MadL

Plenty of Irish, but Walter Kennedy's not amongst 'em, he was born in Wapping, London.

Aye, it appears he was, so does this make him English?:

From Chapter Three, " Who Will Go a Pyrating? "

Walter Kennedy was born at Pelican Stairs, Wapping, the sailor town of London, in 1695, the year in which Henry Avery, " the maritime Robin Hood, " led a mutiny, turned pirate, and captured a treasure ship in the Indian Ocean. Kennedy' s family, like his community, lived by the sea. His father was an anchor-smith " who gave his son Walter the best education he was able. " The times were hard and so was young Kennedy B he was poor, illiterate, known to have " a too aspiring temper, " and often on the wrong side of the law. It was said that in his childhood he was " bred a Pick-Pocket, " and that he later became a house-breaker. Meanwhile he served an apprenticeship to his father, but this came to an abrupt end when the old man died......

.....Sailing now with Bartholomew Roberts (after the death of Davis), Kennedy soon decided to separate. His opportunity came when Roberts took off after a prize, leaving Kennedy, as Lieutenant, in charge of one of the ships, in which he promptly sailed away (in turn leaving Roberts with a certain aversion to Irishmen ever after)....

And from another common found blurb on Walter:

Walter Kennedy (died 19 July 1721) was an Irish pirate who served as a crew member under Howell Davis and Bartholomew Roberts. He was one of six men, including Howell Davis, who mutinied, seized the sloop Buck and took to piracy. Davis was elected captain. Kennedy was with Davis on the island of Principe when his party was ambushed by the Portuguese, and was one of only two members of the shore party to be able to escape back to the ship. With Davis dead, Bartholomew Roberts was elected as his successor. When Roberts and forty of the crew chased a possible prize in a captured sloop off the coast of Surinam, Kennedy was left in charge of Roberts' ship, the Rover, and a large part of its crew. He took advantage of this to abandon Roberts and proclaim himself captain.

Kennedy headed for Ireland, but having no skill in navigation landed on the north-west coast of Scotland instead. Seventeen of the crew were arrested near Edinburgh and put on trial for piracy, with nine of them being hanged. Kennedy himself was able to reach London where he is said to have kept a brothel in the Deptford Road. When one of his prostitutes accused him of theft, he was sent to the Bridewell prison, where he was denounced as a pirate by the mate of a ship he had taken. Kennedy was transferred to the Marshalsea prison and put on trial for piracy. He was hanged at Execution Dock on 19 July, 1721.

That one however makes no notion o' his birth place but does appear t' acknowledge th' statement of:

"His opportunity came when Roberts took off after a prize, leaving Kennedy, as Lieutenant, in charge of one of the ships, in which he promptly sailed away (in turn leaving Roberts with a certain aversion to Irishmen ever after)."

Sorry, my mistake, I was under the delusion that Twill was history.

Oh, m'bad then. See'n as how there be no historical record o' a German lad having ever met an Irish lass in England and having a half-breed offspring that later took t' pirating as well as it be true that there appear t' be no records of Germanic pirates during th' GAoP, I will drag me carcass out o' yer beloved Captain Twill fer this German-Irish American has no desire t' portray what he is naught ('n aye, I did said "bloody English")

I know o' th' three I have had, and one returned, theirs has been th' finest made. They fully line th' inside and me last pair lasted a whole year and probably will do a few more. Ones from Jas Townsend are not lined, I found them far too thin however that may be more true t' period but certainly would naught last long, naught with th' way I go through cloth...color on th' other hand, VERY hard t' find what ye want on th' net, what 'looks' brown is red, what 'looks' grey is green...bloody Internet be color blind I think

What color was the cloth catching the spark?

That was th' whole trouble, could not see what was in th' box. The first time they showed it, it was quite convincing, made me think there was something t' th' whole tinderbox setup I was missing out on...but th' second time they showed it, well, that was just too unreal, especially when he [/i]threw[/i] th' box and the flame did not scatter or even dim....NOT real flame at all (well, perhaps real if powered by a gas fuel)

As for Tow, th' bag I have is linen, catches pretty well, but not well enough t' work as a lighter.

However, the fact remains that the vast majority of pirates active in the GAoP were English or under English influence, so yes, naturally, that's what most people concentrate on. How many German pirates can you name?

*German Pirates*

Klaus Störtebeker (pirate or hero, depending on what side o' th' deck ye stand), Barnim VI, Duke of Pomerania, Gottfried Michaelsen, Klein Henszlein, Magister Wigbold, Cord Widderich, Victual Brothers, Hennig Wichmann

(th' rest where so good at it they all got away....un-named)

*Irish Pirates*

Anne Bonny, Edward England, Walter Kennedy, Grace O'Malley

hmmm, th' list does not account for Richard Noland from th' Whydah? - it would appear a 'complete census' is unobtainable from today's lists, without 'complete crew listings....or perhaps ye meant t' say "How may non-anglo CAPTAINS can ye name?"

