Real pirates in history. The most infamous pirates
Piracy appeared as soon as a person began to use watercraft to transport goods. IN different countries and in different eras, pirates were called filibusters, ushkuiniki, corsairs, privateers.
Most famous pirates they left a significant mark on history: during their lifetime they inspired fear, after death their adventures continue to arouse unflagging interest. Piracy has had a great impact on culture: sea robbers have become the central figures of many famous literary works, modern films and TV series.
10 Jack Rackham
Jack Rackham, who lived in the 18th century, is one of the most famous pirates in history. He is interesting because there were two women in his team. For his love of Indian chintz (calico) shirts of bright colors, he received the nickname Calico Jack. He was in the Navy at an early age due to need. For a long time he served as a senior helmsman under the command of the famous pirate Charles Vane. After the latter tried to refuse to fight a French warship pursuing a pirate ship, Rackham rebelled and was elected the new captain in accordance with the order of the pirate code. Calico Jack differed from other sea robbers in his gentle treatment of his victims, which, however, did not save him from the gallows. The pirate was executed on November 17, 1720 in Port Royal, and his body was hung out as a warning to the rest of the robbers at the entrance to the harbor.
9 William Kidd
The story of one of the most famous pirates in history, William Kidd, is still controversial among researchers of his life. Some historians are sure that he was not a pirate and acted strictly within the framework of a letter of marque. Nevertheless, he was found guilty of attacking 5 ships and murder. Despite trying to get his release in exchange for information about the location of the valuables, Kidd was sentenced to be hanged. After the execution, the body of the pirate and his accomplices was hung out for public viewing over the Thames, where it hung for 3 years.
The legend of Kidd's hidden treasures has long haunted the minds. The belief that the treasure really exists was supported literary works, which mentioned a pirate treasure. The hidden riches of Kidd were searched on many islands, but without success. The fact that the treasure is still not a myth is evidenced by the fact that in 2015, British divers found the wreckage of a pirate ship off the coast of Madagascar and under it a 50-kilogram ingot, which, according to experts, belonged to Captain Kidd.
8 Madame Shi
Madame Shi or Lady Zheng is one of the most famous female pirates in the world. After the death of her husband, she inherited his pirate flotilla and put sea robbery on a grand scale. Under her command were two thousand ships and seventy thousand people. The most severe discipline helped her to command the whole army. For example, for unauthorized absence from the ship, the offender lost his ear. Not all of Madame Shi's subordinates were happy with this state of affairs, and one of the captains once rebelled and went over to the side of the authorities. After the power of Madame Shi was weakened, she agreed to a truce with the emperor and subsequently lived to a ripe old age in freedom, managing a brothel.
7 Francis Drake
Francis Drake one of the most famous pirates in the world. Actually, he was not a pirate, but a corsair who operated on the seas and oceans against enemy ships by special permission of Queen Elizabeth. Devastating the coasts of Central and South America he became immensely wealthy. Drake accomplished many great deeds: he opened the strait, which he named after himself, under his command the British fleet defeated the Great Armada. Since then, one of the ships of the English navy It bears the name of the famous navigator and corsair Francis Drake.
6 Henry Morgan
The list of the most famous pirates would be incomplete without the name of Henry Morgan. Despite the fact that he was born into a wealthy family of an English landowner, from his youth Morgan connected his life with the sea. He was hired on one of the ships as a cabin boy and was soon sold into slavery in Barbados. He managed to get to Jamaica, where Morgan joined a gang of pirates. Several successful campaigns allowed him and his comrades to acquire a ship. Morgan was chosen as captain, and it was a good decision. A few years later, under his command there were 35 ships. With such a fleet, he managed to capture Panama in a day and burn the entire city. Since Morgan acted mainly against Spanish ships and pursued an active English colonial policy, after his arrest the pirate was not executed. On the contrary, for the services rendered to Britain in the struggle against Spain, Henry Morgan received the post of Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. The famous corsair died at the age of 53 from cirrhosis of the liver.
