Pirate Profile
Name: Philip Ashton
Lived: 1702 - ?
Pirate Captain: Ned Low
Location: off the coast of Nova Scotia
Became a Pirate: Philip was a fisherman. One day in 1722 when Philip was 19 years old a strange ship approached his boat. The ship belonged to Captain Ned Low and his gang of pirates. The pirates captured Philip and the rest of the fishermen and forced them onboard the pirate ship.
Famous for: Philip escaped from the pirate ship when they stopped in the Bay of Honduras to collect fresh water. He survived on his own on the island for nearly 3 years before he was rescued by the “Diamond” ship from Salem.
Pirate Pet: Philip didn’t keep a pet but he soon learned to keep himself safe living with alligators in the island jungle.
Skills: Philip had to learn how to survive on the island. He taught himself how to build a hut to live in, a fire to cook with and learned how to kill tortoises and crayfish for food.
Punished by: Philip refused to sign the agreement of the pirate ship and join Ned Low’s gang. He was whipped, kept in chains and threatened with death.
Pirate Profile
Name:Dixie Bull
Lived: Date of birth and death are unknown but Dixie’s pirate activities occurred in the 1630s.
Pirate Captain- Dixie was the captain of his ship.
Location: off the coast of New England
Became a pirate:Dixie was an English sea captain. In 1632 he was sailing along the coast of Maine to sell furs when he was attacked by a French ship. Dixie lost everything. He was so angry that he returned to Boston and recruited his own gang of pirates. From that day on Dixie lived the life of a pirate and attacked many ships.
Famous for: Dixie was New England’s first ever pirate.
Pirate Pet:Dixie did not keep a pet. The only animals that travelled with him were dead ones as Dixie traded furs for a living before becoming a pirate.
Skills: Dixie was very brave pirate. He became known as ‘the dread pirate’ because he would often lead his gang of pirates to attack a town. Most pirates were not brave enough to attack a defended town and stayed off shore targeting ships.
Punishment: legend has it that Dixie was killed in a sword fight.
Pirate Profile
Name: Black Sam Bellamy
Lived: 1689-1717.
Pirate Captain- Black Sam captained several ships including the ‘Mary Anne’, the ‘Sultana’ and the ‘Whydah’.
Location: Black Sam was born in England but moved to Massachusetts when he was a teenager.
Became a pirate: Black Sam heard about a Spanish treasure ship that had been wrecked in the West Indies. Black Sam went in search of the wreck. He didn’t find the treasure but joined a pirate crew. Within a year Black Sam was the captain of his own pirate ship.
Famous for: Black Sam was known for showing mercy and generosity towards the sailors he captured. He became known as ‘prince of pirates’ and his crew called themselves ‘Robin Hood’s Band’. Black Sam got his nickname because he tied his long hair back with a black ribbon.
Pirate Pet: Black Sam did not keep a pet.
Skills: Black Sam was a very successful pirate. He captured over 50 ships before he died aged 29. He was very generous and when he captured the Whydah he gave the captain his own ship. Punishment:Black Sam did not punish her harm his crew or prisoners. His ship, the ‘Whydah’ was swept up in a violent storm, hit a sand bar and sunk. Black Sam and 146 pirate crew were drowned. In 1985 the wreckage of the ‘Whydah’ was discovered and it still had a huge booty’ of gold and ivory onboard.
Pirate Profile
Name: Ned Low
Lived: 1690 - 1724 .
Pirate Captain- Ned was the captain of a fleet of ships.
Location: Atlantic and Caribbean oceans
Became a pirate: When Ned’s wife died in childbirth in 1719 he left for a life at sea. Ned worked as a rigger and in 1722 he tried to kill his captain for not giving him any food. Ned missed the captain and killed another man instead. Ned was then forced to leave the boat with his friends. They took over a small boat, killed the crew and declared ‘war against the world’.
Famous for: Ned was considered to be one of the richest pirates and captured over 100 ships in 3 years. His murderous and brutal acts led to military action to protect ships and the war against piracy began.
Pirate Pet: Ned did not keep a pet but one of his ships was called the ‘Squirrel’.
Skills: Ned was one of the first pirate captains to make his crew sign an agreement. The agreement stated that Ned was entitled to half of all riches and could administer punishments as he saw fit.
Punishment:Ned Low was extremely cruel. He was described as a maniac and a brute by his own pirate crew. He once captured a whaling ship and forced the captain to eat his own ears sprinkled with salt before killing him.
He also tortured his victims by tying their hands with rope and setting their hands on fire.
Pirate Profile
Name: Thomas Tew
Lived: 1640 - 1695 .
Pirate Captain- Thomas was the captain of the ship ‘Amity’.
