William Brand

November 19 - On this day in 1620, the Mayflower reached Cape Cod and began exploring the coast. And on this day in 1718… "…the Willing Mind arrived at Green Turtle Key, and took the Goods out of the Neptune, being in a very bad Condition; and after they had taken out all her Cargo, finding the Neptune to be better than they did expect; and, having a fair Wind, brought both Ships up to Providence, the Neptune got in safe, but the Willing Mindstruck on the Bar, and sprung a Leak, insomuch that she was forced to unload and careen, and, when down, found her to be very bad, a Piece of her main Keel being gone, so was forced to hawl her ashore; and when the Carpenters had done what could be done to her, she could not be got up again by all the Strength that could be made, and tried for several Days, breaking and tearing all to pieces, but all to no Purpose; so the Governor order'd a Warrant of Survey on her, and was found by the Surveyors not sufficient to proceed any further, being very much damaged in her Wood-Work and Iron-Work, &c. Whereupon the said King desired a second Survey of his Ship and Goods, they lying in a very bad Condition."

Heh. I've known Kristen since high school. I was the one that got her started on period hat wear.

November 18 - On this day in 1497, the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama reached the Cape of Good Hope. And on this day in 1720, John 'Calico Jack' Rackam was hanged in Port Royal. Rackam's body was then gibbeted on display on a very small islet at a main entrance to Port Royal now known as Rackham's Cay.

I'm considering another KnitKriket hat as well. I need a brimmed monmouth against the coming winter. I've also just been invited to a very immersive event and I have to do a complete write-up to be considered. I don't when I'll find the time right now to do that.

November 15 - On this day in 1696, Edward Forsyth, William Mays, William Bishop, James Lewis, and John Sparks – crewmembers of Henry Every – were hanged at Execution Dock having been convicted of mutiny. And on this day in 1717, six members of Samuel Bellamy’s crew were hanged. The six were tried in Boston for piracy and robbery. The following were found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging: John Brown of Jamaica, Thomas Baker and Hendrick Quintor of the Netherlands; Peter Cornelius Hoof of Sweden; John Shaun of France; and Simon van der Vorst of New York. Carpenters Thomas South and Thomas Davis, who were tried separately, had been conscripted by Bellamy – forced to choose between a life of piracy or death. Therefore, they were acquitted of all charges and spared the gallows. The last survivor was a 16-year-old Miskito Indian named John Julian – who was a skilled navigator, and also the Whydah's pilot. He was not tried, but instead was sold into slavery after his capture. The famous Puritan minister Cotton Mather accompanied the six condemned men as they were rowed across Boston Harbor to Charlestown. All six men confessed and repented in the presence of Mather, but they still hanged. November 16 - Born in 1785, Zheng Yi Sao, whose birth name is unknown, spent her early years engaged in a variety of illicit activities. By 1801, she was working as a prostitute in Canton's floating brothels, which is where she met the notorious pirate captain, Zheng Yi. The two were married in 1801, with the condition that Zheng Yi would share equally with his wife his power and that he would give her the opportunity to help them secure more wealth from their pirating activities. For six years the husband-and-wife team grew their piracy business along the coast of the South China Sea. Using military coercion and his family's pirating credentials, Zheng Yi was able to gather together a bevy of competing Cantonese pirate fleets into a strong coalition. Within several years, the Red Flag Fleet was one of the most powerful pirate fleets in all of China. Then, on this day in 1807, Zheng Yi died. Rather than step aside and assume a quiet life as a widow as other women may have done in 19th century China, Zheng Yi Sao (whose name means ""widow of Zheng Yi"") deftly manoeuvered to assume control of her late husband's booming pirate business. She oversaw and led a fleet of more than 1,500 ships staffed with more than 60,000 pirates. And finally on this day in 1720, Calico Jack Rackham and the male members of his crew were tried and convicted of piracy at St. Jago de la Bega. November 17 - On this day in 1716, Blackbeard captured the French slaver Concorde off St. Vincent and renamed her Queen Anne’s Revenge. Also on this day in 1718, Spotswood obtained valuable information on Edward Teach's whereabouts, and he planned to send his forces across the border into North Carolina to capture him. He gained the support of two men keen to discredit North Carolina's Governor—Edward Moseley and Colonel Maurice Moore. He also wrote to the Lords of Trade, suggesting that the Crown might benefit financially from Teach's capture. Spotswood personally financed the operation, possibly believing that Teach had fabulous treasures hidden away. He ordered Captains Gordon and Brand of HMS Pearl and HMS Lyme to travel overland to Bath. Lieutenant Robert Maynard of HMS Pearl was given command of two commandeered sloops, to approach the town from the sea. An extra incentive for Teach's capture was the offer of a reward from the Assembly of Virginia, over and above any that might be received from the Crown. Maynard took command of the two armed sloops on this day in 1718. He was given 57 men—33 from HMS Pearl and 24 from HMS Lyme. Maynard and the detachment from HMS Pearl took the larger of the two vessels and named her Jane; the rest took Ranger, commanded by one of Maynard's officers, a Mister Hyde. Some from the two ships' civilian crews remained aboard. They sailed from Kecoughtan, along the James River, on 17 November in pursuit of Edward Teach. And on this day in November 1720, Calico Jack Rackham and his mates were hanged at Gallows Point.

November 14 - On this day in 1701, Vice Admiral John Benbow reached Barbados with ten Royal Navy warships to winter at Jamaica in expectation of hostilities in the Spring.

