Baylus_Brooks

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Review: A truly groundbreaking Book! By Mark Martinez on July 16, 2017 Baylus C. Brooks' Quest for Blackbeard I believe will help to usher in a sea change in the field of piracy in the 18th century West Indies. A highly sourced and entirely readable work, Quest presents a much needed critique of Captain Charles Johnson's 1724 book "A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most notorious Pyrates" which has served as the principal source used by researchers since the time of its writing in defining the character and exploits of the famous pirate. Brooks helps to reinforce the emerging theory among researchers that the Captain Johnson who wrote "A General History" was actually the 18th-century Jacobite printer and journalist, Nathaniel Mist. Mist's reputation is best understood by examining his "Weekly Journal" which was the most vocal and extreme resistance newspaper to emerge in opposition to the Hanoverian Whig takeover of the British parliament in 1715. Brooks explains how Mist, under the Johnson pseudonym, wrote "a General History" largely as an exploitation and/or propaganda narrative designed to appeal to the unique political sensibilities of his readers. As such, it has been wrong for researchers to use it blindly, as it has been, to define who Blackbeard was and how he should be understood in history. In this regard, Brooks has done groundbreaking work in uncovering the true origins of Blackbeard. Unlike the image painted by Mist of a vulgar and brutal monster of low birth, Brooks has discovered through records he has brought to light found in St Catherine's Parish registries of Jamaica and Jamaican deed books as well as through genealogies compiled from wills kept by the Prerogative Court of Canterbury in England that Blackbeard, whose given name was Edward Thache, was actually from a minor aristocratic family who was not far removed from high level players in the political circles of his time - principally among them, the Lechmeres of Hanley Castle in Worcestershire who supported the 1st Whig Junto and who were, through marriage, connected to the Winthrops of Connecticut. Brooks has discovered that Thache began his career, surprisingly, as a well-respected mariner serving in the British Royal Navy aboard the HMS Windsor. Put simply, Brooks has made a compelling case that Thache was perhaps more privateer than pirate, at least in his early days, with sympathies more aligned with the ousted Stewarts than with the ascendant Hanovers. These alignments appear to have led him onto the wrong side of history. It can be argued that he may have gotten caught in his own emerging reputation fostered by his own press along with the unstable politics of his age, a combination that led him into an outlaw career that he perhaps couldn't escape. In all respects, Quest is a groundbreaking book. It offers much food for thought no matter what opinions the reader holds on the subject and, at a minimum, presents much newly discovered source material that makes the light of day for the first time in this work. These documents, by themselves, make the book worth purchasing. The well-conceived conclusions Brooks draws makes it invaluable. In all respects Quest for Blackbeard is well worth the read for all who are interested in the subject.

The printers for Quest for Blackbeard are offering a 25% discount on print versions till Christmas plus whatever the revolving weekly discounts are, as listed on their home page http://www.lulu.com/home. Quest is available also in ebook/Kindle format and is the most updated version. Go to http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/bcbrooks to order. This is quite a savings! Author site: http://baylusbrooks.com #blackbeard #pirates #history #maritime

The printers for Quest for Blackbeard are offering a 25% discount on print versions till Christmas plus whatever the revolving weekly discounts are, as listed on their home page http://www.lulu.com/home. Quest is available also in ebook/Kindle format and is the most updated version. Go to http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/bcbrooks to order. This is quite a savings!

Apologies, milady! Quest for Blackbeard is now available in ebook formats: Lulu at $24.99: http://www.lulu.com/shop/baylus-c-brooks/quest-for-blackbeard-the-true-story-of-edward-thache-and-his-world/ebook/product-23093757.html Amazon Kindle at $24.99: https://www.amazon.com/Quest-Blackbeard-Story-Edward-Thache-ebook/dp/B06XPMPTVM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Barnes & Noble Nook Book at 42% off right now for $14.49: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/quest-for-blackbeard-baylus-c-brooks/1124659270?ean=9781365795923 Apple iTunes at $24.99: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/quest-for-blackbeard/id1212991334?mt=11

I am compiling transcriptions of pirate-related documents and making them available on my website at http://baylusbrooks.com in the "Pirate Library" section under "Reference Shelf." I find that reading such primary sources gives me a rich understanding of life in the Golden Age.. far and beyond what the popular and error-filled A General History can provide. These documents I have split between depositions, trials, papers, and letters. It is totally free... enjoy!

Might I suggest that if you can't find what you want to be true, that it may not be true. I'm not one for the egalitarian aspect, but I certainly do not believe that pirates were predominantly bloodthirsty criminals. They were primarily businessmen. Profit was the main goal for the majority... not serial murder and torture, like Edward Low.

Hi ya lubbers, Just some bit of info on my book that was published last month. Google Books has a large preview to it especially the first couple hundred pages: Quest for Blackbeard: The True Story of Edward Thache and His World B&N page: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/quest-for-blackbeard-baylus-c-brooks/1124659270?ean=9781365328213 Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/dp/136532821X Printers site: http://www.lulu.com/shop/baylus-c-brooks/quest-for-blackbeard-the-true-story-of-edward-thache-and-his-world/paperback/product-22825800.html Author's Site: http://baylusbrooks.com/ Google Books site: https://books.google.com/books?id=v1veDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA511&dq=quest+for+blackbeard&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiF1d_l-tDOAhUHbiYKHXgUC5wQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=quest%20for%20blackbeard&f=false Baylus C. Brooks

1. Herriot might have been mad and he may have been coerced to damn Thache. There are way too many possibilities here... suppose the authorities discovered his lies. Suppose he crewmates felt brtrayed. 2. I'm saying that Thache gave up after the wreck... the crew went off to do whatever. The only evidence is for 20 crew and a handful of slaves. Howard left for Va with two. The crew split them up most likely... 3. Regardless of how you interpret it, archaeologists generally go higher than 50/50 on it being an accident. This might be statistical "babble" to you, but the math is sound. Do you believe that all non-primary sources are a 50/50 shot? If so, then the formula applies.

1. immunity from prosecution 2. they left... the game was up... Capt. Brand's informant told him weeks after that 90 had already left for points northward and Thache was talking about sticking around, boasting about marrying (in the future) in Bath... and the informant said that there was a dispute among the pirates (Thache and Bonnet?). 3. http://baylusbrooks.com/QAR-R-09-02.pdf starts on page 15. More evidence to prove that it was an accident rather than intentional. Intent requires proof and Herriot and Pell both got immunity from prosecution by saying what the authorities wanted them to. That's not really proof... you might say that it's 50/50. Besides Herriot tried to escape anyway... that discredits his testimony. Let's not forget that Herriot had also just lost his ship Adventure. Was he mad?

True... one piece of data alone proves nothing. That's what I was saying before, too. A 50% probability, after repeated occurrences, however, becomes 75% after two, 87.5% after three, and 93.8% after four... and so on. That is basic probability statistics... assuming that each occurrence had a 50% chance.

If you're referring to David Moore, yes. But, there are quite a few more archaeologists working there who do not agree with him. In fact, I think he is alone on that opinion.

Thanks, Swashbuckler! I'll check out Maria Fusaro's book. Owing to this and similar arguments, I feel that we can't view pirates in 1715 quite like Rediker's William Fly in 1726. By that time, administrative opposition had worked against piracy in general and it had become a sea-bound independent guerrilla operation that probably did not reflect the pre-Rogers Bahamas Islands-Jamaica-Bermuda-Carolina operation. Everything went to hell, in other words.

It's in the article, guys. This thread has played out. Thanks for playing.

Maybe he graduated from Spanish Town University with a degree in Buccaneering...