Real Pirates of The Carribean

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Real Pirates

The Real Pirates of the Carribean were not quite as clean and friendly as

Captain Jack Sparrow Jack and his motley crew in Pirates of the Caribbean are great fun (and there's lots to see about them too !) but the real pirates were even MORE exciting.. but then I'm biased ! You see my great,great,great,great,great,great grandfather was a Real Pirate (oops that should read BUCCANEER !) - Sir Henry Morgan - who later became the Assistant Governor of Jamaica -  and yes I do have some of his things ....

But more of Sir Henry Later I think... it was a dark and stormy night on the Carribean .... 



It was quite normal for even respectable merchants and sea captains to turn to being a Privateer or Pirate when it suited them.
Groups of businessmen would even join together during the Wars with Spain to finance their own Privateering ships specifically to raid the Spanish Treasure Ships.Dutch and French trading ships were also a valid target for the robbers of the sea.
The first necessity was a fast well armed ship and a bunch of lads who were not shy of fighting,
The Ship was easy - you just stole it at night and pained over the name...
The lads just hung around in filthy taverns looking for a job or someone they could rob.The Caribbean had two things going for it - it was full of ships carrying gold and lots of easy ladies..Strangely the two things seemd to go tgether well and as long as the Governor of the island was kept sweet all was well.

What is a Pirate ? 

the difference between a Pirate and a Privateer

It's a very fine line between Pirates and Buccaneers - in the 17th Century England was at War with lots of people ! The British Navy was fairly small (in relation to the number of fronts they were fighting wars on ... and there was all this GOLD coming out of PERU and Mexico on Spanish Ships - laden to the gunnels they was ... oh dear I mustn't keep dropping into the family tales (sorry about that).
Many a bright lad (and lass) decided there was gold on them far seas - well it beat the alternative of picking turnips or mining in Cornwal. So some joined the Navy and some were Shanghai'd (lured into an inn,fed rum and then woke up with a moving room with a very nasty quartermaster shouting at them. Many naval recruits deserted when they heard the tales of treasure to be taken. But the truth was just a weeny bit different. It took weeks or even months to actually get to the Caribbean and that would include just a few unadvertised bonuses - like scurvy,whipping for not doing things fast enough, really bad food (salted pork with maggots and water that had turned green in the barrel) and at the end of a happy day perched on top of the mast looking for ships to plunder, arms practice - where your shipmates tried very hard to kill you with short swords and pistols. Not exactly Club 18-30 .

Anyway, the Navy saw an opportunity here and messages were sent to the most adventurous and sucessful pirates offering them a reprieve and an opportunity to become civil servants (OK thats a slight exaggeration) attacking Spanish ,French and Dutch treasure ships on behalf of His Majesty's Government - in return for half the proceeds (give or take a bit ..)- the alternative being a fine view of the River Thames while hanging from a beam on Execution Dock. Many accepted and they became PRIVATEERS with letters of Marque (a sort of license to plunder and Pillage) and many became very friendly with Governors of several Caribbean Islands.(Who also got a cut !)

Pirates of the Caribbean Poster 

Walking The Plank 

A Hollywood fiction I'm afraid - I'm sure it MIGHT have happened but if truth be tols Pirates wouldn't be bothered to rig up a plank - it's so much easier just to throw them over the side ...
Sorry to spoil your illusions but that's what happened.
Pirates were a democratic if slightly shifty bunch and would not hesitate to turn in to the authorities anyone who upset them.
Captains were usually voted for rather than fought about and that made for a far easier chain of comand.
What all pirates wanted was PLUNDER and most of all gold and jewels. (Occasional nice looking ladies came second best at sea !)
Droit de Seigneur was quite normal for any lady captured and it was usual for any male not worth a ransom to be given the choice of signing up as a pirate or being thrown to the sharks.

Rough,Tough and full of Rum was the norm for all pirates.
Cabin Boys got quite nervous...

Pirates of The Caribbean 

Great Movies !

Pirates of the Caribbean Monopoly

Amazon Price: $26.48 (as of 12/08/2009)Buy Now
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If you like Pirate of the Caribbean you'll love the Monopoly Set - Lots of fun and much more interesting than houses !

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Blackbeard - a nasty piece of work they say ... 

Edward Teach or Edward ThatchSee this article from a biographer (c. 1680 ? November 22, 1718), better known as Blackbeard, was a notorious English pirate operating in the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic during the early 18th century, a period referred to as the Golden Age of Piracy. His best known vessel was the Queen Annes Revenge, which is believed to have run aground near Beaufort Inlet in the Inner Banks of North Carolina in 1718.Queen Annes Revenge Online

Blackbeard often fought, or simply showed himself, wearing a big feathered tricorn, and having multiple swords, knives, and pistols at his disposal. In A General Historie of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates, it was reported that, during battle, he wore lit matches woven into his enormous black beard to intimidate his enemies. Blackbeard is often regarded as the archetypal image of the seafaring pirate.

