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Golden Age of pirates

As an island, Britain was home to several pirates and privateers. Piracy was so prevalent in fact that an era during the Elizabethan period was known as the Golden Age of Piracy.

The Golden Age of Piracy covers a time period between the 1650s and 1730s, when piracy was rife around the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans. It was typically split into three different eras, the Buccaneering Period, which mostly covered the Caribbean and saw ships attacking Spanish vessels and those transporting goods around the Pacific; the Pirate Round which involved long distance voyages between the Americas and mostly involved the East India Company and the Post Spanish Succession period, where sailors left unemployed after the end of the War of Spanish Succession turned to piracy.

History of piracy

As an island, Britain was home to several pirates and privateers. Piracy was so prevalent in fact that an era during the Elizabethan period was known as the Golden Age of Piracy.

History of piracy

Piracy began to emerge following conflicts over trade and colonisation among rival European powers, including Britain, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal and France. Most pirates in this era were of Welsh, English, Dutch, Irish and French origins and tended to come from poorer areas.

When it comes to British pirates, the majority came from coastal towns, like Bristol, Plymouth and other areas of the West Country, hence the accent we all recognise. Others came from London docklands areas.

It is believed that the Golden Age of Piracy began around 1650 following the Wars of Religion which allowed European countries to resume the development of their colonial empires. This involved sea travel, leading to rival countries attacking and raiding ships for the goods they were carrying, much of it high in value.

The increase of piracy around Tortuga began after the English captured Jamaica from Spain. The early governors freely allowed buccaneers and fellow Englishmen to raid passing shops and to sell anything they had stolen around the markets. It was around this time that the pirate Henry Morgan plundered, sacked and burned Panama City.

1690s-1700

During this decade, pirates began looking beyond the Caribbean. The Glorious Revolution in England had restored the traditional rivalry between Britain and France and ended the friendship between English Jamaica and French Tortuga.

Post Spanish Succession

From around 1714, various peace treaties ended the War of the Spanish Succession and thousands of men, who had been employed in several European navies found themselves unemployed and looking for ways to make money at the time when cross Atlantic shipping was starting to boom.

This led to a rise in piracy around the Atlantic, the majority of the British names from this time were ex-privateers and included Charles Vane, Samual Bellamy, Benjamin Hornigold and Henry Jennings.

As part of the settlement following the War of the Spanish Succession, the British South Sea Company was awarded a contract to supply slaves to Spain’s colonies and contributed heavily to the rise in piracy in this part of the world. Living conditions and wages at this time were so bad that many sailors preferred the freedom of being a pirate compared to living within the law. Sailors for the Royal Navy often had little to eat and rarely saw their families, which led to many of them deserting the crown and turning to piracy instead. This is one of the reasons why pirates were so well equipped at fighting the navy.

Pirates vs Privateers

During the Golden Age of Piracy, many that undertook piracy were excused of their crimes for being privateers. There are a few differences between the two, however, the name pirate was originally given to buccaneers who operated around the Caribbean when they were paid by the government to attack Spanish ships. Later, they started doing this without the incentive of pay.

Privateers on the other hand were private persons who engaged in maritime warfare under a commission of war, which gave them the authority to raid enemy ships with exemption from piracy charges. Privateers have been in existence since the Middle Ages, when ship owners were given permission to attack in revenge for a loss of their own ships.

The end of piracy

By the 18^th century, tolerance for privateers was wearing thin across the world, especially after the Treaty of Ultrecht, which was the result of the War of the Spanish Succession. The Treaty allowed the British to establish naval superiority in Europe, as well as control of Menorca and Gibraltar, which remains under British ownership.

Best known privateers

A Privateer is a private person who was granted permission to engage in maritime warfare. Many were awarded letters of marque from the monarch or government, which empowered them to attack foreign vessels, seize the goods and then divide the proceeds between themselves, the issuer of the letter, the crew and any sponsors.

Sir Francis Drake
Best known for circumnavigating the world in a single expedition. He would become a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I and was involved in the Spanish and English Armadas.

Sir John Hawkins
Hawkins was an early promoter of the English slave trade and was a cousin of Francis Drake. He served in the victory against the Spanish Armada and was also involved in the English Armada.

Sir George Somers
Somers was knighted for his achievements as part of the Virgina Company of London, he is remembered as the founder of the English colony of Bermuda.

