William Brand

bag

Thank you, Greg. January 29 - This one is well outside the Golden Age of Piracy, but... The pirate Abbas of Borneo, brother of the Rajah of Achin, took possession of the brig Futtal Khair of Calcutta at the mouth of the Ryak River in the Archin district of Borneo in 1843. Crewmen and passengers were imprisoned while warriors plundered the vessel. To get restitution of the British property a British navy-expedition sailed from Penang on this day in 1844, and burnt down Abba's base in Northern Borneo.

You've made some amazing firearms over the years, but this is the first one you've made that really, really, really needs a youtube video all its own. It's a seven gun salute at the touch of a trigger.

January 28 - On this day in 1671, Lawrence Prince, a 17th-century Dutch buccaneer and an officer under Captain Sir Henry Morgan and Major John Morris later led a vanguard numbering 300 buccaneers against the Spanish. Prince supported the main force, with Morgan and Collier leading the right and left wings while the rearguard was commanded by Colonel Bledry Morgan. Morgan had discovered that Panama had roughly 1,200 infantry. He split his forces, using some to march through the forest and flank the enemy. The Spaniards were untrained and rushed Morgan's line where he cut them down with gunfire, only to have his flankers emerge and finish off the rest of the Spanish soldiers. Although Panama was at the time the richest city in New Spain, Morgan and his men obtained far less plunder than they had expected. Much of the city's wealth had been removed onto the Spanish treasure galleon, La Santisima Trinidad (a ship that nearly a decade later would be taken by English pirates, including one William Dampier, participating in the adventures of Captain Sharp et al. into the South Seas that then stood out into the Gulf of Panama, beyond the looters' reach. Or rather, had Morgan's men not decided that celebrating the capture of Panama was of higher importance than chancing their efforts with a ship which, at that point may or may not have been of any value, then they would have remained in a fit enough state to have made an attempt on it before the ship had had time to exit the bay. In reasoning, their decision at that time did not appear a bad one. As well as considering the further risk they would have exposed themselves to after battling with the Governor of Panama and his army, they were still in desperate need of victuals to satiate their extreme hunger after weeks of arduous marching from Fort San Lorenzo; the Spanish having made every effort to starve them on their approach by ensuring all villages were empty of provisions, and had setup numerous ambuscades by which to attack and taunt them. However, upon learning the extent of the wealth transferred onto that galleon, their decision turned out to be a major error in their judgement. For if they had remained sober enough and chosen to venture that little further, with their superior nautical skills at their disposal, they would have surely landed the amount of spoils they were expecting. Most of the inhabitants' remaining goods were destroyed in a fire of unclear cause. Morgan's men tortured those residents of Panama they could catch, but very little gold was forthcoming from the victims. After Morgan's attack, the Panama city had to be rebuilt in a new site a few kilometres to the west (the current site). The former site is called Panamá Viejo and still contains the remaining parts of the old Panama City. Also reported on this day in 1725… Jeremiah Clarke arrived in New England and reported that Spriggs had robbed a slave ship captained by Rhode Islander Richard Duffie. Spriggs then released Duffie and gave him 25 black slaves. The attack apparently took place near South Carolina, and was reported in the News Letter on January 28, 1725. Spriggs had deserted Low around Christmas 1724, so this may have been one of Spriggs' first captures. On the other hand, if the News Letter was using the Old Style New Year, the attack may actually have been in 1726. Clarke himself had been captured by pirates some time in 1723. Francis Spriggs and his crew later captured a Portuguese bark and looted the ship's stores while the crew were put through "the sweats" or a "sweat", a mild form of torture in which a ring of candles is lit in a circle around the mainmast and each crewman was made to enter the circle and run around the mast while the pirates poked and jabbed at them with pen knives, forks and other weapons in a sort of gauntlet. After they had finished with the bark, the crew were put back on their ship, to which the pirates set fire.

Dancer

January 27 - On this day in 1647, the Ottoman fleet of 45 galleys attacks the ship of the Venetian admiral Tommaso Morosini. Both Morosini and the Ottoman admiral, Kara Musa Pasha, were killed. After suffering significant casualties, the Turks were driven off by the arrival of the remaining Venetian fleet.