Captain Teach (Blackbeard) 

Jamaica - R&R Capital for The Caribbean 

Thanks to Wikipedia for some text on Port Royal....

This led to the superb R&R resort in Jamaica where Pirates could relax ,fight and spend their money in bars,gaming houses and houses of rather poor reputation (with some over friendly ladies).
This resort was Port Royal which sank into the sea houses and all after an earthquake
Port Royal was the centre of shipping commerce in Jamaica in the 17th century. During this time, it gained a reputation as both the "richest and wickedest city in the world". It was notorious for its gaudy displays of wealth and loose morals, and was a popular place for pirates and privateers to bring and spend their treasure. During the 17th century, the British actively encouraged and even paid buccaneers based at Port Royal to attack Spanish and French shipping.

An earthquake on June 7, 1692, largely destroyed Port Royal, causing two thirds of the city to sink into the Caribbean Sea such that today it is covered by a minimum of 25 ft (8 m) of water. Known today to 16th-18th-century focused archaeologists as the City that sank, it is considered the most important underwater archaeological site in the western hemisphere, yielding 16th-17th-century artifacts by the ton and many important treasures from indigenous peoples predating the 1588 founding from as far away as Guatemala. Pirates from around the world congregated at Port Royal coming from waters as far away as Madagascar on the far side of Africa. Several 17th and early 18th century pirate ships are sunk within the harbor and being carefully harvested under controlled conditions by different teams of archaeologists. Other "digs" are staked out along various quarters and streets by different teams.

Of course some of that privateer treasure belongs to ME ! Hmm a trip to Jamaica seems in order .....
(Well I said I'd be Back )

Pirate Map 

Pirate Gold and Silver 

This is what Pirates were really after - loot !
This picture is of Buccaneers attacking a ship from a longboat.
Gold,Silver.Emeralds - all coming from South America - shiploads of them !
It was fairly common for a Pirate Captain to turn his crew in to the authorities to get the reward (or vice versa !) Double-dealing was the name of the game and everyone had weapons on them at all times.
All the Pirates and Privateers needed cash to keep their crews happy and to invest in plantations and other businesses on the Caribbean Islands.
So the Pirate army that took Panama by storm set a huge ransom.
Merchant ships and Dutch or Spanish ships were fair game for all privateers (and on a dark night with a poor light ...maybe some others too !)
One of the prime requisites for a pirates lair was a constant supply of good water and this explains the location of many pirate strongholds.
It was partly ransom money that enabled Henry Morgan to become fairly respectable in Port Royal Jamaica where after purchasing plantations,he later died of drink and excessive personal activity (ok it was a social disease).
He was buried in the graveyard at Port Royal - which sank beneath the sea during the earthquake that destroyed Port Royal.
His two famous exploits were the sacking of Panama City (where he personally roasted the Mayor until he handed over the treasury and an unfortunate incident with the wife of a nobleman on board ship - who decided she preferred the company of Sir Henry to her husband.

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow ! 

You can buy this poster at Allposters

Pirate Videos 

Pirate Convention

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Talk Like a Pirate Day: The Five A's

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Pirates of the Caribbean - Music Video

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Pirates of the Caribbean - He's a pirate

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Black Beard's Treasure

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Captain Jack Sparrow's Pirate Tutorial - WDW Magic Kingdom

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Pirate News 

Oh yes they ARE still around but with AK47's mostly !

Pirates defend spending ways
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By AP PITTSBURGH (AP) ? For an eighth consecutive season, the Pittsburgh Pirates won't raise s...
Pirates talk with other clubs on Day 2
By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com INDIANAPOLIS -- On paper, the Pirates had another quiet day at the Win...

Pirate Photos 

Yo Ho Ho

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Hoisting the flag

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Pirate Ship

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Northern California Pirate Festival 2007

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Fencing @ Northern California Pirate Festival 2007

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Pirate DVDs on Amazon 

Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Amazon Price: $27.99 (as of 12/08/2009) Buy Now
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True Caribbean Pirates (History Channel)

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National Geographic: Blackbeard - Terror at Sea

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Real Pirates of the Caribbean

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The Great Ships - The Pirate Ships (History Channel)

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New Wikipedia 

Category: File - :Pirate Flag of Rack Rackham.svg|thumb|250px|The Jolly Roger flag popularly attributed to 18th century pirate Calico Jack Rackham

Category: File - :Drawing of Act I Finale.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Jolly Roger raised in an illustration for Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance.

Piracy is a war-like act committed by private parties (not affiliated with any government) that engaged in acts of robbery and/or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the actor (e.g. one passenger stealing from others on the same vessel). The term has been used to refer to raids across land borders by non-state actors. Piracy should be distinguished from privateering, which was a legitimate form of war-like activity by non-state actors, authorized by their national authorities, until this form of commerce raiding was outlawed in the 19th century.

Pirate Plexo 

Vote for your FAVOURITE Pirate (like we didn't know who ...)