Sir Walter Raleigh
Another of Queen Elizabeth’s favourites, Raleigh was granted a royal charter which allowed him to explore, colonise and rule any land that was not “possessed of any Christian Prince or inhabited by Christian People."

Best known British pirates

Black Sam Bellamy
Known as the Robin hood of Pirates, he prided himself on his ideological justifications for piracy. He was the captain of the Wydah Gally and was lost in a storm off Cape Cod in 1717.

Stede Bonnet
A rich land owner, Bonnet turned to piracy in search of adventure and was captain of the Revenge. He was caught and executed in 1718.

Henry Every
One of the major pirates of the Golden Age of Piracy who actually managed to retire without being arrested or dying in battle. He was known to captain the Ganj-i-Sawai.

William Fly
His execution is said to have ended the Golden Age of Piracy.

William Captain Kid
Supposedly left behind buried treasure that has never been found, he was executed for piracy at Execution Dock in London.

Edward Low
Unlike most pirates, who came from Britain’s coastal towns, Low was born in Westminster. He was never captured but was feared throughout the world for torturing his prisoners.

Henry Morgan
The pirate who was famous for taking Panama City and burning it to the ground. He was supposed to executed but was instead knighted and made governor of Jamaica, you might recognise his name from the brand of rum.

Calico Jack Rackham
Was known for partnering with infamous female pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read. He was captured and executed in Port Royal, Jamaica.

Black Bart Roberts
Believed to be the most successful western pirate of all time.

Edward Blackbeard Teach
The most notorious pirate, he was best known for captaining the Queen Anne’s Revenge, he was eventually killed by British sailors.

Charles Vane
Unpopular with his crew, Vane was marooned by his fellow pirates before being captured and executed.

Benjamin Hornigold
An English pirate who founded the Republic of Pirates and mentored Blackbeard. He was pardoned by the monarchy and became a pirate hunter.

Anne Bonny and Mary Read
These were the best known female pirates. Bonny had a notorious reputation and eloped with Calico Jack Rackham. Read had been posing as a man her entire life and had even been in the British Military. She joined Rackham’s crew and the three of them had a polyamorous relationship. When they were attacked, both women were captured and sentenced to death but stalled their executions by claiming to be pregnant.

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Penshurst Place and Gardens

Address

Penshurst, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 8DG

Telephone
01892 870307

enquiries@penshurstplace.com

Tonbridge

Set in the rural Weald of Kent surrounded by picturesque countryside and ancient parkland. Penshurst Place and Gardens has changed little over the centuries. This medieval masterpiece has been the seat of the Sidney family since 1552.

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Monzie Castle

Address

Crieff, Perthshire, PH7 4HD

Telephone
01764 653110

info@stately-homes.com

Perthshire

Built in 1791. Destroyed by fire in 1908 and rebuilt and furnished by Sir Robert Lorimer.

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American Museum and Gardens

Address

Claverton, Bath, Somerset, BA2 7BD

Telephone
+44 (0)1225 460503

enquiries@americanmuseum.org

Bath

Located in a Grade I listed building, the American Museum and Gardens features collections from the United States and displays that recreate periods of American history, as well as a world renowned folk art, quilt and map collection.

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Hemerdon House

Address

Plympton, Devon, PL7 5BZ

hemerdon.house@gmail.com

Devon

Late Georgian house built by the ancestors of the current owners and set in its own parkland. Family members offer tours on certain days (see www.hemerdonhouse.co.uk for details), and visitors may also explore the grounds on those days.

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Sutton Park

Address

Sutton-on-the-Forest, North Yorkshire, YO61 1DP

Telephone
01347 810249

suttonpark@statelyhome.co.uk

Sutton Park is a lovely early Georgian stately home. The beautiful gardens are renowned and have won many awards.

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Derwent Valley Mills

Address

Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, County Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3AG

Matlock

The Derwent valley, upstream from Derby on the southern edge of the Pennines, contains a series of 18th and 19th century cotton mills and an industrial landscape of high historical and technological significance.

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Wotton House

Address

Wotton Underwood, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP18 0SB

Telephone
01844 238363

landscape@wottonhouse.com

Aylesbury

The Capability Brown Pleasure Grounds at Wotton, currently undergoing restoration, are related to the Stowe gardens, both belonging to the Grenville family when Brown laid out the Wotton grounds between 1750 and 1767.