January 26 - On this day in 1572, pirate Barend Barendsz was beheaded at Enkhuizen, Holland, for "het sich te buyten gaen aan seeroverij en andere ghewelddaden" (extreme behavior in piracy and other violences). And on this day in 1696, the French corsair Jacques Boscher, a hard-headed man, calm and quiet when circumstances asked for it, and cousin to Dugay-Trouin, distinguished himself in the taking of English Eastindiaman 'London'. Also on this day in 1749, the Dutch East Indiamen 'Amsterdam' ran aground near Hastings at East Sussex.

The thing is...I want to like it. I want to like all pirate stories and inventions, but I REEEALLY want this to be good. I need it to be good. I want something with a story I can sink my proverbial teeth into, so if I'm critical, it's because I'm a storyteller at heart and I know what I like. I'm willing to watch if the recipe improves. I have yet to watch the perfect pilot.

Captain Jim for captain!

Willie Wobble!

All of my observations aside, it's my 'gut reaction' that makes me a repeat viewer, and every time I think back to the pilot episode I think 'Sex and Cussing". I don't think 'high seas adventure' and I don't think 'pirates', which is really sad for a pirate show.

January 25 - Also on this day in 1721, George Shelvocke and his men sailing aboard the Jesus Maria, and unable to find a Pacific passage against unfavorable winds, dropped anchor at Coiba Island. The place was uninhabited, so they made their base there through early February when they met up with John Clipperton's crew.

This may be the event, where after nearly ten years, I finally buy decent shoes for my kit.

"It is with heavy hearts that we share our grief, with the loss of our First-Mate, mentor, friend and family member, Barbara Tomlinson aka: Bloodthirsty Barbara or Major Mayhem. Barbara fought the greatest battle of all and was taken from us much too quickly. The Pirate Community has lost one of it's most favored mates and valued participants and we, one of our own. Fair Winds n Followin' Seas Mate until we meet again beyond the horizon! HUZZAH!" - Sandi Bilbo She will be greatly missed. She was a delightful, regular attendee at several events and well loved. Hats off, lads and Lasses.

It's just around the corner!

January 24 - Hugo Clerck, from the Republic of the United Netherlands, captained a 19-gun ship active in the English Channel. He approached three vessels, thinking them to be merchantmen. He "Caught a Tartar", as the seamen say, for these vessels formed a well-armed Dutch escort under command of famous pirate hunter Moy Lambert. Clerck's ship was damaged after a running fight of several hours. Clerck tried to escape by brisk sailing but was out-sailed. Quarter was eventually granted, "Soo heeft den roover sijn lyeseil ingenomen ende sijn marseylen wat gestreecken ende hebbent opgegeven." (So the sea rover took in his sails and gave up.) With his 61 men brought to Holland, their belongings and the ship were ransacked by the Dutch who took the ship’s contents (iron and steel, and 19 iron guns) to Holland. Clerck confessed his misdeeds on this day in 1615. Also on this day in 1686, men under Captain Swan voted him out of office and marooned him with 36 men. Then with John Read as captain, Cygnet sailed haphazardly to Cambodia, China and Formosa, even hit Australia. Dampier traveled with them, but became “weary of this mad Crew” and gradually became disenchanted with his profession as a searover.

Welcome, Mister Loche. I hope your time here will be well spent and rewarding.

Welcome aboard, Mister Loche.

I was surprised to see 'Blackbeard' mentioned as a neutral historic point, since I believe Blackbeard did not become a captain of a ship in his own right until after 1715. The mention of Blackbeard's name should not have inspired fear until 1716 onward.

Mission and I went the the ball held outside the fort, with the firm understanding that we'd only go to take a few pictures and then leave again. Within minutes of arriving, Mission said, let's go, but I wasn't through taking pictures, so he walked over to the bar and ordered a drink. Just minutes later I found him again nursing said drink and just as I started to say 'let's go' he blurted out, "I'm stayin'." "Really? Took just one drink...?" He simply smiled and nodded.

