Johnathan Atwood

What would be a good source for finding detailed descriptions of GAoP English and Dutch naval clothes?

Ok, two more pirates have popped up, but with little information on them. The first is Joseph (possibly James) Bradish (possibly Brodish). I can find that he escaped from Boston's jail, and he might have been then shipped to London with Kidd. Anyone have a reliable source for more?

The second is Thomas Veal and jis reputed treasure of Lynne Woods. Again, I'm looking for hard evidence and primary or reliable secondary info.

Thanks

Much Obliged! I think I'll try making a few! I'll post pics if they turn out well.

I've seen a lot on here for pewter, tin, and copper mugs. What about leather Black Jacks lined with brewer's pitch? I have one and have heard its accurate, but to be honest I have seen very little documentation beyond the Eyewitness Books: Pirate, from DK Publishing.

I have read that small cigars and papelitos are period accurate from several online sources as well as the book Smoke: A Global History of Smoking by Sander L. Gilman. I have also spoken at length with several knowledgable tobacconists on the subject.

The general consencus is that Men prefered to use pipes. There is a TON of archiological and written evedince to back smoking of pipes. As for Cigars, there was a law in both Philidelphia and Massachusetts in 1683 banning them, and a general law banned smoking in all forms outdoors in Plymouth Colony as early as 1632.

The first industrial manufactured cigars would not appear in North America until the 1760's, but hand rolled will work for GAoP.

As to the assertion that papelitos were considered feminine, I have heard it as rumor but have not read of it. I guess it is up to you to decide.

If you decide you wish to take up a pipe instead I would recommend either a clay pipe that you can easily replace once you've broken it (because you will), or a wooden one with a copper or brass cover for the bowl. There is writen documentation from the GAoP about these being the only acceptable pipes to be smoked below decks. Also, look for a sailor's cut or rough cut tobacco when purchasing tobacco for events. This is a longer, more solid cut that one needs to "rub out" in order to make it pack well into your pipe. It is also the closest you can find to what was available at the time.

I have heard rumor after rumor of Edward Teach coming into New England's waters. I have even heard that he stranded a wife on one of the Isle of Shoals, and both his and her ghosts haunt that island.

Yet, oddly enough, I have never read a legitimate account of him sailing that far North.

Have I missed something, or is it just another tall tale?

I like my rope bed, but then again I have deckhands to help tote it around. For your everyday men I am not finding much, and nothing in particular for the GAoP. Mostly I'm finding sources for the English civil War or the War for American Independence. In these accounts the men seemed to have blankets and maybe a ground cloth if they were lucky. I've found several accounts of men just left out in the wind and weather to fend for themselves.

I'd love to hear if anyone finds more.

Actually, Port Rosemary was a typo from way back in the day. It was actually Port Roseway, Nova Scotia. In the last few weeks I've been finding a good many connections to Cape Anne and Cape Cod.

Thanks Tar, but I do actually have a copy of it. I just need to remember who I last lent it to. I've been having a lot of luck today and have dug up a good amount of dirt about Fly and Quelch. Revisiting Low now, and could really use that book. Especially as one account I have come by say he took a few of his first vessels of RI, near a place called Port Rosemary. I don't think this is true though as I have never heard of such a place. You know me, need more than one source (usually two or three accounts) to believe its true. It would be nice to think he really started here though.

I'm rather familliar with Bellamy and his partner Paulsgrave Williams (the one usually left out of the tale). Forgot Bellamy stayed a while on the cape though.

Currently reading up on William Fly. Doesn't seem he had much of a career, but died with style.

Ahoy and what cheer!

I'm doing some digging for some pirate history from Cape Cod, Boston Harbor, Cape Ann, and up to the Isle of Shoals. I know of Rachel Wall, but that's about it. I have heard stories of pirates in an area called "Dog Town", but can't seem to find anyone in particular. Any leads or help will be greatly appreciated.

Fair winds and a following sea,

John Atwood,

Quartermaster of Formidable

What cheer mates,

I have been trying to dig up some information on two of the pirates who sailed alongside of Tew and Every in the Red Sea trade. Capt. Thomas Wake and Capt. William Want to be precise. These two buggers have evaded my snooping for the last several months, so all I have are names, that they were British, and that they sailed with the other above mentioned pirates and were supposed to be hunted by Capt. Kidd. If anyone has some good information and can site where the information came from I would be most grateful.

Fair winds and a following sea,

Capt. John Atwood

Rhode Island Pirate Players

www.ripirateplayers.org

What cheer all,

I have many library gigs to do this summer and am looking for some great guns, either firing or Quaker guns, for my presentations. Any suggestions? I am talking with one sutler about a Quaker gun, but do not want to over-tax him as he is recovering from cancer treatment. Ideally I am looking for a four to six pounder.

Keep you powder dry,

John Atwood

What cheer all,

I have many library gigs to do this summer and am looking for some great guns, either firing or Quaker guns, for my presentations. Any suggestions? I am talking with one sutler about a Quaker gun, but do not want to over-tax him as he is recovering from cancer treatment. Ideally I am looking for a four to six pounder.

Keep you powder dry,

John Atwood

What's a pirate broker? Something to do with the stock exchange?

Would I like to do something similar? Hell yeah! Consider the idea stolen!

If the response I get be anything like my previous attempts to rally interest

in anything outside of drinking rhum, I might get three positive replies!

I'd like to know more of the list of classes presented at your weekend, and

off the top of my head, in addition to what you have already mentioned think

I'd like to include the following:

• An introduction to Black Powder Firearms (something I could actually present);
• Rope handling & basic knots - the functional aspects of marlinespike seamanship;
• A separate class on marlinespike seamanship as a decorative art (not necessarily GAoP, I know...);
• An historical overview of "pyrates", from Drake to Tripoli, emphasis on GAoP of course -
  and to provide disambiguation regarding the buccaneers, filibusters, etc.;
• What pyrates really wore;
• Why rhum? AKA: Drinks of the 18th Century;
• Something on 18th Century cooking (maybe even build a boucan?);
• Games and gaming in the 18th Century;
• Something on how people thought, emphasis on how different it is from the assumptions
  we carry today and why (AKA: life before & after The Enlightenment, Freud & Einstein).
• Why we talk like Robert Newton and how to really talk like a pyrate!

Give me a few more minutes and I'm sure I can come up with more!

As Tar mentioned a pirate broker is someone who backs pirate ventures. This was most often done when the pirates themselves were trying to appear like privateers and were even bothering to get a letter of marque. I just can't believe he mentioned Fletcher while leaving out RI's own Samuel Cranston- pirate broker extraordinaire for 30 years. But they were not just governors or Lt. governors. New York had a group of 5influential merchants, who were usually called the New York cabal- surely a reflection of the town's outpouring of affection for them.

Glad I be that ye find the idea worthy enough to take to yerselves. Tar, ever so modest, gave a great class on GAoP navigation, andwe did classes similar to those above.