Calico Jack

And now we come to the final three, the big three, in the characters of Pirate Queens.  And to start the the end we take look at Captain John Rackham, better known as Calico Jack.  Very little is know of Jack's early days, other than he earned the nickname "Calico" thanks to the garish and calico clothing he was known to wear.  Other than that we know almost nothing about him before an incident on the pirate ship Ranger, a ship captained Charles Vane.  Vane was a cruel and hateful man that kept company with the likes of Blackbeard, he was one of the most notorious captains that sailed the Bahamas.  And Rackham was his quartermaster.

According to the few texts that are written about him at this time, Jack was a loyal man to Vane, even when the captain undertook actions that were not always to the betterment of the ship and crew.  That is until a fateful day when the Ranger came face-to-face with a French man-o-war on the open sea.  Although the Ranger, a sloop, was smaller than the French naval ship, they knew the crew of the pirate ship was greater than what the man-o-war was carrying, but Vane called a retreat, sighting caution as his reason.  But Jack protested this action.  Although the sloop was faster, the heavy guns of the man-o-war could easily clear the distance between them, also he knew a French ship that size was sure to be laden with much needed supplies.  In Jack's mind, if they ran they were dead.

Of the ninety men that sailed on the Ranger, only fifteen sided with Vane.  The crew mutinied against Vane and displaced him and Calico Jack became the captain.  This is where his story begins.

A French Man-o-War could carry up to 1,000 crewman onboard, a British sloop on the other hand, such as the Ranger, would only crew between 60-100 men

After disposing of Vane as the captain and taking on the mantle for himself, Rackham led the crew to victory against the French vessel.  He then placed Vane and his fifteen supporters in a long-boat and set them towards an island.  It was only out of respect for their old captain that they provided him and his "crew" with supplies they would need to survive.

When Jack did this, he unknowingly endeared himself to Woodes Rogers, the new governor of Nassau and the Bahamas.  Charles Vane was one of two pirates that Rogers was deeply concerned about.  It was believed that he had such notoriety among the pirates of the Caribbean that if he so chose to he could rally a small fleet of them together and sail on the British government in the Bahamas, thus starting a small war that Rogers quite frankly wasn't sure he could win.  When Calico Jack displaced Vane and took command of his vessel, he did Woodes Rogers a huge favor.  Now Rogers only had one captain left to concern himself with: Blackbeard.

Rackham's career as a pirate captain involved plundering small vessels that sailed the West Indies off the coast of Bermuda.  He was nowhere near as violent and bloodthirsty as his predecessor, and had a habit of calling for the crew's surrender immediately.  Should the crew of the ship surrender, Rackham and his men would take what they wanted from the cargo hold and then leave the crew and ship in peace after they were done plundering.  This led to Jack and his crew being able to take a ship without confrontation more often than not.  If a merchant crew could avoid becoming involved in a battle for a cargo that wasn't their property in the first place, then they would be happy to just let the pirates be (although some merchant vessels did employ a fighting crew for just such an occasion, hence Jack's meeting with Mary Read).

Because of his habit of not killing the people whom he robbed, and because of his displacing Vane and taking him out of power, Governor Rogers never seemed to hunt Rackham with the determination and single-mindedness that he had when pursuing others of his ilk, such as Blackbeard, Stede Bonnet, or Holford.  Infact, Rogers eventually extended his hand to Rackham and offered the man and his crew a pardon, on the condition that he would either join Rogers' own navy (a navy that was built of numerous ex-pirates, such as Ben Hornigold), or give up the sailing life altogether.

Jack, for his part, actually considered the pardon, and went to the governor's mansion in Nassau to meet with Rogers and discuss the prospect.  More than likely Calico Jack would have taken the pardon, probably joined Rogers' navy, and become a privateer in the service of British navy, and that is where Rackham's story would have ended.  Or at least our knowledge of his story anyway.

But as it would be, fate stepped in and had other plans for Rackham.  While he was in midst of debating to take the pardon or not, he happened to be at Rogers' mansion on the same night as another sailor, James Bonny and, more importantly, his wife, Anne Bonny.  This is when Jack and Anne would have their fateful meeting, and after this history would be made.

What happens next?  Well, you'll have to see the show, won't you?  Please help make that happen!

The story of Anne and Mary, and to a lesser extent, Jack, is one that should be told.  Pirate Queens is an original play in three acts that entertained audiences at seated readings and now needs to be put on stage.  And we can do it with your help!

Please click on the link above and visit our GoFundMe page to see how you can help and how we will gladly reciprocate your generosity!  Also, visit the links below to learn more about this original work, Pirate Queens!

Woodes Rogers

The next in line of our characters to meet from the script of Pirate Queens is man that was governor of the Bahamas at the time of Anne and Mary's tale, Woodes Rogers.

No one looked less like what he was -- a genuine hero -- than Woodes Rogers

Tall, a little paunchy, with soft auburn hair and almost a perpetual look of tranquility about him, his portrait shows a cherubic-like face and a cordial but unsmiling face.

