Captain Twill
Academic Fight Circle, Research, Share, Discuss & Debate Maritime History.
1,545 topics in this forum
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Are you interested in what really happened in the Golden Age of Piracy? Do you want to separate fact from fiction? Excellent! Welcome to Captain Twill! Like the main Forums page says, Captain Twill is for "Academic talk on maritime history, research, & interesting info". Does this mean fun is not allowed? Of course not. It does mean that we discuss things in an often rigorous academic way. Some people come into Captain Twill and get confused or upset at the differences. The tone of the discussions here can be very much different than the rest of the Pub. If you don't know about that, Captain Twill can be an upsetting place. So here's a FAQ to read,…
Last reply by Captain Tightpants, -
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Once again, in preparation for an even i ask for assistance....NO BUTT PASTE THIS TIME........... So sense im newer too the 17th century side of reenacting(thought admittedly the 17th is my FAVORITE fashion wise...except for that whole frilly restoration fluffy crap.......) So my friends, if you would be so kind as to lend me a few links to good sites and vendors.......of course ill look myself.....but i KNOW(....bagley.........) that some of you have beat me to it......i want a new hat...a tall one.......yup...........and a buff coat..........
Last reply by Bos'n Cross, -
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Well, coming across the above (dutch 17th century i believe.....no idea what is says...) image reminded me that i am in need of a sailmakers bench....and tools that accompany it.......does anyone have anything on sail bench ? i can find all the 19th century things in the world.....but not so much on 18th or 17th century..........
Last reply by landlubbersanonymous, -
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Here is an ironic side note in the history of the Wydah, Black Sam Bellamy's ship- When the Wydah wrecked on the reef, booty began washing up along the shoreline. The locals gathered it up, essentially, plundering the plunder of the plunderer!! One of my ancestors (cousin relationship) was a man named Samuel Doggett. He was hired by the 'rightful owners' of the booty bounty, to sail from Boston and recover the plundered plunder. Samuel sailed in his sloop to the site of the wreck, and went 'round the town, trying to find out whom had plundered what. But the locals weren't saying a peep about it. Finally Samuel gave up, returned to his sloop and sailed towards Boston, …
Last reply by GregF, -
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The 'corsair' was the term used for the privateers and pirates who operated in the Mediterranean. The most famous corsairs were those of the Barbary Coast of North Africa who were authorized by their governments to attack the shipping of Christian countries. http://www.cranespost.com/main.sc
Last reply by PyratesKeepe, -
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Not sure if this is the proper forum for this, so feel free to move if it belongs somewhere else... The Corsairs of St. Malo, a special about France's privateers (17th-18th centuries) and the sunken ships found off the coast of this port town, will air on the Science Channel's Science of the Deep series on September 24, 2004 (I do not have air times). There is a small write-up about the show and the excavation of the sunken vessels in the Sept/Oct 2004 issue of Archaeology magazine. Since a French team lead the expedition, the article warns that much of the documentary is dubbed, "and not very well, which is distracting". But it continues: "To its credit, "Corsairs" sh…
Last reply by Matty Bottles, -
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The term 'loblolly boy' refers to a surgeon's assistant, typically in training and therefore unpaid. It used to be used here in the early days quite a bit, probably because it appears in the Hornblower and Jack Aubrey novels. It got me to wondering if it was GAoP appropriate. The term both pre- and post-dates the GAoP. Every etymology source that mentions it on the web agrees that it was first used by the Royal Navy in 1597, but none of them give the source. I am guessing this comes from somewhere in the naval records. However, I failed to find it in any of the period sea-surgeon's, sea-physician's, naval or sailors books that I have, suggesting to me that it was not in c…
Last reply by Mission, -
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'Massive Funeral Complex' Unearthed By Miguel Angel Gutierrez , Reuters MEXICO CITY (Feb. 11) - Archeologists have found a mass grave in Mexico City with four dozen human skeletons laid out in neat lines that could reveal clues about the 16th century Spanish conquest that killed millions. Archaeologists in Mexico City announced Tuesday that they've found a "massive funeral complex" likely dating back to the 16th century. The grave, seen above, was unearthed in the capital's Tlatelolco area, which was once a political and religious center for the ancient Aztec elite. (Note: Please disable your pop-up blocker) The investigators found the 49 skeletons, all lying face …
Last reply by Salty, -
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I was reading the historical information that Kass sends with her breeches/slops pattern and was quite surprised (if I'm interpreting correctly) that there's no evidence during the GAoP for the loose open bottom slops (short or long) so many of us wear. Well, I don't wear them yet...that's why I bought the pattern, only to find out that it's either breeches or trousers, but not 'slops'. So are there hundreds of enthusiasts/reenactors running around in the wrong garmet, or is there some evidence that what we normally think of as slops existed in period?
