LookingGlass

Raleigh-Durham.

PIRATE PARLEY on the Pamlico: Politics, Economics and Authenticity of Black Beard and Caribbean Pirates of 1718 For Immediate Release Contact: 252-948-0550 WASHINGTON, NC—The Blackbeard Adventure Alliance (BAA) of Beaufort County, NC, announces the inaugural "PIRATE PARLEY on the Pamlico," a one-day symposium and river cruise on Saturday, May 21, 2011, at Washington and Bath, North Carolina. An international panel of pirate scholars will present groundbreaking and startlingly different historical perspectives of Carolina and Caribbean pirates against the pop-culture backdrop of Hollywood's latest depiction of two of the world's best-known fictional and historical pirates—Jack Sparrow and Edward Teach. Featured among the PARLEY's provocative presentations will be titles such as: "Bloodthirsty Pirates or Hapless Marionettes?—How colonial North Carolina's wretched economic conditions, political discord and ministerial treachery may have contributed to the demise of the infamous pirate Black Beard and the Carolina Pirates;" and, "Pirate Myths and Realities—Exploring the origins of some of the most fascinating lies we have been told about pirates." The PIRATE PARLEY on the Pamlico begins on Saturday morning in the footsteps of Black Beard the pirate with a bus trip of 75 ticket holders departing Washington's waterfront followed by a walking tour of Bath led by ECU's Dr. Charles Ewen, author of X Marks the Spot—The Archaeology of Piracy. A noted scholar of colonial-era archaeology, Ewen will discuss discoveries of recent archaeological excavations and historical research and what has been learned about the size, sophistication and daily life of the town where Black Beard and his cohorts surrendered to authorities in the summer of 1718. The tour of Bath will be followed by a one-of-a-kind narrated and catered pirate cruise aboard the 85-foot-long Belle of Washington, departing the Bath town dock and passing important sites like the famed "secret tunnel" plantation of Gov. Eden and later, the pirate-cooper Edward Salter at Beasley Point, Blackbeard's purported residence at Plum Point and the plantation of suspected pirate patron Tobias Knight at Archbell Point. During this three-hour cruise up the Pamlico River, 75 passengers will be treated to lunch, refreshments and a cash bar while chatting with the PARLEY's presenters. At 3 p.m. near Washington's waterfront, symposium ticket holders will convene at the historic Turnage Theatre for two fascinating presentations. British historian E.T. Fox from Brixham, England, curator of the Sir Francis Drake-Golden Hind museum ship and author of The King of the Pirates—The Swashbuckling Career of Henry Every, will explain the historical realities of pirates and their differences from pop-culture depictions in film and literature. Kevin P. Duffus, noted North Carolina filmmaker, journalist, decoder of maritime mysteries, and author of The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate, will present a new, provocative program titled, "Bloodthirsty Pirates or Hapless Marionettes?" Following the afternoon sessions, attendees will be encouraged to dine at their downtown restaurant of choice from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. At 7 p.m. the doors of the Turnage will reopen for a presenter book signing and exhibit in the reception area of the theater titled: "Interpretations of Blackbeard In Fact, Fiction & Folklore," featuring books, movie posters and artwork depicting Beaufort County's infamous pirate captain. At 7:30 p.m., the PIRATE PARLEY on the Pamlico will resume with a spirited, free-wheeling roundtable discussion of pirates, Black Beard, archaeology, history, folklore and legends, featuring E.T. Fox, Charles Ewen, Kevin Duffus and questions from the audience. Tickets for the bus trip to Bath, tour and return to Washington by catered river cruise cost $75 per person. Tickets for the Parley sessions at the Turnage Theater are $20 per person. Members of recognized historical societies and genealogical organizations will be offered special seating; all other ticket holders will be seated on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Black Beard Adventure Alliance (BAA) office at 252-948-0550. Media inquiries should be directed to 919-845-9244. Additional information may be soon found at BAA's website: http://blackbeardsloopadventure.com/ Blackbeard Adventure Alliance (BAA), is a Beaufort County non-profit organization composed of sea loving history enthusiasts who desire to restore a piece of "pirate history" to North Carolina. BAA plans to build a replica of the Blackbeard sloop Adventure, and use it as an educational vessel, including the design and construction process. Through the PIRATE PARLEY, BAA hopes to remind the world that Bath in North Carolina's Beaufort County was Blackbeard's last homeport, his objective and ultimate destination following his two years as a "pirate of the Caribbean," and place of residence for most of his inner circle of pirates. --CAP--