So, I have two questions: what evidence are you using for the appearance of German or Irish seamen? And what makes you say that red/blue coats are particularly "English"?

As for German or Irish seamen; nay, I am adopting an English appearance, that does not change th' blood what runs through me nor through me character. As ye state, the bloody English ruled th' seas, so I might as well "blend in" - is that not what everyone here keeps saying t' do?

As for "bloody backs" - well, that is just what I see from the military re-enactors, even at last year's last sail fest, they all had on red coats.

(Incidentally, if you're bothered about real history then I think you need to re-examine the status of the Irish in England in your period, and rethink the use of the word "Celt")

*Celts*

Aye, I thought I had read th' statement "Celtic was still very much alive" in a passage on th' "Flight of the earls" (yes, pre-GAoP) but I stand corrected, it was even before then, 13th Century. In th' 16th Century (time of "Flight of the earls") th' history does state"

"Ulster, until this time the most Catholic and Celtic region of Ireland, begins to be transformed into a Protestand stronghold as the Engish set about the process of plantation, it is not the first attempt to form a settlement in Irland..."

(hmmm, sounds like they where actually English, not Irish. Sounds like Irish where still either Catholic or Celitic...aye?)

...'n did I naught state that me mum "fled Ireland"? And as for "real history"; I do not belive I ever stated I was portraying me 'true' ancestor's story.

True it would be that if I where picking a character out of the history book and stating that I be he then I would have much t' consider; but seeing as th' pirate Mad L be a character unto he'm self, THAT gives me legroom t' work with :angry:

Sorry Foxe, but not so 'irrelevant' when 90% of th' time "European" is tossed about the description o' red coats or blue coats follow (among other clearly "English" traits 'n traditions). True it be that Germany and Ireland be classified as being located in "Europe", yet it seem so often that Americans when citing history seem t' describe 'Europe' as all being like what is seen in England. The peoples o' Ireland, Germany, France, and Spain are indeed quite different then those from England, different in culture, of dress, of many things. So I am left wondering when one states "not seen in European pirates" do they also include th' French and Spanish? It seems in th' way o' weapons, dress, and personal effects they begin t' site 'English' with disregard t' rest o' 'Europe'. While England paid not much attention t' historic Germany, they were in much battle in Ireland. Irish and Germain peoples where accepted not much better in England then they were in early Colonial America, in many cases just second class citizens, in some select cases not much more then slaves and only suited for work in mines and on rail roads (Germans excepted as they did tend t' be allowed t' keep meager shops, but still not much trusted in main stream 'English' settlements).

While I have not seen a complete list o' th' Whydah's crew, there are a few bios on th' website that site among th' crew was: Welsh, Scottish, Half-blood Mosquito Indian (Bellamy's pilot), African-Dutch, Irish (Bellamy's quartermaster), and an American (born in Rhode Island).

It also states there from 30 to 40 of African decent "all treated as equals". It states about th' half-blood pilot John Julian; "On land, Julian's skin made him a nobody, on water his skill made him a somebody. He eventually piloted the Whydah..." - which also tends t' debunk another statement I once heard that 'English ships were maned by English, Spanish ships by Spanish, French by French' and that where multi-cultured crews did exist the 'dominating culture ruled, the rest while not called slaves pretty much still were' (not exact words but a sum up of them); well, at least th' Pirate ship Whydah did not appear t' conform t' such.

Now if ye had a crew o' rouge sailors that had a mix of cultures on board, and 30 to 40 of them were "of African decent" (which truly would be considered 'unacceptable' by th' English o' period!) and "all where treated as equals" - then somehow I find it hard t' believe that they all looked, dressed, and acted as a proper gentle Englishman would expect them to. Somehow this drums up visions of a truly multi-cultural democracy crew where they may have also shared cultures and ways. Perhaps some of them took an interest in some of the cultures the others on board brought with them....or maybe not, perhaps Bellamy beat them all into dressing and acting English/European and then told them all to "smile for the camera"

For th' most part I understand th' "GAoP" spans from aprox 1650 through 1730; depending on whom ye be quoting, give or take 20 years.