5 Bartholomew Roberts
Bartholomew Roberts, aka Black Bart, is one of the most colorful pirates in history, although he is not as famous as Blackbeard or Henry Morgan. Black Bart became the most successful filibuster in the history of piracy. During his short pirate career (3 years), he captured 456 ships. Its production is estimated at 50 million pounds. It is believed that he created the famous "Pirate Code". He was killed in action with a British warship. The body of the pirate, according to his will, was thrown into the water, and the remains of one of the greatest pirates were never found.
4 Edward Teach
Edward Teach, or Blackbeard is one of the most famous pirates in the world. Almost everyone heard his name. Lived and engaged in sea robbery Tich in the heyday of the golden age of piracy. Entering the service at the age of 12, he gained valuable experience, which was then useful to him in the future. According to historians, Teach participated in the War of the Spanish Succession, and after it ended, he deliberately decided to become a pirate. The glory of the ruthless filibuster helped Blackbeard capture ships without the use of weapons - when he saw his flag, the victim surrendered without a fight. Happy life The pirate did not last long - Tich died during a boarding battle with a British warship pursuing him.
3 Henry Avery
The most famous pirate in history is Henry Avery, nicknamed Lanky Ben. The father of the future famous buccaneer was a captain in the British Navy. From childhood, Avery dreamed of sea voyages. He began his career in the Navy as a cabin boy. Then Avery was appointed first mate on a corsair frigate. The ship's crew soon rebelled, and the first mate was proclaimed captain of the pirate ship. So Avery took the path of piracy. He became famous for capturing the ships of Indian pilgrims heading to Mecca. The booty of pirates was unheard of at that time: 600 thousand pounds and the daughter of the Great Mogul, whom Avery later officially married. How the life of the famous filibuster ended is unknown.
2 Amaro Pargo
Amaro Pargo is one of the most famous filibusters of the golden age of piracy. Pargo was engaged in the transportation of slaves and made a fortune on this. Wealth allowed him to do charity work. Lived to a respectable age.
1 Samuel Bellamy
Among the most famous sea robbers is Samuel Bellamy, known as Black Sam. Became a pirate in order to marry Maria Hallet. Bellamy was desperately short of funds to provide for his future family, and he joined Benjamin Hornigold's pirate crew. A year later, he became the captain of the robbers, allowing Hornigold to leave peacefully. Thanks to a network of informers and spies, Bellamy was able to capture one of the fastest ships of the time, the frigate Vaida. Bellamy died while sailing to his lover. The Vaida was caught in a storm, the ship was stranded and the crew, including Black Sam, perished. Bellamy's career as a pirate only lasted a year.
Edward Teach (1680-1718)
At the mention of the word "pirates" in memory, the plots of the trilogy about Jack Sparrow or the heroes of the book "Treasure Island", read in childhood, immediately pop up. Naval battles, dangers, treasures, rum and adventures... Over the centuries, legends about sea corsairs or filibusters have gradually grown into a mystery, and now it is impossible to understand where is fiction and where is the truth. But, of course, there is some truth in these legends! We will tell about the most famous pirates in history.
Edward Teach (1680-1718)
One of the most famous corsairs in the history of piracy is Edward Teach, who bore the nickname "Blackbeard". He was born in Bristol in 1680. His real name is John. Teach became the prototype of the pirate Flint in Stevenson's Treasure Island. Because of the beard that covered almost the entire face, his appearance was terrifying and there were legends about him as a terrible villain. Teach died on November 22, 1718 in a fight with Lieutenant Maynard. Upon hearing of the death of this terrible man, the whole world breathed a sigh of relief.
Henry Morgan (1635-1688)
Henry Morgan (1635-1688)
The English navigator, Vice-Governor of Jamaica Sir Henry Morgan, nicknamed "Cruel" or "Pirate Admiral", was considered at one time a very famous pirate. He became famous for being one of the authors of the Pirate Code. Morgan was not only a successful corsair, but also a cunning politician and an intelligent military leader. It was with his help that England was able to control the entire Caribbean Sea. Morgan's life, full of the delights of a pirate craft, flew by at a frantic pace. He lived to old age and died in Jamaica on August 25, 1688 from cirrhosis of the liver. He was buried as a nobleman, but soon the cemetery where he was buried was washed away by a wave.