Last reply by Commodore Swab, -
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I just wrapped up a book by Richard Leckie called "A Few Acres of Snow." It's a pretty entertaining read about the French and Indian Wars, and I just wondered if anyone here had an opinion of his accuracy. What I mean is, Mr, Leckie lets his personal politics inform the story, at some points quite obviously so. Thos are easy to point out. But what about some of the more subtle points of history? When he speaks with such disdain for William III, for example, how much is history and how much is Catholic bias? Has anyone else read this book, and if so, how does it compare to Vol. II of Francis Parkman's England and France in North America, which I am going to start ne…
Last reply by Matty Bottles, -
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Greetings, Am researching a sailing voyage that departed Salem, Mass., for India, circa 1790-1800. In his description of the journey, a crewman of this trade ship makes reference to what I assume must be an ancient maritime ritual or custom. The problem is, he veils his reference in euphemisms, leaving me unable to understand the nature of the tradition. Was it some kind of sailors' ritual that accompanied crossing the equator? Here is the passage in question, with the pertinent text italicized: Any insight will be much appreciated.
Last reply by MadMike, -
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"Ahoy/ Ahoi" as a sailor greeting between seafarers became unusual in present. In the past the exclamation was so current with European sailors that it´s used in in maritime songs and literature until today. Linguists suspect: The word derives from "Ho or Hoi" - a tone spread in the old Europe, with which shepperds urged their bulls/ cows/ oxens/ sheeps. Ahoi or Aho were used in order to wake the Crew if a foreign ship turned up or country came in view. In some German areas "Helau / Alaaf" is used as an Carnival-greeting. These words derive from "Ahoi". Why you can find these maritime word at carnival moves? The splendidly decorated "fool ship" represented the clima…
Last reply by Charity, -
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Did anyone watch the recent (just about an hour ago) showing of TRAFALGAR, on the History Channel's terrific new series "Battlefield Detectives"? On the whole, I loved it! Of course, you really had to suspend credulity to take seriously some points they were attempting to "prove", some 200 years after the fact: such as whether the French sniper who shot Admiral Nelson actually knew it was Nelson he was shooting at! Also, I loved watching them shoot the replica rigging wuth round, bar, and chain shot: but what was the purpose of affixing a piece of ugly blue duct tape to the chain? And why in Davy Jones' name did they wimp out and fire the cannon via remote control? "AAR…
Last reply by hitman, -
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Just been reading about a London pickpocket named Moll King, whose life bears a number of similarities to Moll Flanders' (That's Ned's wayward sister...). When she was committed to Newgate in 1719-20 awaiting transportation to the colonies one of her fellow prisoners was a woman named Sarah Wells, alias "Callico" Sarah. In late 1722 both women had returned from America, and both were captured again and put into Newgate together. In 1723 they were both transported again. Anyway...rambling on... What I'm really posting about is this: Moll King was originally sentenced to transportation because she had been sentenced to death but pleaded her belly. She was kept in prison un…
Last reply by Fox, -
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Greetings, I've received jpegs of a cannon which I believe to be a English minion from the early to mid 17th century. But would be grateful for "second opinions" I don't want to clog things up here, so email me off the forum for the pix corsair2k3@yahoo.com Many thanks in advance! The Corsair
Last reply by HarborMaster, -
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Can anyone help me out by listing the contents of John Robert Stephens' Captured by Pirates, and/or Jon E Lewis' Mammoth Book of Pirates? Thanks in advance
Last reply by Brit.Privateer, -
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Greetings, In the GHP, there's a chapter on a pirate named "Christopher Condent" In researching his activities from primary sources I've found corroboration for many of his activities as related in the GHP. But one thing I have not found corrorboration for is, oddly enough, his name. "Christopher Condent" appears to be used only in the GHP. In other sources the last name is given as Condon, Congden, Condell, etc. while his first name is given as William, John, or Edmond. Has anyone seen a primary source I might have missed where he is referred to as "Christopher Condent"? Thanks! The Corsair www.whydah.com
Last reply by blackjohn, -
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Anyone come across any actual examples of "crossed" writing from the late 17thc into the 18th century? or crossed letter writing
Last reply by jendobyns, -
All these pirate history books use the terms G_d D__m You! Y filth D_g as if they were foul language. How does one go about saying "dog"? it can't be the same as today's "yo, what up dawg"?