As this seems to be the Foxe fan page, I thought I'd post this here. I'll also include it on the Raids, Boarding Parties, Pyrate Events Page. I hope many of you can attend! PIRATE PARLEY on the Pamlico: Politics, Economics and Authenticity of Black Beard and Caribbean Pirates of 1718 For Immediate Release Contact: 252-948-0550 WASHINGTON, NC—The Blackbeard Adventure Alliance (BAA) of Beaufort County, NC, announces the inaugural "PIRATE PARLEY on the Pamlico," a one-day symposium and river cruise on Saturday, May 21, 2011, at Washington and Bath, North Carolina. An international panel of pirate scholars will present groundbreaking and startlingly different historical perspectives of Carolina and Caribbean pirates against the pop-culture backdrop of Hollywood's newest depiction of two of the world's best-known fictional and historical pirates—Jack Sparrow and Edward Teach. Featured among the PARLEY's provocative presentations will be titles such as: "Bloodthirsty Pirates or Hapless Marionettes?—How colonial North Carolina's economic conditions, political discord and ministerial treachery may have contributed to the demise of the infamous pirate Black Beard and the Carolina Pirates;" and, "Pirate Myths and Realities—Exploring the origins of some of the most fascinating lies we have been told about pirates." The PIRATE PARLEY on the Pamlico begins on Saturday morning in the footsteps of Black Beard the pirate with a bus trip of 75 ticket holders departing Washington's waterfront followed by a walking tour of Bath led by ECU's Dr. Charles Ewen, author of X Marks the Spot—The Archaeology of Piracy. A noted scholar of colonial-era archaeology, Ewen will discuss discoveries of recent archaeological excavations and historical research and what has been learned about the size, sophistication and daily life of the town where Black Beard and his cohorts surrendered to authorities in the summer of 1718. The tour of Bath will be followed by a one-of-a-kind narrated and catered pirate cruise aboard the 85-foot-long Belle of Washington, departing the Bath town dock and passing important sites like the famed "secret tunnel" plantation of Gov. Eden and later, the pirate-cooper Edward Salter at Beasley Point, Blackbeard's purported residence at Plum Point and the plantation of suspected pirate patron Tobias Knight at Archbell Point. During this three-hour cruise up the Pamlico River, 75 passengers will be treated to lunch, refreshments and a cash bar while chatting with the PARLEY's presenters. At 3 p.m. near Washington's waterfront, symposium ticket holders will convene at the historic Turnage Theatre for two fascinating presentations. British historian E.T. Fox from Brixham, England, curator of the Sir Francis Drake-Golden Hind museum ship and author of The King of the Pirates—The Swashbuckling Career of Henry Every, will explain the historical realities of pirates and their differences from pop-culture depictions in film and literature. Kevin P. Duffus, noted North Carolina filmmaker, journalist, decoder of maritime mysteries, and author of The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate, will present a new, provocative program titled, "Bloodthirsty Pirates or Hapless Marionettes?" Following the afternoon sessions, attendees will be encouraged to dine at their downtown restaurant of choice from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. At 7 p.m. the doors of the Turnage will reopen for a presenter book signing and exhibit in the reception area of the theater titled: "Interpretations of Blackbeard In Fact, Fiction & Folklore," featuring books, movie posters and artwork depicting Beaufort County's infamous pirate captain. At 7:30 p.m., the PIRATE PARLEY on the Pamlico will resume with a spirited, free-wheeling roundtable discussion of pirates, Black Beard, archaeology, history, folklore and legends, featuring E.T. Fox, Charles Ewen, Kevin Duffus and questions from the audience. Tickets for the bus trip to Bath, tour and return to Washington by catered river cruise cost $75 per person. Tickets for the Parley sessions at the Turnage Theater are $20 per person. Members of recognized historical societies and genealogical organizations will be offered special seating; all other ticket holders will be seated on a first-come, first-serve basis. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Black Beard Adventure Alliance (BAA) office at 252-948-0550. Media inquiries should be directed to 919-845-9244. Additional information may be soon found at BAA's website: http://blackbeardsloopadventure.com/ Blackbeard Adventure Alliance (BAA), is a Beaufort County non-profit organization composed of sea loving history enthusiasts who desire to restore a piece of "pirate history" to North Carolina. BAA plans to build a replica of the Blackbeard sloop Adventure, and use it as an educational vessel, including the design and construction process. Through the PIRATE PARLEY, BAA hopes to remind the world that Bath in North Carolina's Beaufort County was Blackbeard's last homeport, his objective and ultimate destination following his two years as a "pirate of the Caribbean," and place of residence for most of his inner circle of pirates. --CAP--

Not a primary source, but perhaps what you're looking for. http://www.ushistory...street_dock.htm Dock Street From the Evening Bulletin, January 27, 1919 BY PENN (WILLIAM PERRINE). "In the early days of the city, when Captain Kidd and other freebooters in the West Indies and along the American coast were well known, it was not uncommon for those of them who were not under the ban of the law to make their appearance on the river-front when seeking diversion. King Street, which afterward became Water Street, and the vicinity of Dock Street, were full of hospitable taverns and coffee houses for seafaring men. It was said that one of the most famous of pirates, the enterprising and fearless Teach, known everywhere as "Blackbeard' and not yet forgotten as such, was at times a familiar figure in these resorts, and, therefore almost undoubtedly he was also a denizen of the Blue Anchor."

