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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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Mr Straw’s House

Address

Endcliffe Villa, Blyth Grove, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, S81 0JG

Telephone
01909 482380

mrstrawshouse@nationaltrust.org.uk

Worksop

Most National Trust properties inspire thoughts of historic mansions, wealth and grandeur. However, tucked away in a private cul-de-sac in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, you’ll find Mr Straw’s House; the National Trust’s first small domestic property,…

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Llandaff Cathedral

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Cathedral Green, Llandaff, Cardiff, CF5 2LA

Telephone
02920 564554

office@llandaffcathedral.org.uk

Llandaff

The Cathedral Church of SS Peter & Paul, Dyfrig, Teilo and Euddogwy is the mother church of the Diocese of Llandaff and is the seat of the Bishop of Llandaff.

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Stanford Hall

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Stanford, Lutterworth, Leicestershire, LE17 6DH

Telephone
01788 860250

enquiries@stanfordhall.co.uk

Lutterworth

Stanford has been the home of the Cave family, ancestors of the present owner, since 1430.

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Alnwick Castle

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Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, NE66 1NQ

Telephone
01665 511100

info@alnwickcastle.com

Alnwick

Home to the Duke of Northumberland's family, the Percys, for over 700 years; Alnwick Castle offers history on a grand scale.

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Jurassic Coast

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The Dorset and East Devon Coast has an outstanding combination of globally significant geological and geomorphological features. The property comprises eight sections along 155km of largely undeveloped coast.

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Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens

Address

Main Road, Kelmarsh, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN6 9LY

Telephone
01604686543

marketing@kelmarsh.com

Northampton

Nestled in rural Northamptonshire, Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens is an elegant Grade I listed country house surrounded by award winning historic gardens, offering a fantastic day out for the whole family.

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Jodrell Bank

Address

Congleton Lane, Lower Withington, MACCLESFIELD, Cheshire, SK11 9LD

MACCLESFIELD

Located in a rural area of northwest England, free from radio interference, Jodrell Bank is one of the world’s leading radio astronomy observatories

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Sezincote

Address

Moreton-In-Marsh, Gloucestershire, GL56 9AW

Telephone
01386 700444

enquiries@sezincote.co.uk

Gloucestershire

Sezincote is a unique and extraordinary Indian house set amidst the Cotswold Hills. The architecture is in the Mughal style of Rajasthan, with a central dome, minarets, peacock-tail windows, jali-work railings and pavilions.

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Dorney Court

Address

Nr. Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 6QP

Telephone
01628 604638

info@dorneycourt.co.uk

Berkshire

One of England's finest Tudor manor houses set in classic gardens. Family owned in direct succession for nearly 500 years. Superb architecture, a fine collection of portraits, furniture from the 16th to 20thC and Norman church adjacent.

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English Lake District

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Located in northwest England, the English Lake District is a mountainous area, whose valleys have been modelled by glaciers in the Ice Age and subsequently shaped by an agro-pastoral land-use system characterized by fields enclosed by walls.

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Keats House

Address

10 Keats Grove, London, London, NW3 2RR

Telephone
07332 3868

keatshouse@cityoflondon.gov.uk

London

Keats House is the Regency villa in Hampstead where Romantic poet John Keats found inspiration, friendship and love.

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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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Newby Hall & Gardens

Address

Newby Hall & Gardens, Newby Hall, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 5AE

Telephone
01423 322 583

Info@newbyhall.com

Ripon

Create wonderful memories with friends and family at Newby Hall. A perfect place to have some quality family time; discover, relax and smile all in the stunning setting of Newby’s award-winning gardens.

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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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Kingston Bagpuize House and Garden

Address

Near Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX13 5AX

Telephone
01865 820259

info@kingstonbagpuizehouse.org.uk

Kingston Bagpuize House is open to the public on selected days and for group visits, by appointment, throughout the year.

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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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Syon House and Park

Address

Syon House and Park, Syon House, Syon Park, Brentford, TW8 8JF

Telephone
020 8560 0882

info@syonpark.co.uk

Syon Park

Syon House was started by Lord Protector Somerset in 1547 and is built on the site of a medieval abbey, first excavated by "Time Team". There have been gardens at Syon since the 15th Century.

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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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Maritime Greenwich

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King William Walk, London, London, SE10 9JF

London

Maritime Greenwich encompasses international significant architecture and landscape, artistic achievement, scientific endeavour and royal association which together tell the story of Britain at sea, and of world time keeping, navigation and…

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Golden Age of pirates

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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