William Kidd (1645-1701)
William Kidd (1645-1701)
This is a pirate - a legend, more than one century has passed since his death, but the glory of him lives to this day. His piracy activity fell on the 17th century. He was known as a despot and a sadist, but became famous throughout the world as a smart robber. Kidd was quite a famous person, his name was known even in the British Parliament. There is evidence that he was rich, but no one knows where his treasures are hidden. The treasure hidden by Kidd is still being sought, but there is no result yet.
Francis Drake (1540-1596)
Francis Drake (1540-1596)
The famous pirate of the XVI century Francis Drake was born in 1540 in England in the county of Devonshire, in the family of a poor village priest. Drake was the eldest of his parents' twelve children. He received navigational skills while serving as a cabin boy on a small merchant ship. The glory of a very cruel person, who was favored by fortune, went about him. We must pay tribute to Drake's curiosity, he visited many places where no human foot had set foot. Thanks to this, he made many discoveries and corrections on the world maps of his time. The crowning glory of Captain Francis Drake came at the end of the 16th century, but on one of his trips to the shores of America, he fell ill with tropical fever and soon died.
Bartholomew Roberts (1682-1722)
Bartholomew Roberts (1682-1722)
Captain Bartholomew Roberts is an unusual pirate. He was born in 1682. Roberts was the most successful pirate of his time, always well and tastefully dressed, with excellent manners, he did not drink alcohol, read the Bible and fought without removing the cross from his neck, which greatly surprised his fellow corsairs. The stubborn and brave young man, who stepped on the slippery path of sea adventures and robberies, became a fairly famous personality of that time in a short four-year career as a filibuster. Roberts died in a fierce battle and was buried, in accordance with his will, at sea.
Sam Bellamy (1689-1717)
Sam Bellamy (1689-1717)
Love led Sam Bellamy to the path of sea robbery. Twenty-year-old Sam fell in love with Maria Hallet, the love was mutual, but the girl's parents did not give her in marriage to Sam. He was poor. And in order to prove to the whole world the right to the hand of Maria Bellamy to become a filibuster. He went down in history as "Black Sam". He got his nickname because he preferred his unruly black hair to a powdered wig, tying it, put it in a knot. At its core, Captain Bellamy was known as a noble man; on his ships, black pirates served along with white pirates, which was simply unthinkable in the era of slavery. The ship on which he sailed to meet his beloved Mary Hallet, got into a storm and sank. Black Sam died without leaving the captain's bridge.
Aruj Barbarossa (1473-1518)
Aruj Barbarossa (1473-1518)
Aruj Barbarossa - a Turkish pirate, had power among the corsairs, had great power over them. He was a cruel and ruthless man who was very fond of executions and bullying. He was born into the family of a potter. He participated in many naval battles, in one of them, fighting heroically with his devoted team, he died.
William Dampier (1651-1715)
William Dampier (1651-1715)
And among the marine filibusters - robbers, there were exceptions. An example of this is William Dampier, in his person the world has lost a researcher and discoverer. He never took part in pirate revels, and all his free time conducted in the study and description of his observations of sea currents in the ocean and the direction of the winds. One gets the impression that he became a robber solely in order to have the means and the opportunity to do what he loves. From the age of seventeen, Dampier served on an English sailing ship. And in 1679, already twenty-seven years old, he joined the Caribbean pirates and soon became a filibuster captain.
Grace O'Mile (1530 - 1603)
Grace O'Mile (1530 - 1603)
Grace O'Mile is a lady of fortune. This fearless pirate woman could give odds to any man. Her adventures are a whole adventure novel! From a young age, Grace, along with her father and his friends, took part in the attack on merchant ships that passed off the coast Ireland.After the death of her father, she won the right to be the leader of the Owen clan in battle.Beautiful Grace, with flowing hair and sabers in her hands, terrified enemies, while arousing admiration in the eyes of her associates.Such a troubled pirate life did not interfere with this brave girl love and be loved, she had four children from two marriages.Grace did not leave her craft, and, already at an advanced age, continued to make raids.She was honored with the attention of the queen and received an offer from her to serve, but the proud and freedom-loving Grace refused, for that she was arrested.