As for tattoos, earrings, other personal articles; it would seem that historic records them self where quite sparse during th' period, probably due t' th' turmoil and abrupt changes in who controls what where and just how much (or little) they wanted th' mother land t' know they had found (or acquired) upon th' high seas and in ports abroad. Me suspicions be that there is much that will never be known or discovered no matter how deep we dig or how many times we dive for once th' "modern world" began setting outposts throughout th' Caribbean there was much deceit and deception among those who ruled and those who did not and those who wanted to. As far as records in England or Port Charles, they only know what they were told; as far as "pirates" in general, there appears t' be far too few accounts on record compared t' how many pirates there are believed to have been and I refuse t' believe th' few English pirates on record be th' only wolves upon th' sea at time, so with th' masses who were either killed and sunk at sea, or diapered and simply gobbled up with th' haze o' time, I would think that saying they all looked, acted, smelled, and tasted like any common Englishman o' th' time would only be a rather ego driven conclusion.

Well, that be me take on th' matter, then what could a heretic German/Irish American possibly know - I will return t' th' coal mines and me peasant sauerkraut stand now

finally a little common sense..I mean come on... what the heck is the lid for anyway if ya never close it?

Fer make'n Bank Shots!!

the real question for most GAoP piracy purists....

This be th' part where me own brain begin t' burn...since when does th' GAoP belong exclusive t' "European dog decent"?

Me own pirate figure, including me real life family tree, come from Germany & Ireland. As I understand many a sailor throughout th' period had Irish or Scottish blood as well as English dog blood; me own Mad L's family unit had set sail for th' New World only for th' poor way a German fisherman and Irish lass was treated in England where they met and tried t' make a life....

(long history, still working out details; father left Germany shortly before th' end o' th' Holly Roman Empire control; refusing t' convert t' Catholic or Protestant he just wanted t' live in peace. He met me mum, a sweet Irish tavern lass who had also left her homeland and found herself in England - still working out exact location - but being a Celt she was really nothing more then a slave. Twas after an English cure who framed me da for stealing a loaf o' bread, that was really stolen by he's own bloody son, that me father secured passage upon a trade ship t' avoid th' hangman's noose, along with me, a stout lad o' about 12, 'n me mum we set sail...then encountered Spanish pirates, taken prisoner, then around th' end o' 1600s th' English began t' attempt entering th' Spanish controlled Caribbean where th' ship we were imprisoned upon was captured; a couple o' our now English captors recognized me da 'n mum 'n was about t' hang'em from th' yardarm when he pleaded for me t' flee, over th' bow I went ne'er t' see either o' them again....for me that all began in 1661 when I was born t' a Germanic fisherman 'n an Irish lass, it now be 1709 'n I roam th' Caribbean 'n beyond offering me services t' any rouge pirate or buccaneer crew what fights what I have now learnt t'a be a cruel rule o' England, France, and Spain.)

...'n that pretty much covers th' heart o' th' GAoP and shows that NOT all pirates 'n rouges upon th' seven seas where o' English make. Also one may point out that some Celt clans throughout history had various body mark'ns as well.

Now, WHO among ye stand t' call me 'Heathen'?

Odd, th' only 'problem' I had with Black Bear was with me first pair I ordered, I requested 'buckle' cuffs and described them as 'tabs on both sides'; instead they came with No 'tabs' and All button holes for lacing...

And yes, when I complained they said there would be a charge t' correct...but th' color was indeed what I had expected.

I do naught know about yer 'ugly yellow', nutmeg is itself a brownish/red color. I do know matching color over th' internet is seriously a flawed account - I had a pair from a Florida maker that I returned...th' color was fine, but some how "linen" translated into "wool" , I suppose even printed words tend t' look different on different monitors

Naught sure about th' communication break down, however Black Bear tis not actually a 'pirate' group but more a 'Civil War/Colonial' type group so their faire time be different, and sometimes goes much longer then our wee So. Cal shows go, they can be 'out of the office' for weeks even months at a time so I usually try t' catch such places around end o' year or Jan/Feb for by late Feb they can be rough group t' catch up to....even our own west coast Blackbeard vendor can become a month or more between responses; tis th' way it be with true show folks.

Sorry t' hear ye have had this much issue with them; me last pair o' button front linen came speedy indeed, but naught "perfect" I would say; had a tailor measured me for them they would surely fit looser (but they are 'off the rack' so me wide girth accepts th' fact), and if I could walk into a place, I had hoped they would be a bit 'darker' perhaps even a bit 'redder' as in me drop front from th' same maker, but I learned a long time ago that when choosing colors over th' internet ye make a best shot and get something close t' yer target - all depends on th' quality o' photo taker, th' lighting when/where th' photo was taken, their monitor's calibration t' yer own, and even th' ambiant color(s) from th' surroundings where the photo be taken can all play in giving a much incorrect image of what th' true article's tone be....again, sorry t' hear ye ran int' such an issue, I had similar issue with a leather maker (east coast) where I thought for a while that me coin was long gone, but then it finally came, then I spent a entire year t' get me shoes (plus extra coin for shipping t' return th' first pair) but once they came I can naught be happier with them.