I wish to thank the much respected Ed Fox for the time he invested in reading my book and writing his thoughtful critique. I also very much appreciate what has become a rare opportunity to participate in an open, polite and honest discussion of the merits of my research and the relative truths of the history of Edward Thatch, aka Blackbeard. (I prefer “Black Beard” as the historian/Congressman Hugh Williamson wrote it in 1812, or even “Black-beard” as printed in the 2nd edition of Johnson’s GHP, but here I will yield to the preferred modern usage.) There are some lesser issues warranting my attention which Fox has raised which I will address later, such as my “bemoaning” how folklore has claimed “spurious connections” to Blackbeard at various places up and down America’s eastern seaboard, while I, at the same time, accept the “grain of truth” of local, North Carolina legends. To conserve time--mine and yours--this topic and others I will discuss in a subsequent post. I would like to limit this post to what I feel is the most consequential revelation in my book and the information which led me to an important contradiction of established history: the fate and identity of Blackbeard’s crew members who were arrested either at Ocracoke or Bath. If Fox didn’t find my arguments entirely convincing, then I must have been ineffectual in presenting them my book. Let’s see if I can do a better job of it here. Fox: “To my knowledge there is no empirical evidence that the trial of all the survivors took place in March 1719, nor that all of the convicted were hanged.” True, there are no extant records of the trial(s) of Thatch’s crew. There are only references to the proceedings in the letters of Lt. Gov. Alexander Spotswood and the minutes of the Colonial Council of NC. However, the absence of records did not stop previous authors (Lee, Konstam & Woodard) of writing emphatically that the trial of all of the crew occurred on 12 March 1718/19. This is despite the fact that Spotswood had already written to Lord Cartwright a month earlier (14 February 1718/19) that the “prisoners have been brought hither and Tryed, and it plainly appears that the Ship they brought into Carolina was, after the date of his Majesty’s pardon.” Spotswood’s statement that a trial had already taken place (prior to 14 Feb.) can be inferred to be in reference to the Caucasian members of the crew because on the day prior to the March 12th trial Spotswood called a special meeting of his council to specifically address the status of the five African crew members (Stiles, Blake, White, Gates and Caesar), whether or not they should be treated as free men. In the absence of empirical evidence, our knowledge of what transpired at the Virginia pirate trials has been at the mercy of Charles Johnson and his adherents. Johnson wrote that all of the surviving crew members with the exception of Samuel Odell (acquitted) and Israel Hands (pardoned) were hanged. This is what most everyone has accepted and believed for 286 years. This is the story, unfortunately, taught in many NC schools by hardworking, well-meaning teachers. But that doesn’t make the history correct. Contrary to Johnson’s GHP, Hugh Williamson wrote in his History of North Carolina published in 1812 that only four pirates were executed in Virginia. The same figure was used by Rev. Dr. Shirley Carter Hughson in his 1894 publication “The Carolina Pirates and Colonial Commerce 1670-1740.” Regrettably, neither Williamson nor Hughson shared with their readers the source for stating only four pirates were hanged. Obviously it didn’t come from Johnson’s GHP. Their source was likely the NC Colonial Records. In the testimony of Tobias Knight presented at a meeting of the NC Council on May 27, 1719, Knight confirms that four “Negro Slaves” from Blackbeard’s sloop had been condemned and executed in VA. (Note that four were executed--Stiles, Blake, White, and Gates--while five African “pirates” had been presented for trial on 12 March 1718/19. This would suggest to me that Caesar was pardoned.) In 2003, Maryland genealogists Allen Norris, Jane Bailey and Bath’s John Oden discovered that at least three of the names of those “hanged” in Johnson’s GHP--John Martin, James Robbins and Edward Salter--later appeared in the deeds and other records of Bath County. There are also living descendants of the “hanged” Joseph Brooks, Jr., who claim their ancestor survived his execution. A slave named Caesar appears in the will of Tobias Knight in 1719. Also, the surnames of crew members Philips, Daniel, Miller, Curtice and Jackson match identifiable families of Bath County. Even boatswain Garrat Gibbons’ surname appears in a 1720 Bath County document in which Charleston merchant William Gibbon was involved in a Bath-based privateering enterprise. Additionally, we know that William Howard, former quartermaster of the Queen Anne’s Revenge and who later purchased the entire island of Ocracoke, was almost certainly the son of Bath County landowner Philip Howard and likely grandson of former indentured servant William Howard who arrived in the colonies in1663. Another crew member who is believed to have survived his execution was the cooper Edward Salter, who over the succeeding 15 years became a prominent figure in NC’s General Assembly and one of the benefactors of the colony’s first church building. Unlike the others, however, Salter--who was forced aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge from the sloop Margaret on Dec. 5, 1717 near Puerto Rico--does not seem to have had previous ties to the Bath area. (The subject of Salter including