There aren't many documentaries on piracy. Many of the existing facts are only partly true. Information about who these people really were has undergone many different interpretations. As often happens in the absence of reliable first-hand data, quite a large amount of folklore is devoted to this topic. With all of the above in mind, we've decided to present a dossier on several legendary sea robbers.
Period of activity: 1696-1701
Territories: east coast North America, Caribbean Sea, Indian Ocean.
How he died: he was hanged in a specially designated place in the docks, located in the east district of London. Subsequently, his body was hung over the Thames, where it hung for three years as a warning to would-be sea robbers.
What is famous for: the founder of the idea of buried treasures.
In fact, the exploits of this Scottish sailor and British privateer were not particularly extraordinary. Kidd took part in several small battles with pirates and other ships as a privateer for the British authorities, but none of them significantly affected the course of history.
The most interesting thing is that the legend of Captain Kidd appeared after his death. During his career, many colleagues and superiors suspected him of exceeding his letters of marque and indulging in piracy. After the appearance of irrefutable evidence of his actions, warships were sent for him, which were supposed to return Kidd to London. Suspecting what awaited him, Kidd allegedly buried untold wealth on Gardines Island off the coast of New York. He wanted to use these treasures as insurance and a bargaining tool.
The British court was unimpressed by the stories of buried treasure, and Kidd was sentenced to the gallows. This is how his story suddenly ended and a legend appeared. It was thanks to the efforts and skill of writers who became interested in the adventures of a terrible robber that Captain Kidd became one of the most famous pirates. His actual actions were significantly inferior to the glory of other sea robbers of that time.
Period of activity: 1719-1722
Territories: from the eastern coast of North America to the eastern coast of Africa.
How he died: was killed by a cannon shot during the battle against the British fleet.
What is famous for: he can be considered the most successful pirate.
Despite the fact that Bartholomew Roberts is not the most famous pirate, he was the best in everything he undertook. During his career, he managed to capture more than 470 ships. He operated in the waters of the Indian and Atlantic Ocean. In his youth, when he was a sailor on board a merchant ship, his ship, along with the entire crew, was captured by pirates.
Thanks to his navigational skills, Roberts stood out from the crowd of hostages. Therefore, it soon became a valuable shot for the pirates who captured their ship. In the future, an incredible career takeoff awaited him, which led to the fact that he became the captain of a team of sea robbers.
Over time, Roberts came to the conclusion that it was completely pointless to fight for the miserable life of an honest employee. From that moment on, his motto was the statement that it is better to live for a short time, but for your own pleasure. We can safely say that with the death of 39-year-old Roberts, the end of the Golden Age of piracy has come.
Period of activity: 1716-1718
Territories: Caribbean Sea and East Coast of North America.
How he died: in battle against the British fleet.
What is famous for: successfully blocked the port of Charleston. He had a bright appearance and a thick dark beard, into which during the battles he wove ignition wicks, frightening the enemy with emitted clouds of smoke.
He was probably the most famous pirate, both in terms of pirate prowess and in terms of memorable appearance. He managed to mobilize a rather impressive fleet of pirate ships and lead it in many battles.
So, the flotilla under the command of Blackbeard managed to block the port of Charleston for several days. During this time, they captured several ships and took many hostages, who were subsequently traded for various medical supplies for the crew. For many years, Teach kept the Atlantic coast and the islands of the West Indies at bay.
This continued until his ship was surrounded by the British fleet. This happened during the battle off the coast of North Carolina. Then Teach managed to kill many Englishmen. He himself died from multiple saber blows and gunshot wounds.
Period of activity: 1717-1720
Territories: Indian Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
How he died: died shortly after being removed from command of the ship and landing in Mauritius.
Famous for: He was the first to use the flag with the image of the classic Jolly Roger.
Edward England became a pirate after being captured by a band of thugs. He was simply forced to join the team. After a short stay in the waters of the Caribbean Sea, he was waiting for a rapid rise through the pirate career ladder.
As a result, he began to command his own ship, used to attack slave ships in the Indian Ocean. It was he who invented the flag with the image of a skull over two crossed femurs. This flag later became a classic symbol of piracy.
Period of activity: 1718-1720
Territories: waters of the Caribbean Sea.
How he died: was hanged in Jamaica.
Known for: First pirate to allow women on board.
