DREADED PIRATES

SAMUEL BELLAMY

Then referred to as “Black Sam” of the Caribbean Sea, Samuel Bellamy

was an English pirate captain who began to terrorize the Caribbean

when he captured the giant slave ship Wydah, which carried a valuable

cargo of both gold and rum. After mounting 28 cannons into Wydah and

turning it into his flagship, Bellamy went toe-to-toe with several royal

navy ships. He captured numerous other pirate ships and sailors as he

sailed through the Caribbean before he and his crew headed off to

New England to plunder more lucrative shipping lanes.

HOWELL DAVIS

Born in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales, Davis started out in piracy

on 11 July 1718 when the slave ship Cadogan, on which he was serving

as a mate, was captured by the pirate Edward England. He had a short

but intense career that lasted just 11 months when he was ambushed

and killed. In that short time, however, he managed to leave a legacy of

bloodshed and deception.

ANNE BONNY

Born Anne Cormac of County Cork, Ireland, Anne Bonny sailed across

the Atlantic at a very young age. As young as a teenager, she settled

for a life of adventure by marrying a renegade seaman and turning to

the pirate haven of Nassau. When she got involved in a romantic

relationship with notorious pirate Calico Jack, she further

solidified her bloodthirsty reputation.

PEDRO GILBERT

Pedro Gilbert or Don Pedro Gibert was an early 19th century pirate,

who was one of the few remaining pirates continuing to raid shipping

on the Atlantic coast. Gilbert held the distinction of taking part in the

last recorded act of piracy in Atlantic waters, although the distinction

of “last American pirate” belongs to Nathaniel Gordon who was

executed in 1862 for attempting to smuggle African slaves in violation

of the U.S. Piracy Law of 1820.

CHEUNG PO TSAI

A Chinese pirate, Cheung Po Tsai rose to infamy because of the

legend of the hidden treasure in the Cheung Po Tsai Cave in China.

History has it that he harassed the Guangdong Coastal area during the

reign of the Qing Dynasty. He controlled under his command a total of

20,000 pirates and hundreds of merchant and pirate ships. He is

believed to have hoarded several treasures in a cave on a barely

accessible island near China.

MARY READ

Triggered by her harsh childhood, the pirating career of Mary Read

began when she joined the navy to find an escape from her

miserable life. As she joined the naval army, she boarded a

Dutch ship, sailed to the Caribbean Sea and had an encounter with

infamous privateer Calico Jack after he captured and plundered

their ship. Read started to live a pirate way of life soon after their

capture, became friends with Anne Bonny and joined her in her

conquests across the Caribbean waters.

TURGUT REIS

Reis was a notorious Turkish admiral and privateer who terrorized the

Mediterranean and Black Sea and was among the most influential

men to pave the way for Turkish expansion into Northern Africa. He led

a good number of naval battles against the Venetians and gained full

control of some of the most advanced naval ships and war equipment of

his century. He was also appointed as the naval commander of the

Ottoman Empire and raided cities along numerous European coasts.

CHRISTOPHER MYNGS

Myngs joined the British Royal Army and began to sail with the buccaneers

in the 17th century. When he got his own ship, he sailed and became one

of the most successful captains of his time, plundering Spanish prize ships

and attacking naval armies in the Caribbean in defence of Port Royal.

Although concentrated in Europe, his conquests extended to South America

where he plundered numerous wealthy coastal towns and villages.