He was also a most effective leader of men.  This was so not only because of his innate qualities but also because he had learned the secret of command: to give only the most necessary orders, to give them as if it were the most natural thing in the world to carry out, and never to demand that men act against their own convictions, no matter how shallow or false those convictions might be.

In 1708 Rogers, already a veteran sea captain at twenty-nine, readily agreed to lead a privateering expedition that was funded by a syndicate of Bristol merchants.  While on that expedition the two ships under his command -- the Duke and Duchess -- engaged in battle with a pirate galleon.  During the battle, Rogers had been badly wounded.  A pistol ball had lodged in his upper jaw, shattering the bone and most of his teeth.  Although in agony, he maintained an amazing calm.  For a moment they broke from the galleon and he called together his officers -- one of whom was William Dampier -- to discuss whether or not to press the attack.  He had advised against continuing the assault of the larger, and more heavily armed ship.  However, since most of his officers were comprised of gentlemen from Bristol, he and William were outvoted and he was ordered to pursue the pirate vessel.

They soon found her and for more than seven hours the English ships engaged in battle with the galleon.  During the battle Duchess was badly mauled, her rigging and masts severely damaged, and twenty of her men were killed.  Duke suffered fourteen men wounded, among them Captain Rogers, who was again hit, this time by shrapnel that tore away part of his left heel.  Unable to shout commands because of the wound to his jaw, and unable to stand because of his torn-up heel, Rogers nevertheless continued to conduct the battle.  Seated, with his foot propped up on a cushion, Rogers used hand signals to give his orders.

Statue of Woodes Rogers outside the Hilton British Colonial Hotel, Nassau

Rogers and his men were victorious in battle, but days after the encounter Rogers suffered a high fever and his jaw and throat were so swollen from his wound that he could barely whisper.  He was so weak that he was unable to stand up.  Yet he endured his agony with amazing humor and courage.  Three days later Rogers managed to cough up slivers of his jaw-bone that had been lodged in his throat since he had received his wound.  From that point on his condition improved rapidly.

In 1718 Woodes Rogers was appointed the governor of the Bahamas.  It was charged to him to put an end to the "Republic of Rebels" and restore English order to the Caribbean.  Under his watch, the pirate threat was reduced almost immediately as his reputation alone made most either flee for Madagascar or, in the case of Captain Ben Hornigold, took an offered pardon and became part of Rogers' militia, turning those that were pirates into pirate hunters themselves.  His rule over the Bahamas saw the end of the most notorious pirates such as Charles Vane and the most famous, Blackbeard himself.

At the time of Pirate Queens, the likes of Vane and Teach have already been dealt with.  Vane was displaced with no small thanks to Calico Jack.  In fact when we meet both Jack and Woodes, it is in the Governor's mansion and Jack is weighing the option of accepting a pardon from Woodes, much as Hornigold did.  It is no small coincidence this is also where Jack and Anne meet.  There is a grudging friendship between the two men, that makes Woodes' assignment all the more bitter in the end.

The story of Anne and Mary, and to a lesser extent, Jack, is one that should be told.  Pirate Queens is an original play in three acts that entertained audiences at seated readings and now needs to be put on stage.  And we can do it with your help!

Please click on the link above and visit our GoFundMe page to see how you can help and how we will gladly reciprocate your generosity!  Also, visit the links below to learn more about this original work, Pirate Queens!

Jonathan Barnet

As part of the ongoing series of articles that introduces the real life characters of Pirate Queens we now meet one of the most feared types among the British navy, Captain Jonathan Barnet.

Captain Barnet was one of the King's pirate hunters, and not only that but he was one of the most successful of them as well.  Captain of the British Man-o-War named the Albion (not to be confused with the later christened HMS Albion), Barnet was fiercely loyal to King and Country.  Not only was he a sailor and a pirate hunter, but he was a patriot as well.  And that made him very dangerous to his prey.  He could not be bought, bribed, or diverted from his cause.

A British Man-o-War was a powerful warship that was powered by sail and armed with 124 canons, 4 at the bow, 4 at the stern, and 56 at each broadside, this was typical of the type of ship that the Albion was.

Jonathan Barnet was relentless in his duty and would not stop until his prey was either brought in for trial and punishment or killed at sea.  This is not to say that Captain Barnet was a bloodthirsty killer of pirates, but he was not shy about doing what needed to be done to get his job done either.

Towards the end of the Golden Age of Piracy, when John Rackham and a handful of other pirate captains were left in the Bahamas, King George wanted a definitive end to the pirate nuisance and sent Captain Barnet to finish cleaning things up.  Barnet's reputation preceded him, so his mere presence there was enough to cause some of the established pirate captains (such as Edward England) to flee the Bahamas and leave for Madagascar.

Calico Jack, however, was not one of those captains.  He and the Revenge's crew, including Anne and Mary, chose to remain in the Bahamas despite the arrival of Captain Barnet.  This of course led to their inevitable meeting.

The story of Anne and Mary, and to a lesser extent, Jack, is one that should be told.  Pirate Queens is an original play in three acts that entertained audiences at seated readings and now needs to be put on stage.  And we can do it with your help!