Loads of Pirate related links

Pirates of the Caribbean - Jack Sparrow Goatee and Moustache Adult/Child

Pirates of the Caribbean - Jack Sparrow Goatee and Moustache Adult/Child

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Captain Jack Sparrow Costume

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Pirate Captain Hat

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Pirate Sword

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Pirates of the Caribbean Disney Captain Jack Sparrow Deluxe Child Costume

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Pirate Jolly Roger Scull and Cross Bones Web Belt - 54''

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Captain Jack Sparrow Deluxe Adult Costume

Captain Jack Sparrow Deluxe Adult Costume

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Pirate Patch and Earring

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Jack Sparrow Hat W Beaded Braids Child deluxe Costume - Pirate Costume

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*Captain Jack Sparrow Deluxe Pirate Child

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Ruby, the Pirate Beauty Adult

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Tricorn Buccaneer Costume Hat

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Fencing Sword

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Pirate Parrot

Pirate Parrot

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Davy Jone's One Eyed Jolly Roger Scurvy Pewter Pirate Belt Buckle

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Eyepatch Dlx Cloth Pirate

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Pirate Boot Cover

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Fleur de Lis Dress

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Scary Pirate Boy Costume

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Pirates of the Caribbean - Deluxe Davey Jones Mask

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Incredible Renaissance Wench Costume - Whether Tavern, Peasant or Renaissance Lady, you will be the Halloween Party Hit!

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Pirates of the Caribbean Captain Jack Sparrow Face Juniors T-Shirt

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Pirates of the Caribbean Captain Jack Sparrow's Ring

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ADULT New Buccaneer Pirate Costume Shirt (Shirt Only - COLOR IS NATURAL ONLY) - Great for Renaissance Themes Too!

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Pirate Skull Eyepatch

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Buccaneer Wig w/Bandana

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Deluxe Leather Look Brown Tricorn Adult Pirate Hat

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Pirate Bandana - Satin

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Buccaneer Costume - Truly a Great Pirate Costume - Weapon and Wig not included

Buccaneer Costume - Truly a Great Pirate Costume - Weapon and Wig not included

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Blackheart The Pirate

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Perceval Laces Boot

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Eye Patch, Satin W/Earring

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Black Pirate Sash Costume Accessory

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Lil' Pirate Girl Toddler Costume

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Adult Black Tricorn Buccaneer Pirate Hat

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Deluxe Pirate Cutlass

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*Captain Jack Standard Pirate Child

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Adult Pirate Wench Costume

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Ren Doublet

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Cavalier Cape

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Isolde Blue Ensemble

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Silk Chemise

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Womens Pirate Costume Boots

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Swashbuckler Hat

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DELUXE Plus Size Renaissance Man Costume - Peasant Costume

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Deluxe Cap'n Cutthroat

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Bloomers

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Captain Hook Costume - Great Kids Pirate Costume! (Weapons not inclcuded

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The Pirate Code 

Surprisingly, Pirates were very democratic

Henry Morgan on Amazon 

The Assistant Governor of Jamaica

The Sack of Panama: Captain Morgan and the Battle for the Caribbean

Amazon Price: (as of 12/08/2009) Buy Now

Terror of the Spanish Main: Sir Henry Morgan and His Buccaneers

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Admiral Sir Henry Morgan: King Of The Buccaneers

Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 12/08/2009) Buy Now

Henry Morgan (Pirates!)

Amazon Price: $20.57 (as of 12/08/2009) Buy Now

Pirates on eBay 

(no not Software Pirates - REAL Pirates ! )

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Sit ee by the fire milad and I'll tell ee about the pyrates 

Long,long ago (when methusala were a lad) my second mate Bruce and I decided to buy a junk and sail from Hong Kong to Australia stopping at all the islands between and sipping rum and having intellectual conversations with beautiful South Pacific women.
Then we discovered the awful secret ... there stil ARE pirates in the China Seas and beyond - and instead of cutlasses they have AK-47's .... hmmm we said - maybe we'll just go to Ibiza instead.
We did some research and hundreds of small craft are regularly boarded by modern day pirates and given the opportunity of not having to carry all thoses heavy jewels,gold and money things.
Or sometimes just getting shot and dumped over the side. Well shark riding is not my favourite entertainment so we dropped the whole idea.
Seriously though, Modern pirates do exist and often pretend to be fishermen - complete with weapons they have liberated from places like Vietnam and the islands around malaysia. It's so bad that some insurers won't insure even big ships going that way (although some rather dodgy shipping lines did take the opportunity to sink their more unseaworthy vessels in that area and then claim on the insurance - we wuz robbed by pirates guvnor !)

So if your idea is a leisurely cruise through the Indonesian Island then I'd think again if I were you... or get a bigger machine gun !
PS Did you like the tiny picture ? It's from an original print of Sir Henry Morgan
(That reminds me about that rum bottle label...)

Captain Kidd Burying Treasure 

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