Pirates have captivated the imagination of people across the world owing to the stories of their thrilling voyages and daring adventures. The Pirate ships were a symbol of defiance on the high seas.
Many pirate ships have found their way into the history books due to the deeds of the infamous pirate captains and their notorious crew members. In this article, we will look at and learn about seven of the most popular pirate ships in history.
Queen Anne’s Revenge
Captain: Blackbeard
The Queen Anne’s Revenge, which belonged to Edward Teach, who later became the infamous Blackbeard, is without a doubt considered one of the most famous pirate ships in history.
Captain Benjamin Hornigold seized a 300-ton frigate with 26 guns in November 1717, originally named Concord (Le Concorde de Nantes) from French merchants. He gave this ship to his first mate, Blackbeard, who converted it into a pirate ship packed with 40 guns and more than 150 pirates.
Most notably, with The Queen Anne’s Revenge, Blackbeard captured eight valuable vessels by blocking Charleston, performing his famous act. The ship was also famous for defeating the formidable warship, HMS “Scarborough,” in a sea battle. It sank near Beaufort, North Carolina, in 1718.
In late 1996, Queen Anne’s Revenge was discovered in the shoals of the Beaufort Inlet at Beaufort, NC. Researchers have since attempted to determine whether the remains are really the legendary pirate ship.
Fancy
Captain: Henry Every
Henry Every was a middle-aged crew member aboard Charles II, a privateer vessel owned by Charles II. He led a mutiny against the ship’s crew and was elected as the new pirate captain while they were anchored at La Coruña in 1694. He renamed the ship “Fancy” and made some modifications to it.
Fancy had a 46-gun armament, 140 crew members, and was one of the fastest ships of its time. With this ship, Every initiated two successful years of piracy in the Indian Ocean, seizing every vessel he came across and expanding his notorious reputation across the seas.
One of the most significant accomplishments of his voyage was defeating the Gang-i-Sawai, the Mughal flagship equipped with 40 guns during the reign of Aurangzeb.
Adventure Galley
Captain: Captain William Kidd
The Adventure Galley, a galley warship weighing more than 284 tons explicitly built for warfare, was equipped with 34 cannons and manned by a highly skilled crew of 100.
The King’s officers gave this ship to the famed pirate and privateer Captain Kidd for use in attacks against pirates and French East Indian Company ships in the Eastern Seas. One of the most notable successes of this pirate vessel occurred in January 1698, when it claimed victory against the Quedah Merchant, an Armenian ship belonging to the British East India Company.
Captain Kidd then made Quedah his flagship, replacing The Adventure Galley. As the latter was already in disrepair, he instructed for it to be burned.
The Golden Hind (The Pelican)
Captain: Sir Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake’s renowned ship, the Golden Hind, remains one of the most celebrated vessels in nautical history. It achieved an extraordinary and momentous expedition around the world and famously returned as the sole surviving ship of that voyage.
The Golden Hind was a galleon equipped with 18 guns of diverse sizes and had an estimated weight of approximately 100 tons. Initially named the Pelican, Sir Francis Drake decided to change her name during the 1577 adventure to Golden Hind after losing two other ships.
The voyage lasted for an incredible duration of 2 years, 10 months, and 18 days. The Golden Hind has left a significant cultural legacy, inspiring the naming of numerous ships in many popular tales of piracy.
Delivery
Captain: George Lowther
In 1721, George Lowther served as the second mate aboard the mid-sized English Man of War, known as the Gambia Castle, which was en route to Africa while carrying a garrison for a fortress.
However, upon arriving, the soldiers discovered that their lodgings and supplies were inadequate. Lowther, who had fallen out of favor with the captain, persuaded the disgruntled soldiers to participate in a mutiny, resulting in the takeover of the Gambia Castle, which they renamed Delivery, to engage in piracy.
Lowther embarked on a lengthy career as a pirate, eventually exchanging the Delivery for a more seaworthy vessel, but died later, shipless and marooned on a deserted island.
Royal Fortune
Captain: Bartholomew Roberts
Bartholomew Roberts, also known as “Black Bart,” became one of history’s most prosperous pirates, seizing and robbing hundreds of ships during his three-year piracy career.
He had multiple flagships over this time period, commonly referred to as Royal Fortune. The biggest of these was a 40-cannon vessel, crewed by 157 men that could fight against any ship in the Royal Navy. In February 1722, Roberts died aboard this Royal Fortune during a confrontation with the Swallow ship.
Whydah
Captain: Sam Bellamy
A pirate by the name of Sam Bellamy captured the Whydah (or Whydah Gally), a British ship that was primarily used for transporting enslaved individuals in 1717. After outfitting the ship with 28 cannons, Bellamy terrorized Atlantic shipping routes for a brief period.
Unfortunately, despite its success, the pirate Whydah’s voyage was cut short. In April of that year, while off the coast of Cape Cod, the ship encountered a brutal storm. The Whydah was wrecked only two months after it had been taken by Bellamy.
Many years later, in 1984, the remains of the Whydah were discovered. Since then, thousands of artifacts have been recovered, including the ship’s bell. The findings are presently being exhibited at a museum in Provincetown, Massachusetts.