Calico Jack cannot be classified as a successful pirate. His main occupation was the capture of small commercial and fishing vessels. In 1719, during a brief retirement attempt, the pirate met and fell in love with Anne Bonny, who subsequently dressed in men's clothing and joined his crew.
After some time, Rackham's team captured a Dutch merchant ship, and without knowing it, they took another woman in a man's outfit on board the pirate ship. Reed and Bonnie turned out to be brave and brave pirates, which made Rackham famous. Jack himself is by no means a good captain.
When his crew hijacked the Governor of Jamaica's ship, Rackham was so drunk that he couldn't even get into a fight, and only Mary and Ann defended their ship to the last. Before the execution, Jack asked for a meeting with Ann Bonnie, but she flatly refused and, instead of dying words of consolation, told her former lover that his pitiful appearance caused her indignation.
For a long time, the Caribbean islands served as a bone of contention for the great maritime powers, since untold riches lurked here. And where there is wealth, there are robbers. Piracy in the Caribbean has blossomed into full bloom and turned into a serious problem. In fact, the sea robbers were much more cruel than we imagine.
In 1494, the Pope divided the New World between Spain and Portugal. All the gold of the Aztecs, Incas and Mayans of South America went to the ungrateful Spaniards. Other European maritime powers naturally did not like this, and conflict was inevitable. And their struggle for Spanish possessions in the New World (this mainly concerned England and France) led to the emergence of piracy.
famous corsairs
At the very beginning, piracy was even approved by the authorities and was called privateering. A privateer or corsair is a pirate ship, but with a state flag, designed to capture enemy ships.Francis Drake
As a corsair, Drake possessed not only their usual greed and cruelty, but was also extremely inquisitive, and, eager to visit new places, he eagerly took on the fulfillment of orders from Queen Elizabeth, mainly concerning the Spanish colonies. In 1572, he was especially lucky - on the Isthmus of Panama, Drake intercepted the Silver Caravan, en route to Spain, which carried 30 tons of silver.
Once he, carried away, even made a round-the-world trip. And he completed one of his campaigns with unprecedented profit, replenishing the royal treasury by 500 thousand pounds sterling, which was more than one and a half times her annual income. The queen personally arrived on the ship to give Jack a knighthood. In addition to treasures, Jack also brought potato tubers to Europe, for which in Germany in the city of Offenburg they even erected a monument to him, on the pedestal of which it is written: “To Sir Francis Drake, who spread potatoes in Europe.”
Henry Morgan
Morgan was a world-famous successor to the Drake cause. The Spaniards considered him their most terrible enemy, for them he was even more terrible than Francis Drake. Having brought a whole army of pirates to the walls of the Spanish city of Panama at that time, he ruthlessly plundered it, taking out huge treasures, after which he turned the city into ashes. Largely thanks to Morgan, Britain was able to seize control of the Caribbean from Spain for a while. King Charles II of England personally knighted Morgan and appointed him governor of Jamaica, where he spent his last years.
The golden age of piracy
Beginning in 1690, an active trade was established between Europe, Africa and the Caribbean, which led to an extraordinary flowering of piracy. Numerous ships of the leading European powers, carrying valuable goods, on the high seas became a tasty prey for sea robbers, who bred in abundance. Real sea robbers, standing outside the law, who were engaged in outright robbery of all passing ships indiscriminately, at the end of the 17th century they replaced the corsairs. Let's remember some of these legendary pirates.
Steed Bonnet was a very prosperous person - a prosperous planter, worked in the municipal police, was married and suddenly decided to become a robber of the seas. And Steed was just very tired of the gray everyday life with his always grumpy wife and routine work. Having independently studied maritime affairs and having become adept at it, he bought himself a ten-gun ship called "Revenge", recruited a crew of 70 people and set off against the wind of change. And soon his raids became quite successful.
Steed Bonnet also became famous for not being afraid to argue with the most formidable pirate at that time - Edward Teach, Blackbeard. Teach on his ship with 40 guns, attacking Steed's ship, easily captured it. But Steed could not come to terms with this and constantly bothered Teach, insisting that real pirates do not do this. And Teach let him go free, but with only a few pirates and completely disarming his ship.
