in
1671. One of Morgan's captains in his attack on Panama.
ROGERS, CAPTAIN WOODES.