January 20 - On this day in 1605, Andreas Franson of Holland took the ship Jonas. Franson had previously captained the ship Leeuwin (Lioness) and chased a Spanish ship from Dunkirk that had taken refuge in Portsmouth. Franson made a pact with master John Muckill of the 50-ton Mary Catherine of Southampton to capture the nearby anchored ship called Jonas, with a cargo of cotton, lawns, says and cambrics worth a 10,000 pounds on the night of January 20th. Muckill with 16 men rowed to the Jonas and took her. The two captains split up the goods between them, Muckill keeping the ship. Franson then sailed Westward and anchored at Cawsand Bay where he opened up his prizegoods for trade. People flocked from nearby Plymouth to barter with him, without any action being taken by the authorities. Thereafter he sailed to Morocco to dispose of the remnants of Jonas’s cargo.

January 19 - On this day in 1527, the carrack named St Anthony or Santo António (and also reported as Saint Andrew) of Portugal) foundered in Gunwalloe Bay, Cornwall while en–route from Lisbon to Antwerp. She had a mixed cargo including copper and silver ingots, and was said to be worth an estimated £100 million in today's values. One half of the crew was lost. The wreck was located in 1981 and a selection of her cargo can be seen in the Charlestown Shipwreck, Rescue and Heritage Centre, Charlestown. The site is designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973. And on this day in 1676, the Barbary corsair, Canary, left Algiers with two ships laden with goods and "presents" (tax money and the like) for the sultan at Istanbul. He anchored in view of the port to have all passengers and crew embark during the night and departed in the early morning, flying flags from the mastheads, firing all guns and muskets. Also on this day in 1704, the English government declared a day of fasting in the days weeks that followed the 'Great Storm of 1703, saying it "loudly calls for the deepest and most solemn humiliation of our people". "The storm, unprecedented in ferocity and duration, was generally reckoned by witnesses to represent the anger of God—in recognition of the "crying sins of this nation." It remained a frequent topic of moralizing in sermons well into the nineteenth century.

Heh. I thought I was the only one that noticed the scarf joint. During his whole 'speech' I kept focusing on it and thinking, "Why wouldn't you use a continuous piece of wood, there?". Too funny. Like Minds.

Here is an archive of past Fort Taylor Pyrate Invasions and some from Pirates in Paradise. Please let me know about other videos as you upload them or find them and I'll add them to the archive. I included the 'Haunted Fort Zachary Taylor: video in tribute to Harry Smid, our founding father. 2005: Pirates in Paradise Parade 2005 2006: The Real Pirates of Key West 2007: Key West Pirates in Paradise Walk the Plank and Hurricane Flag Burning 2008: Haunted Fort Zachary Taylor State Park Pirates in Paradise 2008 - Conquistadors ‪KeysTV.com Florida Keys and Key West - Pirates in Paradise‬ Pirates in Paradise 2008 - Mary and Anne 2009: ‪Fort Taylor Pirate Festival 2009 Teaser Trailer‬ Freaky Festivals Pirate Dinner Impossible - Pirate Peril 2010: Captain Scarlet Jai, Blacksmith at Ft. Zachory Taylor in Key West ‪Pirates In Paradise 2010‬ 2011: 2011 Fort Taylor Pyrate Invasion. Key West, Florida ‪Musical Pirates: Bone Island‬ Musical Pirates: Blow the Man Down ‪12-Step 'Become A Pirate' Program‬ 2012: ‪A Pirate's Life - Fort Taylor Pirate Invasion - 12/2012‬ ‪The Brigands perform Night Music on the Streets of Madrid ‪Fort Taylor pirate invasion 2012‬ Keys Home Show 2012 ‪The Brigands perform Roll Me Bully Boys Roll at the Fort Taylor Pyrate I‬nvasion Greg Hudson performs Black Velvet Band at the Fort Taylor Pyrate Invasion 2013: ‪British Humiliation - Pirates Win‬ The Mutineer

I thought I might have seen a monmouth cap, but I was never sure. I did see a few period caps and a few period instruments. That was a pleasant surprise.