his remarkable rise post-piracy and “execution,” the disinterment of his skeletal remains by the State of NC in 1986 and his reinterment in Oct. 2010, has been presented elsewhere within Capt. Twill.) Are not these curious coincidences worthy of more consideration and study? The fate of the surviving members of Thatch’s crew is fundamentally one of the more important underpinnings to the newly emerging theory of Thatch’s identity and origins. Essentially, the premise is this: a significant percentage of Thatch’s men on the eve of the Battle of Ocracoke Inlet were sons of Bath County, NC, landowners whose names appear in the deed books in the years prior to, and, in some instances, following their deaths. This possibility is also supported by North Carolina Gov. Charles Eden’s legal advisor, Col. Thomas Pollock, who wrote that Virginia had no right to indict the pirates captured in NC because “the persons being inhabitants of this government ought to be tried here.” I find it difficult to accept that the pirates’ status as “inhabitants” of North Carolina could have been established in 1718 when they were in the colony for fewer than 80 days and whose residence during most of that time was the sloop Adventure. The implications are important for two, heretofore unanswered questions: how could some of these men have survived their so-called hangings in Virginia; and why would Capt. Thatch have been surrounded by such a significant percentage of men relative to his final crew of 25+/- from the Pamlico River region of North Carolina? Fox writes: “Alas, not one single shred of evidence connecting the two sets of people is presented.” That’s not entirely true. Although, I am not sure what sort of evidence, shred or otherwise, might be available to researchers to connect the two sets of people presented--a lost Bible, perhaps, inscribed as having been once owned by John Martin the pirate? These men and their families did not proudly tout their past connections to piracy, at least in writing which has survived the ages. However, there is the tiniest thread of evidence--folklore’s “grain of truth,” if you will--that suggests that Edward Salter, cooper, merchant, assemblyman, and patron of St. Thomas Church of Bath, was the same man as Edward Salter, cooper of the Queen Anne’s Revenge and convicted pirate purportedly hanged according to Johnson’s GHP. A history of Pitt County published in 1911, claimed that Edward Salter’s granddaughter, Susannah Salter White, who died in 1803, had a connection to Blackbeard and his pirates. Sometimes only the tiniest grain of truth is left to be found by the diligent historian, and weighed, against the enormity of established history. Sometimes, that’s all we get. I’ve heard from skeptics before who have said that the repetition of names means nothing, that there could have been two unrelated sets of men of the same names serving on Blackbeard’s crew and also living in Bath at the same time. If true, that coincidence must have made for an interesting discussion in the parlors and tippling rooms of Bath in 1718! Five of the pirate names provide exact matches: John Martin, James Robbins, Edward Salter, Joseph Brooks, Jr. and William Howard. Seven of the pirate names either match prominent family surnames of Bath County or can be found in Beaufort County Deed Book One (Bath County ca. 1718): Philips, Daniel, Miller, Curtice, Jackson, Gibbons and Caesar. I am not a statistician but I would imagine that the odds are rather great against the probability of so many matches. Fox writes: “I’d like to know the rough population of Bath County at the time, and compare it with other communities of the same size to see whether such a correlation is exceptional statistically.” I have quickly but unsuccessfully tried to locate an accurate population figure for Bath County for 1718. According to historian Wingate Reed, the population of Beaufort County (formerly Bath County) in 1755 was 4,460. Another, admittedly, unscientific way to assess the statistical probabilities for the occurrences of certain names in the mid-Atlantic colonies is to search the quit rent rolls. For example, after painstakingly reviewing nearly 2,000 names listed on the quit rent rolls of Virginia counties for 1704-1705, I could find only ten instances when names matched the names of men associated with Thatch: John Martin, Prince George Co. John Philips, Surrey County Thomas Miller, Norfolk County Wm. Howard, York County John Martin, New Kent County John Martin, King and Queen County Wm Howard, Glocester County Petso Parish Joseph Brooks, Glocester County Kingston Parish John Martin, Glocester County Kingston Parish John Martin, Essex County Foxe’s objection, based on logic as he says, to my assertion that a majority of Thatch’s crew were pardoned comes from the fact that the treasury paid to Capt. Gordon and Capt. Brand, and their men, a reward of £710 for those pirates killed at Ocracoke or convicted at Williamsburg (my source for this information came from PRO-T 52/32, “King’s warrant for payment of 710 British pounds to Captain George Gordon and others...” dated 19 Sep. 1722). Fox argues that pirates pardoned under the Royal Proclamation “did not have to stand trial,” and, “Since such pardons were only extended to those who voluntarily surrendered themselves, and Blackbeard's men are all described as having been 'taken', it seems further unlikely that they were lucky enough to receive the King’s mercy.” However, the 9 suspected pirates who survived the Battle of Ocracoke and the 6 suspected pirates found ashore at Bath (some 40 miles away) were