Please click on the link above and visit our GoFundMe page to see how you can help and how we will gladly reciprocate your generosity!  Also, visit the links below to learn more about this original work, Pirate Queens

Daniel DeFoe

Daniel DeFoe was an English trader, writer, journalist, pamphleteer, and at times, spy.  He is best know for his novel, Robinson Crusoe, and according to works like Raiders and Rebels: A History of the Golden Age of Piracy, much of what we know about the Caribbean at this time is because of his personal and public writings.  He knew much about the famous pirates of the time and wrote his observations on the likes of Blackbeard, Charles Vane, Captain Kidd, and, yes, John Rackham.

In January of 1709 two ships under the command of Woodes Rogers (another character of Pirate Queens whom you will be introduced to later) sailed around the Horn and set their sails north along the coast of South America.  They made landfall at the uninhabited islands of Juan Fernandez, six hundred miles west of what is now Santiago, Chile.  Here, Captain Rogers rescued a man with long wild hair and an untamed beard, who spoke English but was clothed in skins like a savage.

The Wild man turned out to be Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor who had been marooned on these desolate islands four years earlier.  The expedition's pilot recognized Selkirk as an old shipmate, and Captain Roger's made the former castaway an officer of one of the two ships.  This, and Selkirk's stories of what happened while he was stranded, was DeFoe's inspiration for Robinson Crusoe.

Raiders & Rebels by Frank Sherry features many of DeFoe's writings and observations on pirates and the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy

Although remembered mostly for being a writer and the author of his most famous piece, Daniel DeFoe was so much more than that.  Having worked as a spy for English crown, DeFoe was no stranger to adventure and danger, having even spent time in Newgate Prison (the same prison in London where Captain William Kidd has held before his execution).

In Pirate Queens Daniel DeFoe takes on the role of Woodes Rogers's aide, and is well acquainted with John "Calico Jack" Rackham.  He is there when Jack and Anne meet for the first time and he is there with them in the end.

The story of Anne and Mary, and to a lesser extent, Jack, is one that should be told.  Pirate Queens is an original play in three acts that entertained audiences at seated readings and now needs to be put on stage.  And we can do it with your help!

Please click on the link above and visit our GoFundMe page to see how you can help and how we will gladly reciprocate your generosity!  Also, visit the links below to learn more about this original work, Pirate Queens!

James Bonny

One of the draws for me to tell the story of Pirate Queens is how so many people involved in the story are people of consequence.  Real people that lived real lives during this time, the Golden Age of Piracy!  In anticipation of the upcoming production of Pirate Queens I thought I would introduce the players in this piece to those who would be interested in their story.

We will start our introduction of these characters with the one named James – James Bonny.

Often over-looked in the tales of Anne and Mary, little is told of James Bonny in the history books.  What is know is that he met his wife-to-be, Anne, during a time that her father was trying to marry her off.  While her wealthy father was trying to give her hand away, James was trying to get rich quick.  Anne’s father owned a tobacco plantation and was a wealthy, James saw opportunity.

So did Anne.  She wanted to be away from her father as much as her father wanted her to be away.  When she met James he claimed to be a man of the sea, a pirate in fact!  In him Anne saw an escape from her father’s plantation, an escape from a life of living under his rule.  So against his wishes, Anne married James and became Anne Bonny.

Anne now had the man who would take her away from her father, her father was now rid of Anne, and James was married to a woman who would have been the heiress to the plantation and family money.  The arrangement should have worked out for everyone.  Should have, but it didn’t.  He father wanted her to marry into money, and he saw her taking the hand of James as the slight she was hoping he’d see it as.  The man disowned his own daughter, all but ensuring that she would see none of the money that James was angling for.

Now, broke and homeless, Anne was married to James, a man who was not particularly set very well financially himself.  With his wife in tow the infuriated James left North Carolina and booked passage to the Bahamas.  There he was looking to cash in on a deal with the new Nassau governor, Woodes Rogers.

His marriage to Anne was strained from the beginning, and their relationship was all but over by the time they made landfall in the Bahamas.  It was here that he proved what kind of man he truly was and made gold off of selling out those he used to sail with, turning in those who were once his fellow pirates to the local law.

This was the final straw for Anne.  To marry a man that would so willingly turn in those who he once called “mate” did not sit well with Anne.  In fact, at this point she questioned the sincerity of his claim to being a pirate in the first place.  She had little respect for the man, having only married him as a way out of her father’s house, and now that his usefulness was at an end, she saw no more need for him.

It should come as no surprise then that she so easily left this coward of a man when she met the man that would change her life forever, John Rackham.
Despite his absence from many history books, James Bonny’s role in the lives of Anne, Jack, and even Mary should not be over-looked.  Had it no been for him, it is quite possible the trio had never met.  For indeed without him, Anne would have never left North Carolina for the Bahamas and she would have never been introduced to Calico Jack.  And history would have never been made.

The story of Anne and Mary, and to a lesser extent, Jack, is one that should be told.  Pirate Queens is an original play in three acts that entertained audiences at seated readings and now needs to be put on stage.  And we can do it with your help!

Please click on the link above and visit our GoFundMe page to see how you can help and how we will gladly reciprocate your generosity!  Also, visit the links below to learn more about this original work, Pirate Queens!

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