November 13 - On this day in 1701, Captain William Kidd's seized treasures were sold by the Admiralty at the Marine Coffee House in Birchen Lane and advertised as follows… "…gold and silver and some Diamonds, Rubies and other Things seized as the goods of pirates"

November 11 - On this day in 1723, pirates from George Lowther’s crew were hanged at St. Kitts. Also on this day in 1822, the following extract of a letter was written from Matanzas. " The gallant ALLEN is no more ! — You witnessed the promptitude with which he hastened to relieve the vessels which I informed him had been captured off this port. He arrived just in time to save five sail of vessels which he found in possession of a gang of pirates, 300 strong, established in the Bay of Lejuapo, about 15 leagues east of this. He fell, pierced by two musket balls, in the van of a division of boats, attacking their principal vessel, a fine schooner of about eighty tons, with a long eighteen pounder on a pivot, and four smaller guns, with the bloody flag nailed to the mast. Himself, Capt. Freeman of Marines, and twelve men, were in the boat, much in advance of his other boats, and even took possession of the schooner, after a desperate resistance, which nothing but a bravery almost too daring could have overcome. The pirates, all but one, escaped by taking to their boats and jumping overboard, before the Alligator's boats reached them. Two other schooners escaped by the use of their oars, the wind being light; Capt. Allen survived about four hours, during which his conversation evinced a composure and firmness of mind, and correctness of feeling, as honourable to his character, and more consoling to his friends than even the dauntless bravery he before exhibited."

Aye, a very happy birthday!

November 10 - On this day in 1718, Stede Bonnet was brought to trial and charged with two acts of piracy. Judge Nicholas Trott sentenced Bonnet to death.

Very nice indeed, Captain Calico. You must take more pictures at the first event you fly that standard and let us see it once again.

November 9 - On this day in 1733, His Excellency, Jonathan Belcher Esquire, sent out a Proclamation for apprehending Gyles du Lake Tidmarsh. Printed in Boston by J. Draper, Printer to His Excellency the Governour and Council.

It is, but Coastie has a boat.

A raspberry drink called shrub is too funny, yet so appropriate. Drink names are fun.

What do you drink during the myriad of holidays that begin this month? And...what beverages carry you through the Winter? Yes, you can list 'Rum'.

I'll be finishing up some 'promised' pieces to crew and fellow pirates before I do anything else. Then I'll be adding some more period books to my library.

The other issue is citation. This calendar is only as good as the source materials. Many of them haven't adjusted for the changes in Calendar systems, so some of the dates here are the best approximations. Besides, if I ever call it 'finished' I'd stop looking for great new additions, and we'd miss out on little tidbits and interesting trivia.

November 8 - There are times that I was busy enough that I missed a number of calendar days, but the gaps are shrinking. For example, I had nothing for today, so I had to go searching. Fortunately, I struck pay dirt. On this day in 1718, the following members of Stede Bonnet's crew were hanged at White Point, Charleston, South Carolina. Many of them were buried in the marsh below the low water mark. Amand (or Annand), Alexander. From Jamaica. Booth, Samuel. From Charleston, South Carolina. Boyd, Robert. From Bath, North Carolina. Brierly, John (alias Timberhead). From Bath, North Carolina. Carman, Thomas. From Maidstone in Kent, England. Hewett, William (or Hewet, or Hewit). From the island of Jamaica. King, Matthew. From Jamaica. Levit, John. From North Carolina. Livers, William (alias Elvis). Long, Zachariah. From Holland. Lopez, John. From Oporto, Portugal. Morrison, William. From Jamaica. Mullet, James (alias Millet). From London, England. Patterson, Neal. Of Aberdeen, Scotland. Perry, Daniel. From island of Guernsey, England. Price, Thomas. Of Bristol, England. Ridge, John. Of London, England. Scott, William. Smith, John-William. Thomas, Captain. An alias used by Major Stede Bonnet. Thomas, John. From Jamaica. Tucker, Robert. From Jamaica. Virgin, Henry. Of Bristol, England. Wilson, James. Of Dublin, Ireland. And on this day (104 years later) in1822, an action between the USS Alligator and a squadron of pirate schooners took place off the coast of Cuba.

November 7 - On this day in 1718, twenty-nine of Bonnet’s crew were convicted of piracy.

The flux of temperatures notwithstanding, does anyone have pirate plans through the winter? New projects? New kit?

Nice refit on the cannons!

Good luck with the teeth and the winter cover. It started snowing today. My mood is directly effected by the idea of approaching winter.

November 6 - On this day in 1696, the captured members of Every's crew were once again brought into court and charged with piracy.

November 5 - On this day in 1718, Colonel William Rhett killed Heriot and recaptured Stede Bonnet. On the 24th of October, Bonnet and Herriott had escaped, probably by colluding with local merchant Richard Tookerman. Governor Johnson at once placed a £700 bounty on Bonnet's head and dispatched search teams to track him down. Bonnet and Herriott, accompanied by a slave and an Indian, obtained a boat and made for the north shore of Charleston Harbor, but foul winds and lack of supplies forced the four of them onto Sullivan's Island. Governor Johnson sent a posse under Rhett to Sullivan's Island to hunt for Bonnet. The posse discovered Bonnet after an extensive search, and opened fire, killing Herriott and wounding the two slaves. Bonnet surrendered and was returned to Charleston.

Are you focusing on any one given aspect of the sweet trade when you talk to the public?