Then Bonnet went to North Carolina, where he had recently been pirating, repented before the governor and offered to become their corsair. And, having received consent from the governor, a license and a fully equipped ship, he immediately set off in pursuit of Blackbeard, but to no avail. Of course, Steed did not return to Carolina, but continued to engage in robberies. At the end of 1718 he was caught and executed.
Edward Teach
An indomitable lover of rum and women, this famous pirate in the invariable wide-brimmed hat was nicknamed "Blackbeard". He did wear a long black beard, braided into pigtails, into which wicks were woven. During the battle, he set fire to them, and from the very sight of him, many sailors surrendered without a fight. But, it is quite possible that the wicks are just fiction. Blackbeard, although he had an intimidating appearance, was not particularly cruel, but took the enemy only by intimidation.
Yes, your flagship He captured "Revenge of Queen Anne" without firing a single shot - the enemy team surrendered only when they saw Tich. Tich landed all the prisoners on the island and left them a boat. Although, according to other sources, Teach was really very cruel and never left his prisoners alive. At the beginning of 1718, he had 40 captured ships, and under his command were about three hundred pirates.
The British were seriously concerned about his capture, a hunt was announced for him, which ended in success at the end of the year. In a fierce duel with Lieutenant Robert Maynard, Teach, being wounded by more than 20 shots, resisted to the last, killing many Englishmen in the process. And he died from a blow with a saber - when his head was cut off.
Briton, one of the most cruel and heartless pirates. Not feeling the slightest compassion for his victims, he also completely disregarded the members of his team, constantly deceiving them, trying to appropriate as much profit as possible. Therefore, everyone dreamed of his death - both the authorities and the pirates themselves. During another riot, the pirates removed him from the captain's position and landed him on a boat, which the waves carried to a desert island during a storm. After some time, a passing ship picked him up, but there was a person who identified him. Wayne's fate was sealed, he was hanged at the entrance to the port.
He was nicknamed "Calico Jack" because he liked to wear wide pants made of bright chintz (calico). Not being the most successful pirate, he glorified his name by being the first to allow women to be on the ship, contrary to all maritime customs.
In 1720, when Rackham's ship met at sea with the ship of the governor of Jamaica, to the surprise of the sailors, only two pirates offered fierce resistance to them, as it turned out later, they were women - the legendary Anne Bonny and Mary Reed. And all the rest, including the captain, were drunk as a fool.
In addition, it was Rackham who invented the very flag (a skull and crossbones), the so-called "Jolly Roger", which we all now associate with pirates, although many sea robbers went under other flags.
Tall handsome dandy, he was pretty an educated person, knew a lot about fashion, observed etiquette. And what is absolutely not typical for pirates - he could not stand alcohol and punished others for drunkenness. Being a believer, he wore a cross on his chest, read the Bible and held services on the ship. The elusive Roberts was distinguished by extraordinary courage and, at the same time, was very successful in his campaigns. Therefore, the pirates loved their captain and were ready to follow him anywhere - after all, they will definitely be lucky!
In a short period, Roberts seized over two hundred ships and about £50 million. But one day, lady luck nevertheless betrayed him. The crew of his ship, busy dividing up the booty, were taken by surprise by an English ship under the command of Captain Ogle. At the first shot, Roberts was killed, buckshot hit his neck. The pirates, lowering his body overboard, resisted for a long time, but were still forced to surrender.
From an early age, spending his time among street criminals, he absorbed all the worst. And being a pirate, he turned into one of the most bloodthirsty sadistic fanatics. And although his time was already at the end of the Golden Age, Low in a short time, showing extraordinary cruelty, captured more than 100 ships.
Sunset of the "Golden Age"
By the end of 1730, the pirates were finished, they were all caught and executed. Over time, they began to be remembered with nostalgia and a certain touch of romanticism. Although in fact, for their contemporaries, pirates were a real disaster.As for the well-known captain Jack Sparrow, such a pirate did not exist at all, there is no specific prototype of him, the image is completely fictional, a Hollywood parody of pirates, and many of the charismatic features of this colorful and charming character were invented by Johnny Depp on the go.
Pirates, "gentlemen of fortune" at all times terrified the population of coastal cities. They were feared, raided, executed, but interest in their adventures never weakened.