Last reply by roytheodd, -
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Just finished "Everyday Life in Early America" by David Freeman Hawke. Covered some interesting things I never new about colonial life. I never knew that the main farming technique was to cut a ring around a tree to kill it, thus the following year it will produce no leaves and create no canopy allowing light to reach the floor. Planting was then done around the dead tree. Little effort was made to remove the trees since the task was labor intensive and oxen a rare beast. The book also describes the labor that went into the creation of a saw mill and later a grist mill. Well written and an easy read.
Last reply by Jas. Hook, -
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capt. sterling, what kind of fabric constitutes "foul weather gear" fabric ?? a certain wool, oiled canvas, what was used ?? tia
Last reply by Swashbuckler 1700, -
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I just recently joined the crew here at the pub but I've started to work on some elements for my costume and back-story. So what I’ll do is lay out what I have in mind and let everyone take a stab at it. Let me know what would be accurate or not. So here it goes. My name is Robert Jack. I was born in 1684, Yorktown, Virginia. My father was a good man. Worked hard as wheelwright. He made a good living for my mother and me, for I was the only child they had been able to have. I was schooled but only for a short while. My father always wanted me to follow him and become wheelwright. I never could get over my love for the sea. Every chance I would steal. I could be fou…
Last reply by kass, -
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The 7,000-square-foot exhibit, which coincides with the International Year of Astronomy, also features a dazzling array of 16th- and 17th-century scientific instruments from the institute's collection. Scattered through the exhibits are also oil paintings of members of the Medici family, a powerful dynasty that was famous for its patronage of arts and science, including the work of Galileo. http://www.pennlive.com/entertainment/inde...ures_marve.html "Galileo, The Medici and the Age of Astronomy," through Sept. 7, Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St., Philadelphia. Hours: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Cost: $20.75 adult; $19.75 seniors, students, military; $14 ages 4-11. Info:…
Last reply by Silkie McDonough, -
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Interloper Slave ships were popular pirate vessels when they could get them, so I thought I'd start a topic about them and their behavior. This is really just to stick this quote somewhere so it's available to everyone. It's from Père Jean-Baptiste Labat's Memoires 1693-1705 (Translated from the original French by John Eaden, 1970): "There are English companies similar to the French African companies which enjoy the sole right of trading in slaves. But this does not stop other Englishmen going to Africa for this purpose, provided that their ship is able to defend herself from the __ companies' vessels, which they have the right to capture her as if she belonged to an e…
Last reply by Mission, -
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Greetings, Though not strictly related to matters of pirate scholarship, I will be grateful if the moderators would allow this to go through. As the result of an "event" over the weekend, the entire contents of the hard-drive to my computer--including my address book--is gone. For those on this forum with whom I correspond--I'm not ignoring you. I'm in damage mitigation mode and will be for some time. Regards, The Corsair "...a lesson to be learned..."
Last reply by JoshuaRed,