DREADED PIRATES
Added on: 26th Jun 2015
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.
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