Madame Jin is the wife of her son
Madame Jing, or Zheng Shi, was the most famous "sea robber" of her time. An army of pirates under her command terrified the coastal cities of East and Southeast China in early XIX in. Under her command there were about 2,000 ships and 70,000 people, whom he could not even defeat large fleet Qing emperor Jia-qing (1760-1820), sent in 1807 to defeat masterful pirates and capture the powerful Jin.
Zheng Shi's youth was unenviable - she had to engage in prostitution: she was ready to sell her body for hard cash. At the age of fifteen, she was kidnapped by a pirate named Zheng Yi, who, like a real gentleman, took her as his wife (after marriage, she received the name Zheng Shi, which means "Zheng's wife"). After the wedding, they went to the shores of Vietnam, where the newly-made couple and their pirates, having attacked one of the coastal villages, kidnapped a boy (the same age as Zheng Shi) - Zhang Baozai, whom Zheng Yi and Zheng Shi adopted, since the latter could not have children. Zhang Baozai became Zheng Yi's lover, which, apparently, did not bother the young wife at all. When her husband died in a storm in 1807, Madame Jin inherited a fleet of 400 ships. With her, there was iron discipline in the flotilla, and nobility was not alien to her, if this quality can even be correlated with piracy. Madame Jin betrayed the perpetrators for plundering fishing villages and raping captive women death penalty. For unauthorized absence from the ship, the guilty person was cut off his left ear, which was then presented to the entire team for intimidation.
Zheng Shi married her stepson, placing her in command of her fleet. But not everyone in Madame Jin's team was satisfied with the power of a woman (especially after failed attempt two captains to woo her, one of whom Zheng Shi shot). The dissatisfied revolted and surrendered to the mercy of the authorities. This undermined the authority of Madame Jin, which forced her to negotiate with the representatives of the emperor. As a result, under the agreement of 1810, she went over to the side of the authorities, and her husband received a sinecure (a position that did not give any real powers) in the Chinese government. Retiring from piracy, Madame Zheng settled in Guangzhou, where she maintained a brothel and gambling den until her death at the age of 60.
Aruj Barbarossa - Sultan of Algeria
This pirate, who terrified the cities and villages of the Mediterranean, was a cunning and dodgy warrior. He was born in 1473 in the family of a Greek potter who converted to Islam, and from a young age, together with his brother Atzor, began to engage in piracy. Aruj passed through captivity and slavery on galleys belonging to the Ionite knights, from which his brother ransomed him. The time spent in slavery embittered Aruj, the ships belonging to the Christian kings, he plundered with particular cruelty. So in 1504, Aruj attacked galleys loaded with valuable cargo, which belonged to Pope Julius II. He managed to capture one of the two galleys, the second tried to flee. Arunj went to the trick: he ordered some of his sailors to put on the uniform of soldiers from the captured galley. Then the pirates went to the galley and took their own ship in tow, thus simulating the complete victory of the papal soldiers. Soon a lagging galley appeared. View pirate ship, who was in tow, caused a surge of enthusiasm among the Christians, and the ship approached the side of the "trophy" without any fear. At this moment, Aruj gave a sign, after which the pirate team began to kill the fugitives with cruelty. This event greatly increased Uruj's prestige among the Muslim Arabs of North Africa.
In 1516, in the wake of the Arab uprising against the Spanish troops settled in Algeria, Aruj proclaimed himself a sultan under the name of Barbarossa (Red-bearded), after which he began to rob the cities of southern Spain, France, Italy with even greater zeal and cruelty, accumulating enormous wealth. Against him, the Spaniards sent a large expeditionary force (about 10,000 people), led by the Marquis de Comares. He managed to defeat the army of Aruj, and the latter began to retreat, taking with him the accumulated wealth over the years. And, as the legend says, along the entire retreat, Aruj, in order to delay the pursuers, scattered silver and gold. But this did not help, and Aruj died, he was cut off his head along with the pirates loyal to him.