all arrested on or about Nov. 22, 1718. The proclamation which enacted the King’s extension of the pardon did not arrive in Virginia until one month later. Therefore, Blackbeard’s men had been ‘taken’ before the applicable document was in play. Also, it’s impossible for us to know if Spotswood followed such rules as Fox suggests, that pardoned pirates did not have to stand trial. What if Spotswood had Thatch’s surviving crew tried before they were informed of the availability of the extension of the first pardon? As I proposed in my book, the “trial,” and the depositions taken from the accused pirates, could have merely been a way for Spotswood to extract incriminating evidence against North Carolina’s proprietary government, which Spotswood seemed keen to do. We know that Spotswood received notice of the extension of the King’s pardon prior to 22 December 1718 based on the journal of Spotswood’s Council which met on the 11th of March 1718/19: “it is easie to be proved that the [proclamation] did not arrive till upwards of a Month after these pirates were taken...” This is the proclamation that saved William Howard’s life, arriving on the eve of his scheduled execution. In fact, because William Howard had been arrested, convicted, condemned to hang, yet was fortunate enough to be pardoned, this should be sufficient reason to nullify Fox’s statement: “Since such pardons were only extended to those who voluntarily surrendered themselves...” Howard did not voluntarily surrender himself. As for the status and disposition of the other pirates jailed at Williamsburg, we have only fragments of information to guide us. In his letter to Sec. James Craggs dated 26 May 1719, Spotswood referred to pirates who had “either surrendered or been pardoned,” specifically mentioning that “14 or 15” had surrendered. He goes on to write that “of Seven that have rec’d their pardons, only one has paid the Attorney-Gen’l the common fee he receives for making out the like pardons.” Charles Johnson’s GHP lists 15 men who were brought to Williamsburg for trial, including Samuel Odell and James Robbins. The King’s Warrant lists 13 names of convicted pirates for whom the Treasury paid rewards, excluding the names Samuel Odell and James Robbins (who would seem to have successfully proved that they were not part of Blackbeard’s crew). My review of the logbooks of the HMS Lyme and HMS Pearl anchored in the James River revealed that on 28 January 1718/19 “2 condemned pyrats [were taken] ashore to Hampton to be executed, which about 1/2 past 11 was done accordingly.” Finally, we know from NC’s Colonial Records that 4 “Negro” pirates of Blackbeard’s crew were executed after 12 March 1718/19. The numbers add up, whether the evidence is circumstantial or not: 6 pirates executed, 7 pirates pardoned (including Caesar), 2 suspected pirates (Robbins and Odell) acquitted, equals 15 men who had been arrested and jailed at Williamsburg. All of which contradicts Johnson, Lee, Konstam, Woodard, et. al. Why were 6 men hanged while 7 were pardoned? Again, there is no empirical evidence, only powers of our intuition and what ought to serve as the best explanation for a historical statement. My best explanation is that the 6 suspected pirates arrested at Bath had not participated in the Battle of Ocracoke and hence had not borne arms against the King’s men. The 7th to receive a pardon, Caesar, was probably determined to have been the property of Tobias Knight (his name was listed in Knight’s estate inventory 6 months later). Why were any of these men eligible to receive the extension of the King’s pardon? In my book, I presented a word-for-word comparison of the two pardons issued by the King in 1717 and 1718, the initial pardon and the extension. I contend that previous historians have failed to notice the critical distinction between the two proclamations. Unlike the first pardon, the second proclamation did not specify a deadline after which piracies would not be forgiven, but instead allowed forgiveness for all acts of piracy committed up to, and until, the pirate learned of the availability of the pardon, as long as the petitioner surrendered before the first of July 1719. Pardon issued on 5 Sep. 1717: “...we do hereby promise, and declare, that in Case any of the said Pyrates, shall on, or before, the 5th of September, in the Year of our Lord 1718, surrender him or themselves, to one of our Principal Secretaries of State in Great Britain or Ireland, or to any Governor or Deputy Governor of any of our Plantations beyond the Seas; every such Pyrate and Pyrates so surrendering him, or themselves, as aforesaid, shall have our gracious Pardon, of, and for such, his or their Pyracy, or Pyracies, by him or them committed, before the fifth of January next ensuing [January 1718].” Pardon arriving at James River VA on or about 21 Dec. 1718: “We do hereby Promise and Declare, That in case any the said Pirates shall, on or before the First Day of July, in the Year of Our Lord One thousand seven hundred and nineteen, Surrender him or themselves to One of Our Principal Secretaries of State in Great Britain or Ireland, or to any Governors or Deputy-Governors of any of Our Plantations or dominions beyond the Seas, every such Pirate and Pirates, so Surrendering him or themselves, as aforesaid, shall have Our Gracious Pardon of and for such his or their Piracy or Piracies, by him or them Committed before such time as they shall have received Notice of this Our Royal Proclamation.” More to come in a subsequent post. Kevin Duffus The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate

"Did the name 'Blackbeard' ever appear before The General History of the Pirates?" Yes, the name "Blackbeard" was featured in the letters of Gov. Robert Johnson of SC (Charleston, June 18, 1718), Capt. Ellis Brand (James River, VA, Feb. 6, 1718/19), and Capt. Gordon (London, Sep. 14, 1721). I am writing a detailed response to Foxe's review which will post later this week. Kevin Duffus author, The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate

Call me during business hours EDT, M-F, at 800-647-3536 to order one and I'll sign it for you. The 2nd printing of the hardcover is nearly gone. Softcover is coming soon. Kevin

Yeah, the problem sometimes with media reviews is that they rarely read the book. The captions says that I claim that Black Beard was born in North Carolina. Never have I made that statement. Although, I believe that Bristol is an even less likely birthplace. Kevin Duffus

Oddly though, it seems to be one of those ridiculous arguments that never goes away. Why is it a ridiculous argument? I believe that the question of the variations of the spelling and pronunciations of Teach/Thatch have been insufficiently explored by historians. Too much of the Blackbeard story, especially derived from Johnson and his faithful, has been unchallenged or accepted on face value.

Captscurvy, you may be referring to Edward Moseley's 1733 map of NC, which has sailing instructions for entering Ocracoke Inlet and refers to "Thatch's Hole," the anchorage near the old watering place now known as Springer's Point.

Are we playing a game of "gotcha?" Yes, of course you are correct. I was in error to write "never." In his letter of June 18, 1718 to the Council for Trade and Plantations SC Gov. Robert Johnson refers to him as "Teach." So does Maynard in his letter to Lt. Symonds (although I've not looked at the original spelling from that source). However, the great majority of the times the name was spelled in the original documents of Capt. Brand, Capt. Gordon, Lt. Gov. Spotswood, the minutes of the Governor's Council in NC, the depositions of the Virginia trials forwarded to North Carolina, and in Col. Thomas Pollock's correspondence to Gov. Eden, the named was spelled alternatively as Thatch, Tach, Thach etc. Of course, many of these documents were likely dictated to a clerk. In fact, within one of Spotswood's letters the name was spelled four different ways, but not once as "Teach." Discussions I have had with well-respected linguists here in NC have supported my hypothesis that in 1718, the spellings of "Thatch" and "Teach" would have been pronounced somewhat similarly.

Or, just possibly, Thatch (the most commonly spelled form of his name in the letters of Capt. Brand, Capt. Gordon and Lt. Maynard--never was it "Teach," although the two spellings may have been pronounced similarly) may have had other reasons to exhibit paternalistic tendencies toward Bonnet. An alternate hypothesis based on compelling evidence, albeit circumstantial, suggests that there had been a connection between Thatch's family and Stede Bonnet's uncle on Barbados, Thomas Bonnet, Jr., who died in 1678. Furthermore, there seems to be a high incidence of surnames of men on the King's warrant for pirates captured or killed with Thatch which appear in the early records of Barbados. Purely coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. As for whether Thatch would have simply killed Bonnet rather than accommodate Bonnet's ineptitude and eccentricities, it would have been a rather uncharacteristic and risky method of dispatching him. There are examples of one pirate captain taking another's vessel and sending the weaker captain and his comrades skulking away in a small boat. Jennings treated Hornigold in just such a manner. Kevin DuffusThe Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate

Just for fun, you might enjoy reading this: "Hunting ghosts on Springer’s Point at Ocracoke" here- http://www.islandfreepress.org/Archives/2007.10.24-HuntingGhosts.html