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Glynde Place

Address

Glynde Place, Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 6SX

Telephone
+44 (0)1273 858224

info@glynde.co.uk

Lewes

Glynde Place is situated at the top of the village of Glynde and has commanding views over the Weald and Sussex Downs.

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Forth Bridge

Address

South Queensferry, West Lothian, EH30 9SF

South Queensferry

The Forth Bridge, which spans the estuary (Firth) of the River Forth in eastern Scotland to link Fife to Edinburgh by railway, was the world’s earliest great multispan cantilever bridge, and at 2,529 m remains one of the longest. It opened in 1890…

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Hodnet Hall Gardens

Address

Hodnet, Market Drayton, Shropshire, TF9 3NN

Telephone
01630 685786

secretary@heber-percy.freeserve.co.uk

Market Drayton

It was predicted in 1958 that Hodnet "would one day take its place among the major gardens of Britain." Now the glorious fulfillment of that prophecy is simply waiting for you to enjoy.

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Blenheim Palace

Address

Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1PP

Oxfordshire

Blenheim Palace is only 8 miles from Oxford, and boasts more than 300 years of history to discover and over 2000 acres of beautiful parkland to explore.

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Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery

Address

Cyfarthfa Park, Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan, CF47 8RE

Telephone
01685 727371

museum@wellbeingmerthyr.co.uk

Merthyr Tydfil

Cyfarthfa Castle is widely regarded as the best-preserved and grandest Ironmaster’s house in Wales. The building, which is Grade 1 listed, is of national, historical, and architectural significance and was built in 1825 for the Ironmaster, William…

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Wilton House

Address

Wilton, Salisbury, SP2 0BJ

Telephone
01722 746728

tourism@wiltonhouse.com

Salisbury

Whether you come to stroll in the grounds, watch your children let off steam in the adventure playground, or enjoy the art collection in the House, come and enjoy Wilton House.

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High Beeches Woodland and Water Garden

Address

High Beeches Lane, Handcross, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 6HQ

Telephone
01444 400589

gardens@highbeeches.com

Haywards Heath

Set in the High Weald with wonderful views of the South Downs High Beeches has been sensitively planted with many rare trees and shrubs to create a place of great beauty and tranquillity.

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Fulbeck Manor

Address

Fulbeck, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG32 3JN

Telephone
01400 272231

fane@fulbeck.co.uk

Grantham

Built c1580. 400 years of Fane family portraits. Open by written appointment. Guided tours by owner approximately 11/4 hours. Tearooms at The Crafty Cafe, 100 yards, for light lunches and teas.

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Capesthorne Hall

Address

Siddington, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9JY

Telephone
01625 861221

info@capesthorne.com

Macclesfield

Sculptures, paintings, furniture and family monuments. A Georgian chapel, tearooms, gardens, lakes, nature walks and a touring caravan park.

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Kimbolton Castle

Address

Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire, PE28 0EA

Telephone
01480 860505

ajb@kimbolton.cambs.sch.uk

Cambridgeshire

Kimbolton Castle has a rich and fascinating history that has seen it develop from a wooden motte and bailey castle in Norman times, into the building it is today - home to Kimbolton School. The family seat of the Dukes of Manchester from 1615 to…

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Wakefield Lodge

Address

Wakefield Lodge Estate, Potterspury, Towcester, Northamptonshire, NN12 7QX

Telephone
01327 811218

Towcester

The most striking feature of Wakefield Walk was the large expanse of Wakefield Lawn.

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Dunvegan Castle & Gardens

Address

Dunvegan Castle, Isle Of Skye, Scotland, IV55 8WF

Telephone
01470 521206

info@dunvegancastle.com

Isle Of Skye

Any visit to the Isle of Skye is incomplete without enjoying the wealth of history on offer at 5* Dunvegan Castle & Gardens, the ancestral home of the Chiefs of Clan MacLeod for 800 years and the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland.

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All Saints' Church, Aldwincle

Address

Thorpe Road, Aldwincle, Kettering, Northamptonshire, NN14 3EA

jrobertson@thecct.org.uk

Kettering

A Medieval wonder in a pretty village

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Golden Age of pirates

History of piracy

History of piracy

1690s-1700

Post Spanish Succession

Pirates vs Privateers

The end of piracy

Best known privateers

Best known British pirates

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