Pirates and Privateers in the 18th Century: The Final Flourish

by Mike Rendell

Overview

Pirates and Privateers tells the fascinating story of the buccaneers who were the scourge of merchants in the 18th Century. It examines their lifestyle, looking at how the sinking of the Spanish treasure fleet in a storm off the coast of Florida led to a pirate’s gold rush; how the King’s Pardon was a desperate gamble – which paid off – and considers the role of individual island governors, such as Woodes Rogers in the Bahamas, in bringing piracy under control.The book also looks at how piracy has been a popular topic in print, plays, songs and now films, making thieves and murderers into swash-buckling heroes. It also considers the whole question of buried treasure – and gives a lively account of many of the pirates who dominated the so-called ‘Golden Age’ of Piracy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526731661
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date:	11/30/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	184
Sales rank:	552,202
File size:	23 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Mike Rendell has written many books, all of them about Georgian England. His interest in the period was inspired by a fascinating cache of papers left by his 18th century ancestors. His other books with Pen & Sword include ‘In Bed with the Georgians: Sex, Scandal and Satire in the 18th Century’, ‘Trailblazing Women of the Georgian Era’ and 'Pirates & Privateers in the 18th Century: The Final Flourish'.

When not writing, he spends his time talking on Georgian topics both in Britain and abroad, and in particular on board cruise ships. He travels extensively but his home is on the edge of Dartmoor.

Table of Contents

Preface vi

Part 1 Background

Chapter 1 A General History of the Pyrates 2

Chapter 2 Letters of Marque and Codes of Conduct 17

Chapter 3 The Earlier Years of the Golden Age 31

Part 2 The Beginning of the End of the Golden Age

Chapter 4 Parliament, Proclamations and Pardons 48

Chapter 5 Rotten to the Core, Colonial Governors and Plantation Owners 55

Chapter 6 Governor Alexander Spotswood of Virginia 59

Chapter 7 A New Breed of Governor, Woodes Rogers 65

Chapter 8 Sea Changes 70

Part 3 The Final Phase of the Golden Age

Introduction 80

Chapter 9 The Great Storm of 1715: Biographies of Jennings, Hornigold, Bellamy and England 83

Chapter 10 A Short Rope or a Long Drop: Biographies of Charles Vane, Stede Bonnet, William Fly and Olivier Levasseur 97

Chapter 11 John Rackham, with Biographies of Anne Bonny and Mary Read 110

Chapter 12 Killed in Action: Biographies of Edward Teach, Howell Davis and John ('Bartholomew') Roberts 120

Part 4 Piracy in Literature and Popular Culture

Chapter 13 Books, Ballads and Plays 132

Part 5 The Present Time

Chapter 14 Modern Day Treasure Hunting - The Lure of Buried Treasure 144

Epilogue: The Big 'What If?' 153

Appendix 1 156

Appendix 2 160

Bibliography 166

Accreditation for Images Used 168

Index 172