Location: Red Sea and Bermuda
Became a pirate: Thomas worked as a private ship captain and was asked by the governor of Bermuda to sail to Gambia to protect the French holdings. Once out at sea Thomas declared that he was going to turn to piracy. His crew agreed and when they reached the Red Sea they ran down a large ship and helped themselves to treasure of gold, silver, ivory, jewels and spices.
Famous for: Thomas co-founded a mysterious pirate colony named Libertalia.
Pirate Pet: Thomas did not keep a pet.
Skills: Thomas was an excellent navigator and pioneered the route that became known as the ‘Pirate Round’.
Punishment:Tew was killed by a cannon shot during a battle to capture a ship in the MandabStrait.
Pirate Profile
Name: William Kidd
Lived: 1645 - 1701
Pirate Captain- William was the captain of the ship ‘Adventure Galley`’.
Location: Indian Ocean
Became a Pirate: William was a very rich man who sailed ships. The Governor of Massachusetts sent William to the Indian Ocean to arrest the pirate, Blackbeard but instead he became a pirate himself.
Famous for: William Kidd is America’s most famous pirate because he was a well known wealthy businessman before turning to the life of a pirate.
Pirate Pet: William did not keep a pet.
Skills: William did not have a lot of the skills a pirate needed. He had a lot of bad luck and had to abandon a brand new ship when it started leaking badly. He had a lot of very rich friends who were able to help him and William took advantage of this.
Punishment:William never admitted he was a pirate but in 1701 he was captured and sentenced to be hanged at Execution Dock. On the first attempt to hang William, the rope broke. The Sheriff’s men dragged him back to the gallows and hanged him successfully. His body was painted with tar, wrapped in chains and placed in an iron cage on the river bank. William’s body stayed on display for over 20 years as a warning to other pirates.
Pirate Profile
Name: William Fly
Lived: Died in 1726 (no record of when William Fly was born)
Pirate Captain- William killed the captain of the ship ‘Elizabeth’ that he was working on. He renamed the ship ‘Fames Revenge’ and became a pirate chief.
Location: New EnglandCoast
Became a Pirate: William was a boatswain aboard a slave ship. He led a mutiny and killed the captain. He took over the ship and became a pirate chief.
Famous for: William Fly was known for his fierce temper and cursing rages. He was eventually captured and sentenced to be hanged. During the execution William lost his temper and shouted that the hangman didn’t know how to do his job properly. William took the noose in his own hands and fixed it around his own neck. His body was then hung in chains to serve as a warning to other sailors not to turn to piracy. This was called gibbeting.
Pirate Pet: William did not keep a pet.
Skills: William was a perfectionist. He became angry and impatient when his crew didn’t do things properly and preferred to do it himself.
Punishment: William was a very cruel and brutal pirate. He often whipped his captives with one hundred lashes.
Pirate Profile
Name: Edward Teach (Blackbeard)
Lived: 1680-1718
Pirate Captain-Blackbeard was the captain of many ships. His most famous ship was the ‘Queen Anne’s Revenge’ .
Location: Atlantic Ocean
Became a Pirate: Blackbeard went to work at sea at an early age. He served on an English ship in the Spanish War. After Britain withdrew from the war in 1713, Blackbeard took up the life of a pirate.
Famous for: Blackbeard is one of the most famous pirates ever. Many characters in movies, television shows, comics, books and even Disneyland rides have been based on him. He wore a big, feathered hat and always had a sword, knife or pistol ready to use. He had an enormous black beard and would sometimes set it on fire during a fight to scare the opponents.
Pirate Pet: Blackbeard did not keep a pet but often called his crew ‘cowardly puppies’.
Skills: Blackbeard was famous for burying his treasure and drawing complex maps so that only he could find it again.
Punishment: Blackbeard was killed in a fight. He was shot five times and stabbed more than twenty times. His head was chopped off with a sword and his body was thrown overboard. Blackbeard’s head was hung on the front of a ship as a trophy.
Pirate Profile
Name: Jack Quelch
Lived: Died in 1704 (no record of when Jack was born)
Pirate Captain- Jack was chosen as the captain of the ‘Charles’ after its captain had been dumped overboard.
Location: Coast of South America
Became a Pirate: Jack Quelch was a sailor working on ‘The Charles’. He led a mutiny and threw the captain overboard. He then led the crew off to raid the coast of South America.
Famous for: Legend tells that Jack Quelch buried some of his gold off the New Hampshire coast. Some gold coins were actually found there hidden in a stone wall in the late 1800s. Every summer, to this day treasure hunters have continued to visit the island in search of the treasure.
Pirate Pet: Jack did not keep a pet.
Skills: Jack could lead his crew silently into a harbour during the dark of night. He would catch his victims by surprise and attack their ships at first light.
Punishment:Jack had bribed judges and governors to escape being punished for his piracy. He was eventually caught and hanged in Boston in 1704.