Forced to be a man
One of the famous pirates who lived at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries, Mary Reed, was forced to hide her gender all her life. Even in childhood, her parents prepared her fate - to "take the place" of her brother, who died shortly before Mary was born. She was an illegitimate child. To hide the shame, the mother, having given birth to a girl, gave her to her rich mother-in-law, dressing her daughter in advance in the clothes of her dead son. Mary was a "grandchild" in the eyes of her unsuspecting grandmother, and all the while the girl was growing up, her mother dressed and raised her like a boy. At the age of 15, Mary left for Flanders and entered the infantry regiment as a cadet (still disguised as a man, under the name Mark). According to the memoirs of contemporaries, she was a brave fighter, but still could not advance in the service and joined the cavalry. There, the floor took its toll - Mary met a man with whom she fell passionately in love. Only she revealed to him that she was a woman, and soon they got married. After the wedding, they rented a house near the castle in Breda (Holland) and equipped the Three Horseshoes tavern there.
But fate was not favorable, soon Mary's husband died, and she, again disguised as a man, went to the West Indies. The ship on which she sailed was captured by English pirates. Here a fateful meeting took place: she met the famous pirate Ann Bonnie (the same as she, a woman dressed as a man) and her lover John Rackham. Mary joined them. Moreover, she, along with Ann, began to cohabit with Rackham, forming a bizarre "love triangle". The personal courage and courage of this trio made them famous throughout Europe.
Learned Pirate
William Dampier, who was born into an ordinary peasant family and lost his parents early, had to make his own way in life. He began by becoming a cabin boy on a ship, then he took up fishing. Special place his activity was occupied by a passion for research: he studied new lands to which fate threw him, their flora, fauna, climatic features, participated in an expedition to explore the coast of New Holland (Australia), discovered a group of islands - the Dampier archipelago. In 1703 he went to Pacific Ocean for piracy. On the island of Juan Fernandez, Dampier (according to another version, Stradling, the captain of another ship) landed the sailing master (according to another version of the boatswain) Alexander Selkirk. The story of Selkirk's stay on a desert island formed the basis of the famous book by Daniel Defoe "Robinson Crusoe".
Bald Greine
Grace O'Malle or, as she was also called, Bald Greine, is one of the controversial figures in English history. She was always ready to defend her rights, no matter what. She got acquainted with navigation thanks to her father, who took his little daughter on long-distance trading voyages. Her first husband was a match for Grace. About the clan O "Flagerty, to which he belonged, they said:" Cruel people robbing and killing their fellow citizens in the most brazen way." Although, in fairness, it should be noted that for the Irish clans of the mountainous Connaught - civil strife, a common thing. When he was killed, Grace returned to her family and took charge of her father's flotilla. Thus, in her hands was truly great power, with which she could keep the entire West Coast of Ireland in subjection.
Grace allowed herself to lead so freely, even in the presence of the Queen. After all, she was also called the "queen", only the pirate one. When Elizabeth I handed her lace handkerchief to Grace for her to wipe her nose after sniffing tobacco, Grace, using it, said: “Do you need it? In my area they are not used more than once!” - and threw a handkerchief to the retinue. According to historical sources, two old opponents - and Grace managed to send a dozen English ships - were able to agree. The queen granted the pirate, who at that time was already about 60 years old, forgiveness and immunity.
black beard
Thanks to his courage and cruelty, Edward Teach became one of the most scary pirates operating in the Jamaica area. By 1718, more than 300 men were fighting under him. The enemies were horrified by Tich's face, almost completely covered with a black beard, in which the wicks woven into it smoked. In November 1718, Teach was overtaken by the English lieutenant Maynardt and, after a short trial, was hung up on a yardarm. It was he who became the prototype of the legendary Jetrow Flint, from Treasure Island.
Pirate President
Murat Reis Jr., whose real name is Jan Janson (Dutch), converted to Islam in order to avoid captivity and slavery in Algeria. After that, he began to cooperate and actively participate in the pirate raids of such pirates as Suleiman Reis and Simon the Dancer, also, like him, the Dutch who converted to Islam. Jan Janson in 1619 moved to the Moroccan city of Sale, which lived off piracy. Shortly after Janson's arrival there, he declared his independence. A pirate republic was created there, the first head of which was Janson. He married in Sale, his children followed in the footsteps of their father, becoming pirates, but then joined the Dutch colonists who founded the city of New Amsterdam (now New York).