Washington Daily News (NC) Salter hearing set for end of month Sermons to preside over case By BETTY MITCHELL GRAY Staff Writer Published: Saturday, November 7, 2009 2:19 AM EST Beaufort County’s newest Superior Court judge is scheduled to play a role this month in deciding the future resting place of the remains of a man believed to have been a member of Blackbeard’s pirate crew. A hearing has been scheduled for Monday, Nov. 30, in Beaufort County Superior Court before Superior Court Judge Wayland J. Sermons Jr. to determine whether the estate of Edward Salter, who has been dead for more than 250 years, should be opened and a Raleigh researcher be appointed executor of the estate. In addition to being Beaufort County’s newest judge, Sermons owns a home in Bath, also believed to be the home of the man whose estate will be before the court. And until his appointment to the bench, Sermons served as the attorney for the Town of Bath. The hearing was scheduled after Waxhaw lawyer J. Erik Groves appealed the May ruling by Beaufort County Clerk of Court Marty Paramore denying the request to reopen Salter’s estate and appoint Raleigh researcher and author Kevin P. Duffus its executor. Groves and Assistant Attorney General Karen A. Blum, representing the state in the dispute, refused to comment on the case. According to court documents, Duffus wants to be Salter’s executor, in part, so that genetic testing can be done by East Carolina University on the skeletal remains, which are currently housed by the Office of State Archaeology in Raleigh and which he believes to be those of Salter. Duffus believes that this same Edward Salter, a barrel maker who died in 1735, may have been a member of Blackbeard’s pirate crew who escaped the noose and returned to settle in Bath. Salter went on to become a warden of St. Thomas Parish and an assemblyman representing Beaufort County in 1731. The bones of the man Duffus believes to be Salter ended up in Raleigh after what was then TexasGulf asked for permission to install a bulkhead on the west bank of Bath Creek. Archeological examinations before the work was done yielded the remains. A later forensic examination by researchers at Wake Forest University showed that the individual was right handed, with “the right ulna being more robust than the left.” The skeleton was that of a man who had “significant and pronounced strength in the arms and upper body rather than the legs,” according to court filings. Duffus has speculated that these findings are consistent with those of a man who had worked as a barrel maker. In its filings, the state opposes Duffus’ petition, saying it has a duty to conserve the remains permanently. Lawyers for the state argue that Duffus’ “mere speculation” about the identity of the bones is not sufficient to reopen Salter’s estate and that, if the bones prove not to be those of Salter, the state would have no means of regaining custody of them and would lose a valuable archeological asset. The state also maintains that the Unmarked Human Burial and Human Skeletal Remains Protection Act gives the state archeologist purview over the bones and that they should be “permanently curated according to standard museum procedures after adequate skeletal analysis.” In May, a hearing was held before Paramore to consider a motion to reopen Salter’s estate and name Duffus executor of the estate. Two of Salter’s descendants came from Missouri for the hearing to back Duffus’ motion but the petition was later denied. In October, the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution asking for genetic testing of the skeletal remains and, if the tests determine the remains are those of Salter, the resolution seeks “the prompt and respectful return” of the remains from the N.C. Office of State Archeology to Beaufort County so they can be buried in the St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Bath. The Washington City Council is set to adopt a similar resolution at its meeting Monday night.

I'll tell you why they were still lingering at 35 North in late-November (early-December on modern calendar): they were awaiting the arrival of the King's extension to his act of mercy. Having it in hand would have made things much safer for them. But alas...

2nd Annual Blackbeard Pirate Memorial To Be Observed at Ocracoke, NC, on November 22, 2009 Pirates Return to Ocracoke 291 Years After the Death of Blackbeard to Remember Their Fallen Brethren For only the 2nd time in 291 years, the historically significant "Battle of Ocracoke" and the death of the notorious pirate Blackbeard will be memorialized on Ocracoke Island at 2 p.m. on Sunday, November 22, 2009. The observance will be conducted on a soundside sandy beach adjacent to Ocracoke's Springer's Point, near the location of the 1718 engagement at Teaches Hole Channel. Pirate living-history reenactors, dressed in period attire replete with cutlasses, flintlock pistols and cannon, will assemble at the site for a 45-minute ceremony featuring an elegy, period music, a specially-composed pirate chanty, the floating of a wreath and military-like honors for the 23 pirates and King's sailors who were killed in the battle. The annual event was created in 2008 by members of Blackbeard's Crew and by Kevin Duffus, a Raleigh, North Carolina, historian and author of the book, The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate. Among the many new theories presented in his book, Duffus believes that the 23 bodies belonging to Blackbeard and the others killed at Ocracoke in 1718 were buried in a mass grave near where the 2009 memorial event will be held. The sponsors expect the ceremony to grow in popularity much like Ocracoke's British War Graves memorial which is held each year in May. The public and media are welcome to observe the Blackbeard Pirate Memorial. A solemn one-mile procession to the event site will begin at 1:30 p.m. from the event's accommodations headquarters at Blackbeard's Lodge in Ocracoke village at 111 Back Rd. Those attending are encouraged to gather at 1 p.m. at Blackbeard's Lodge. Last minute information and contingency plans, if necessary, will be announced at that time. There is no public parking near the ceremony site but some limited shuttle service may be available. Non-pirates are encouraged to ride bicycles. On November 22, 1718, two hired merchant sloops manned by 60 Royal Navy sailors from Virginia engaged the notorious pirate Edward Thatch, aka Blackbeard and his 20 shipmates near Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina. Following a brief gun battle and hand-to-hand combat lasting fewer than six minutes, 12 pirates were killed including Blackbeard, and nine men were captured. Eleven of the King's men were killed. Two hundred ninety-one years later, pirates are returning to North Carolina to remember their fallen brethren. In 2008, after completing years of research, Kevin Duffus published The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate, a detailed examination of the famous seafaring rogue's final six months in North Carolina. The controversial book presents stunning contradictions to traditional historical accounts about Black Beard's (also known as Blackbeard) origins, his travels and motivations as a pirate, his death, and the identity and fate of his most trusted crew members. ----So, now ye be forewarned!----

Nor mine.