Have ye checked their site for a calendar o' events he travels to? That may give ye an idea o' best times t' contact?

Callenish I seem to recall reading something like this too! I also seem to recall that Coptic Christians often tattooed a cross upon them so they wouldn't be accused of being followers of Islam.

I also seem to remember something about the Turkish Janissary as having various and assorted tattoos (wheels, passages from the Koran, etc) upon them.

Tattoos have been found in various human races since virtually th' dawn o' time, I believe Poopdeck Pappy was quoting various Navel descriptions from a recently ran National Geographic show for each one o' them were discussed (even interviewed one fellow who 'collects' them) and yes they are modern t' semi-modern, they did not exactly give dates to their origins and even at one point said there is no record o' when the first one was stamped.

However I think th' "period" request was for that o' th' GAoP, for that so far no one, naught even National Geo, has been able t' offer up. I think it may have been Mission who read one passage somewhere but there appeared t' even be questions about it...I think that was earlier in this very thread (too lazy t' look back, still recovering from bad cold).

Now National Geo did have one chap they believe was from VERY early man who had ink marks upon he's body, it'was indeed a very interesting show, even covered modern day gang markings.

WHEEEEEE!

It Be An S&M B-Day Party Aboard Th' Good Ship Queen Fairy!!

Where Be Th' Birthday Girl, Thar Be a Big Hairy Booty Swing'n From Th' Mast Fer Her?!!!

hold on now, I thought we supposed t' be string'n up th' Guest O' Honor for this part????

Ahoy Maties,

I just set up a permanent studio N store in St Augustine a little more than a month ago. I welcome all ye pirates to come visit my new store. I'm in the Spanish Plaza in Suite I

Naught only he be on th' wrong shore, but he has Gone Over T' Th' Dons!!!!!

Oh well Tiger, we will forgive ye fer make'n a wrong turn 'n set'n port in th' wrong ocean....but we must talk 'bout yer new friends

Fair Winds Tiger Lee, show them backwards swamp pirates how Real Pirates party!!!

Hey Wait A Minute!!

Didn't MerryDeath just have a birthday last year??

Me thinks th' women on this ship be take'n advantage o' this whole 'gift giving' thing!!

....just who let them on board anyway, I thought we had Rules!??!

I Bent Me Pricker!!!

How am I t' tighten me Turk's Head with a Bent pricker?!!?

Blast these cheap Taiwan made prickers!!

Bent needles be useful but Bent Prickers will n'er do t' tighten me Turk's Head!!!

....now I gotta buy a new pricker!!

How does one know if some of their Titanium nuts and bolts are loose???

check t' see if yer muffler be loose, just grab it firmly with hand and shake it back and forth, if it moves more then a couple inches then ye may have some loose bolts.

Some men carry Trojans, me, I carry a spare wrench.

::hold on now....Black Syren?? now I am confused....::

No real violence?!!

Bloody vegi pirates....don't do nuth'n at all!!

Even chimpanzees get t' eat their young

...well they do, I seen it on National Geo!

::voices from th' back room::

"all right men, th' Moderators be down by one, we can takes them now so get ready..."

"oops, scratch that, it appears th' message came too late! Th' Moderators be back up t' full force now!!"

"Fall Back! Fall Back!"

"we will have t' wait til another day!!"

With my fingers

well ye just keep practicing Cannibal, one day she will let ye remove th' training wheels

Lily livered anthropagists!

did he just call me a flowering chimpanzee??

(Well who wouldn't want to be a flowering chimpanzee?)

...well, I have been known t' de-flower a few....

That still was just so weird and funny. My sister and I just were waiting in line for the Alice in Wonderland ride, minding our own business. The kid behind me had been staring at me for awhile. As we got closer to the front he told me how I look like Alice....

American McGee: Alice resumes shooting:

STAGE CALL FOR CHRISTINE!

Christine, Put That Child Down And Report To MakeUp!!

ROLL'EM!

Hershey bars and nylons....hmmm?

::puts strawberries 'n whip cream back in th' frig::

Quartermaster James; is that legal??

Lily livered anthropagists!

did he just call me a flowering chimpanzee??

I set sail upon a drink'n vessel once, but th' capt'n he too got drunk 'n it sunk

Black Syren; I do naught believe it be yer 'funny bone' Quartermaster twas aim'n t' tickle

...leave it t' a Quater Master t' fire prematurely 'n hit th' target too high

50% Black Hibiscus tea / 50% Cinnamon Apple Spice tea

with a shot o' lime juice

...will chase it all down with some rum once it be all gone