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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

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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Lancing College Chapel

Address

Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 0RW

Telephone
01273 465949

verger@lancing.org.uk

West Sussex

Lancing College Chapel is a magnificent Gothic Revival chapel set in the South Downs National Park and is the largest school chapel in the world - the height of the nave is 90ft to the apex of the vault. It was founded by Nathaniel Woodard in 1868…

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Haddon Hall

Address

Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1LA

Telephone
01629 812855

info@haddonhall.co.uk

Bakewell

Haddon Hall stands as one of England’s most enchanting and best-preserved fortified manor houses. With origins dating back to the 11th century, this remarkable hall offers visitors a rare opportunity to step into a world where history and romance…

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Lamport Hall & Gardens

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Lamport Hall, Lamport, Northamptonshire, NN6 9HD

Telephone
01604 686272

admin@lamporthall.co.uk

Lamport

Lamport Hall is a hidden gem in Northamptonshire boasting wonderful gardens, stunning architecture, an impressive art and furniture collection and a full calendar of events.

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Arbury Hall

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Arbury, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV10 7PT (CV10 7NF FOR SATNAVS)

Telephone
01676 540529

info@arburyestate.co.uk

Nuneaton

Known as the 'Gothic Gem of the Midlands', Arbury Hall has been the ancestral home of the Newdigate family since the 16th Century.

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The Laskett Garden

Address

Laskett Lane, Much Birch, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR2 8HZ

Telephone
01432 805454

thelaskett@perennial.org.uk

Hereford

Step into a creative floral archive where every flower has a story and every sculpture reminisces a tale of creativity.

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Fullers Mill Garden

Address

West Stow, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 6HD

Telephone
01284 728888

fullersmillgarden@perennial.org.uk

Bury St. Edmunds

This award-winning seven-acre garden is an enchanting waterside oasis set in Bury St Edmunds in the heart of Suffolk. It combines dappled woodland with a plantsman’s collection of shrubs, perennials, lilies and marginal plants to create a year-round…

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Holkham Hall

Address

Holkham Estate, Wells-next- the-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1AB

Telephone
01328 713111

info@holkham.co.uk

Wells-next- the-Sea

Steeped in history, Holkham Hall has the perfect location, surrounded by acres of rolling
parkland rich in wildlife and the nearby north Norfolk coast with its stunning beach.

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York Gate Garden

Address

Back Church Lane, Adel, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS16 8DW

Telephone
0113 2678240

yorkgate@perennial.org.uk

Adel, Leeds

This magical one-acre garden near Leeds with Grade II National Heritage status is inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement. Diverse plant combinations show through a series of inspirational garden rooms.

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St Mary's House and Gardens

Address

The Street, Bramber, Steyning, West Sussex, BN44 3WE

Telephone
01903 816205

info@stmarysbramber.co.uk

Steyning

St Mary’s, an enchanting historic pilgrim inn, c1450, in the downland village of Bramber, West Sussex. Many thousands of visitors admire its picturesque charm and enjoy its atmosphere of friendliness and welcome.

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Broughton Castle

Address

Banbury, Oxon, OX15 5EB

Telephone
01295 276070

info@broughtoncastle.com

Oxon

Medieval Manor House later transformed into a Tudor Mansion, surrounded by a wide moat and parkland.

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Holdenby House

Address

Holdenby, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN6 8DJ

Telephone
01604 770074

office@holdenby.com

Northampton

Once the largest private house in England and Elizabethan England’s greatest house, then a royal palace of James I and a prison to King Charles I, Holdenby House is now a private family home welcoming visitors .

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Melbourne Hall and Gardens

Address

Church Square, Melbourne, Derby, DE73 8EN

Telephone
01332 862502

info@melbournehall.com

Melbourne

Once the home of Victorian Prime Minister, William Lamb who, as Second Viscount Melbourne, gave his name to Melbourne, Australia.

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Knebworth House

Address

Knebworth Park, Old Knebworth, Knebworth, Hertfordshire, SG3 6PY

Telephone
01438 812 661

info@knebworthhouse.com

Knebworth

et in 250 acres of beautiful rolling Hertfordshire countryside with 28 acres of Formal Gardens, Knebworth House has been home to the Lytton family for over 19 generations, making for an extraordinary walk through 500 years of local and British…

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Cottesbrooke Hall & Gardens

Address

Cottesbrooke, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN6 8PF

Telephone
01604 505808

welcome@cottesbrooke.co.uk

Northampton

Dating from 1702 the Hall’s beauty is matched by the magnificence of the gardens and the excellence of the picture, furniture and porcelain collections.

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Blaenavon

Address

Church Road, Blaenavon, Pontypool, Gwent, NP4 9AS

Pontypool

The area around Blaenavon is evidence of the pre-eminence of South Wales as the world’s major producer of iron and coal in the 19th century.

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Hadrian’s Wall

Address

Gilsland, Brampton, Cumbria, CA8 7DD

Brampton

Hadrian’s Wall stretches 70 miles across the north of England from Cumbrian Roman coastal defences at Ravenglass to Wallsend on the east coast.

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Stanway House & Water Garden

Address

STANWAY, CHELTENHAM, GLOS, GL54 5PQ

Telephone
01386 584528

stanwayhse@btconnect.com

CHELTENHAM

'As perfect and pretty a Cotswold manor house as anyone is likely to see' (Fodor's Great Britain 1998 guidebook).

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National Trust Nostell

Address

Doncaster Road, Wragby, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 1QE

Telephone
01924 866742

Joanna.reed@nationaltrust.org.uk

Wakefield

Nestled in the heart of West Yorkshire, Nostell is a stunning example of Georgian architecture and design. Built in the 18th century for the Winn family, this grand mansion stands as a testament to the opulence and elegance of its era.

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Gosford House

Address

Longniddry, East Lothian, EH32 0PX

Telephone
01875 870201

estateoffice@wemyssandmarch.co.uk

East Lothian

Gosford House, the large and magnificent mansion of the Earls of Wemyss, is set in 5,000 acres of combined coast and landscaped grounds with pleasure grounds, woodland and ponds, on the south side of the Firth of Forth.

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Deans Court

Address

Deans Court, Deans Court Lane, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 1EE

Telephone
01202849314

jonathan@deanscourt.org

Wimborne

Thought to have been built in the early C.8th as the Royal Palace from where St. Cuthburga, sister of the King of Wessex, administered the important Saxon double monastery of Wimborne.

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1690s-1700

Post Spanish Succession

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Best known British pirates

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