I apologize that we've gone off topic. But I must clarify this notion that Maynard's "twenty men were killed or wounded during boarding." Maynard's use of the term boarding in this instance seems to suggest he meant "come up alongside," which is what he was doing when the Adventure fired swivel guns and small arms loaded with swan shot, spick nails and pieces of old iron, killing 6 of his men and wounding 10. Maynard and his men on the Jane sloop did not set foot on deck of the Adventure until after Black Beard "enter'd" the Jane. Maynard may have tried to spin the story to make himself appear more heroic because in Capt. Gordon's letter of 14 Sep. 1721, which I have transcribed in London, Gordon clarified Maynard's claims writing, "there being no such thing given out there of his boarding Thatch sword in hand; as he is pleased to tell." As far as the number of wounds being an indication of ferocity, they may have been counting blows as wounds. Survivor Samuel Odell, who was later acquitted, was said to have received 70 wounds.

It was a one sided affair in terms of who lived and who died. The point is that all of the pirates, including Black Beard, who boarded the sloop Jane from the Adventure were killed, while none of Maynard's men in the hand-to-hand phase of the engagement were killed. All of Maynard's losses were the result of the initial broadside from the Adventure, small arms, and one by friendly fire. You can argue that Maynard had superior numbers in the hand-to-hand engagement (initially only two), but it is my contention that the popular conception that Black Beard was a fearsome killer is far-fetched.

The purported shooting of Israel Hands in the knee by Black Beard is a legend that only appears in Johnson’s GHP, and not in any of the official records. Despite the countless times the story had been retold, historians and writers have failed to consider the plausibility of Johnson’s account. In his version, Johnson claims that Black Beard wounded Hands while the captain was “in one of his savage Humours.” According to Johnson, when Black Beard was asked why he had shot Israel Hands, he answered “by damning them, that if he did not now and then kill one of them, they would forget who he was.” The story rings only partially true and probably originated from Hands himself. It seems unlikely that Black Beard made the statement about now and then killing one of his men. There is not a single documented instance of Black Beard personally killing anyone until he fought in self-defense against Lt. Maynard’s assault on November 22, 1718—and even then there is no certainty. I doubt that he would have remained a captain, or even a member of the Adventure’s company, if he started shooting his crew mates for fun, even if he was the notorious Black Beard. Johnson’s reason for Black Beard maiming Hands simply doesn’t make any sense. Some of the details of the story may be true—there was probably drinking involved, a pair of pistols under a table, an extinguished candle. But maybe what happened was that Black Beard wanted only to frighten Israel Hands. He fired a pistol beneath the table loaded with only a gunpowder cartridge, and no shot. Otherwise, had Hands been shot in the knee with even just “bird shot” at point-blank range, he would not have been merely maimed—his leg most likely would have been severed from his body and he would have quickly bled to death, which records suggest did not happen. The only logical reason I can accept for why Black Beard shot Israel Hands in the knee is because his sailing master must have been attempting to subvert his captain’s authority. It can be deduced that this event took place toward the end of October and after the big banyan on Ocracoke with Vane and his quartermaster, Calico Jack Rackham. Within less than a month after the incident between Black Beard and Hands, Rackham deposed Charles Vane off the coast of Hispaniola. Israel Hands was not so successful, at least not in the short term. As for Black Beard’s fierceness or fighting ability, I offer two well-documented examples. On the night of Sep. 14, 1718, Black Beard (aka Thache) got into a tussle with a local planter in a periauger just before dawn. When the planter “laid hold of the said Thache and struggled with him” the pirate captain called for assistance from his four African oarsmen. Secondly, when Black Beard and nine of his crew boarded Lt. Maynard’s sloop at Ocracoke, a nearly equal number of the King’s men “kill’d every one of them that enter’d without the loss of one man on their side.” For all of their bluster and fearsome reputation, Black Beard and his men would seem to have been paper tigers. Kevin Duffus author, The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate

No apology needed. HatchetMeg's rum cakes are indeed the best. I will do whatever I can to help her succeed, and the Luna project as well.

I've got some doubloons coming your way from the sale of my books, Dutch. Maybe enough for a second case of screws!

I can confirm with complete certainty that in regard to Edward Salter, Elizabeth Harvey and Edward Salter II, the CLDS is in error. The records of NC, including Edward Salter's will (the original I have seen and photographed), are quite clear. I don't know where the CLDS derived its information but it is incorrect. I wonder what other errors exist in the CLDS database which has mislead others on important historical matters. Now, I fully expect someone to say that there were probably two sets of Edward Salters who married Elizabeth Harveys who had sons named Edward Salter II, just as I have had someone tell me that there two sets of James Robins, John Martins, Edward Salters and Joseph Brooks, Jrs. who appeared in Bath, NC, within months of each other before and after the execution of Blackbeard's crew. I have to admit to being perplexed at the resistance that has been put forth, here and elsewhere, to considering, on the facts, what should be a significant discovery and revelation, i.e., the survival of pirates associated with Blackbeard previously believed to have been hanged. The accuracy of historical interpretation deserves better.

The "wrecks" would be the Spanish treasure fleet wrecked along the coast of Florida south of Cape Canaveral in July 1715. It was a popular place to go beachcombing for easy money. Still is, for some.