Pirate Profile
Name: Thomas Veal
Lived: Died in 1660 (no record of when Thomas Veal was born)
Pirate Captain-Thomas was not a captain. He was one of 4 pirates who hid in a place called the Pirate’s Glen in Massachusetts.
Location: Off the Coast of Massachusetts.
Became a Pirate: It is unknown how Thomas became a pirate but many believe he went to sea in search of wealth with 3 of his friends and took on the life of a pirate.
Famous for: When Thomas and his pirate mates hid in the Pirate’s Glen the British soldiers stationed nearby heard about them and went to capture them. The soldiers captured and killed three of the pirates but Thomas went deep into the woods and hid in a cave.
Pirate Pet: Thomas did not keep a pet.
Skills: Thomas was very good at hiding and disguising himself. He hid in the woods and lived in his cave for several years. He would come into the town and mend shoe’s to earn some money for food and nobody knew who he was.
Punishment: Thomas lived in his cave until one day an earthquake shook the area and a gigantic piece of rock fell and blocked the entrance to his cave. Thomas was trapped and died in the cave. His body and treasure wasn’t found for nearly two hundred years.
Pirate Profile
Name: Rachel Wall
Lived: 1760 - 1789
Pirate Captain-Rachel worked with her husband George.
Location: Off the Coast of Massachusetts.
Became a Pirate: Rachel was born on a farm in Pennsylvania. She did not like the farm and ran away to the city. She met George Wall, a fisherman. She married him and later he suggested they become pirates.
Famous for: Rachel and George would anchor their ship near an island during a storm. After the storm ended they acted like the ship was about to sink. When another ship came along Rachel would scream for help until the sailors tried to rescue them. Once the rescuers were onboard Rachel and George would murder them, steal the valuables and sink the ship. People would think that ship had been sunk in the storm and wouldn’t suspect that it had been the work of pirates.
Pirate Pet: Rachel did not keep a pet.
Skills: Rachel was an excellent actress. She could trick other sailors into helping her. She was extremely strong willed and determined to be successful.
Punishment: In 1782 a storm really did batter their ship and George was drowned. Rachel was rescued and returned to the city as a maid. She was eventually caught stealing and became the last woman to be hung in Massachusetts.
Pirate Profile
Name: Henry Every
Lived: Died in 1696- no record of when Henry was born
Pirate Captain-Henry only made one voyage as a captain himself after he led a mutiny and left his captain (Captain Gibson) on the shore.
Location: Indian Ocean
Became a Pirate: Henry was a sailor in the Royal Navy. He started buying and selling slaves which led to his life as a pirate.
Famous for: Even though Henry only had one voyage as a pirate captain he managed to steal the biggest ‘pirate booty’ in history. Henry led his ship, ‘The Fancy’ to attack the ‘Fateh Muhammed’ and stole 50,000 pounds worth of treasure.
Pirate Pet: Henry did not keep a pet.
Skills: Henry was very devious and clever at tricking people. He wrote a letter to British ship commanders saying that he would never attack a British ship. He told the commanders of a signal they could use so that he would avoid attacking their ships. Instead, Henry would attack these ships that showed they were British.
Punishment: Henry eventually starved to death after being cheated out of his riches.
Pirate Profile
Name: Henry Morgan
Lived: 1635-1688
Pirate Captain-Henry was a sea captain before he became a pirate captain
Location: Caribbean
Became a Pirate: Henry was a well known sea captain. In 1667 he was asked to capture some Spanish prisoners. This was the beginning of a life of crime and piracy for Henry.
Famous for: Henry came from an upper class family. He was able to get away with his crimes because the king and other important people knew him and respected him. He was cleared of all crimes and was even knighted.
Pirate Pet: Henry did not keep a pet.
Skills: Henry was extremely brave and courageous. He was not afraid to take a risk.
Punishment: Henry was one of the few pirates who got to retire and enjoy his wealth. Henry lived in London and eventually died of tuberculosis.
Pirate Profile
Name: Bartholomew Roberts
Lived: 1682-1722
Pirate Captain- Bartholomew first worked for Captain Davis when his own ship was attacked by Captain Davis’.
Location: The coast of South America and Africa.
Became a Pirate: Bartholomew worked as a sailor from the age of 13. When the ship he was working on was captured by pirates he was forced to join the pirate crew.
Famous for: Captain Davis was eventually short during an ambush. Bartholomew took over as captain. Bartholomew was famous for raiding more ships than any other pirate. It is estimated that he attacked over 470 vessels.
Pirate Pet: Bartholomew did not keep a pet.
Skills: Bartholomew was very skilled at planning battles. He had a many weapons including powerful cannons.
Punishment: Bartholomew had his leg blown off by a cannonball in a battle.
Pirate Profile
Name: Anne Bonny
Lived: 1705-1782
Pirate Captain- Anne left her pirate husband and went to live and work with ‘Captain Calico Jack Rackham’.
Location: The Caribbean.