Blackbeards Sword Found??

[Iron Bess]

It could happen I guess!

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/01/pictures/110112-pirate-blackbeards-sword-shipwreck-queen-annes-revenge-science-treasure/?now=2011-01-12-00:01#/queen-annes-revenge-blackbeard-ship-sword-found_31158_600x450.jpg

[Dorian Lasseter]

As cool as it is...

I highly doubt it was his sword... unless he had it, broke it, and discarded it in the bowels of the ship...

On another note, I toured the QAR conservation lab April of '09 and saw that quillon up close and personal, quite a thing of beauty...

So it appears it is from a French hunting hangar... I thought as much...

Would love to hear other opinions on this...

[Mission]

It sure would make a nice story to tie to the release of the 3rd sequel to a certain movie, though...

I like this story because it led me to this story.

That sure would make a nice story to tie to the release of the 3rd sequel to a certain movie, too.

[William Brand]

We have people on the Pub that could replicate that hilt to the letter. Get to it.

[CaptainB]

I agree with William on this. If the reports of Blackbeard's death are to be believed, Blackbeard died upon Lt. Maynard's ship, after fighting Maynard sword to sword. I would think that Blackbeard's sword would have been claimed as a prize by one of the surviving sailors under Maynard's command, if not given as a gift to Maynard himself.

[Captain Midnight]

I agree with William on this. If the reports of Blackbeard's death are to be believed, Blackbeard died upon Lt. Maynard's ship, after fighting Maynard sword to sword. I would think that Blackbeard's sword would have been claimed as a prize by one of the surviving sailors under Maynard's command, if not given as a gift to Maynard himself.

I would rather have to agree with this assumption.

[wendy]

Blackbeard's sword makes a good story - but I agree with you that it is quite unlikely.

Did anyone see the pirate exhibit in Raleigh where they displayed the silver punch bowl supposedly made from Teach's skull? Not sure I was convinced about that either - but another great yarn!

[captscurvy_nc]

I worked as Blackbeard during that exhibit and spent a lot of time telling people the story associated with the "skull". A great story but I strongly doubt that it is the legendary punch bowl skull.

[John Maddox Roberts]

Of course, he might have fought Maynard with his "working" sword, while this was his "go to meetin'" sword.

[Dread Pyrate Greyhound]

Of course, he might have fought Maynard with his "working" sword, while this was his "go to meetin'" sword.

I agree, Pirate captains often eminated gentlemen of the period, and Blackbeard, when not wearing smoking cannon fuses in his beard, was reputed to have dressed in bright red gentleman's attire. This appears to be a gentleman's blade, and I wouldn't be surprised if he wore this blade at his side to show off his wealth when he was out on the town.

[PoD]

He wouldnt have fought Maynard with it though anyway as this was a hilt found aboard the Queen Annes Revenge which had sunk (sank??) by the time he fought him.

[James Smythe]

I agree with William on this. If the reports of Blackbeard's death are to be believed, Blackbeard died upon Lt. Maynard's ship, after fighting Maynard sword to sword. I would think that Blackbeard's sword would have been claimed as a prize by one of the surviving sailors under Maynard's command, if not given as a gift to Maynard himself.

I would rather have to agree with this assumption.

I agree as well. I read too much on Teach to not question this.

[William Brand]

We have people on the Pub that could replicate that hilt to the letter. Get to it.

Once more with feeling. Somebody please replicate that hilt.

[PoD]

I would say that it is off a hunting hanger. From the decoration I would say most likely French (the pommel shows fleur-de-lise emblems too).

It is also very similar in design to this late 18th century American Sword :

http://www.cowanauctions.com/auctions/item.aspx?ItemId=45108

What i'd be intereted to know was if it had a shell guard attached below the hilt thats fallen off when the blade corroded.

[Dread Pyrate Greyhound]

I agree with William on this. If the reports of Blackbeard's death are to be believed, Blackbeard died upon Lt. Maynard's ship, after fighting Maynard sword to sword. I would think that Blackbeard's sword would have been claimed as a prize by one of the surviving sailors under Maynard's command, if not given as a gift to Maynard himself.

Well this is a good point, but if this was Blackbeard's 'go to meetin' sword as John Maddox Roberts says, and if history is to be believed and he was cheating his crew out of their treasure by running the Queen Anne aground, I don't think Blackbeard would have bothered to grab a fancy dress sword before abandoning ship. He would've taken his working cutlass, and probably had all his pistols strapped to him, just in case his plan went awry. And as far as personal possessions go, he probably would've only bothered to take the nesecities, like navigational instruments, seacharts and his logbook.

[PoD]

Speaking of his log book I saw an article once that quoted from his log book. Does this mean it still survives somewhere? And if so does anyone have a link to it or a copy that is for sale?

[Fox]

Well this is a good point, but if this was Blackbeard's 'go to meetin' sword as John Maddox Roberts says, and if history is to be believed and he was cheating his crew out of their treasure by running the Queen Anne aground, I don't think Blackbeard would have bothered to grab a fancy dress sword before abandoning ship. He would've taken his working cutlass, and probably had all his pistols strapped to him, just in case his plan went awry. And as far as personal possessions go, he probably would've only bothered to take the nesecities, like navigational instruments, seacharts and his logbook.

I'd have thought that if he ran the QAR aground deliberately then he'd have taken anything and everything he wanted, all nicely bundled up and ready to go. Even if it wasn't premeditated he'd have had enough time to grab his sword if he wanted to before disembarking. At the very least, he'd have had to have waited long enough for the Revenge to realise what had happened and come up alongside.

Speaking of his log book I saw an article once that quoted from his log book. Does this mean it still survives somewhere? And if so does anyone have a link to it or a copy that is for sale?

Such a day, rum all out...

Unfortunately, Blackbeard's logbook no longer exists (or if it does, it's in somebody's attic somewhere gathering cobwebs). There's a supposed entry from the log quoted in Johnson's General History, but its provenance is far from certain, and that's all there is.

[captscurvy_nc]

I was told by someone when I was working as Blackbeard at Teachs Hole back in 2000 that the logbook was destroyed in a fire in London in the 40's. Up until that time it was said to be part of a private collection on loan to a museum in London. The gentleman was from Bristol and had no resources other than local stories he hears from his father.

[Fox]

It's quite possible that it did survive the battle, other papers of Blackbeard's did. They're not in the admiralty papers, so if they survived they must have been in private hands. I've never heard of them surviving 'til the 40s, and if they had then one would expect a pre-40s author to have mentioned them (Phillip Gosse springs to mind), but the only bit ever quoted is the 'such a day, rum all out, 1012 days since I broke my razor' from Johnson. On the other hand, there were quite a few fires in London in the early forties, what with the whole Luftwaffe thing...

[PoD]

I read that Blackbeards papers were taken by Maynard and handed in with the prisoners. There was a fire in the virginia records office aparently some time after this that may account for them going missing if indeed they didnt make it back to old blighty.