The Jolly Roger

[Fox]

Pat Croce's flag, whatever he likes to say, can't be dated earlier than the 20th century.

The red flag of Lt. Curry's is interesting. It may well date from the late 18th century, but it's almost certainly not really a pirate flag. In the first place it's too small to be a useful flag, and in the second place the log books of the ships that Curry and his brother were serving on at that time show no encounters with pirates. Obviously everyone would like it to be a pirate flag, but the current thinking is that perhaps it's a prop from an early amateur dramatics performance, which might be just as interesting in a different way.

[Mission]

Here's the last bit from David Marley's somewhat disappointingly footnoted book Daily Life of Pirates ...

"Although the colorful expression 'skull-and-crossbones' did not enter into common usage in the English language until much later on, a report submitted to London from Governor Walter Hamilton of the Antillean Island of Antigua on December 14, 1716 (O.S.) [Er, Marley explains somewhat sniffily that this means Old Style dates in the beginning of his book. This would take to long to explain, but if you're curious, look here.] described a recent spate of attacks perpetrated in those waters by Sam Bellamy - and specifically mentioned how his pirate sloop Mary Anne had run down a hapless pair of trading vessels near the Dutch island of Sabá while flying a large black flag emplazoned with 'a Deaths Head and Bones a-cross.' [Footnote 14: Calendar of State Papers, Colonial: America and West Indies, vol. 29 (London: Her Majesty's Stationary Office, 1930), 230.]

Rather behind the times, I just went in search of that reference. There are other references to Bellamy flying a skull and cross bones (the trial of the survivors of the Whydah, for example), but I'm chasing down all the odd flag references at the moment.

The CSPC, vol. 29, p.230 is indeed a letter from Hamilton dated Dec. 14 1716, and it does mention attacks by Bellamy in the Mary-Anne, but it does NOT mention Bellamy's flag.

Good. Marley's general tone sort of annoyed me.

[sea haugh]

At the taking of "CASSANDRA" Sunday 7th August 1720.

.... at which time discovered the two ships be pyrates , the one a French built ship of 46 guns by name the "VICTORY" Capt England , the other a dutch built of 36 guns , by name the "FANCY" Capt Seager , got all things readiness for our defence....."

" ye cassandra being the leeward most ship was engaged by ye smaller ship , they fought under ye black flagg at ye main topmast head. with deaths head in it , ye red flag at the foretop mast head & St George colours at ye ensign staff"

As written by Capt Kirby.

Greenwich , IOR/L/MAR/B488A , 6/10/1719 - 13/7/1720

These flags were also on show on the coast of India when the pyrates were over there and got into a little mix up with an English Squadron.

[Fox]

SHAMELESS PLUG WARNING!

All of these questions and more are now answered in the long-awaited definitive book on the subject!

Jolly Rogers, the true history of pirate flags.

Available now: http://www.lulu.com/shop/et-fox/jolly-rogers-the-true-history-of-pirate-flags/paperback/product-22397975.html

[Swashbuckler 1700]

That is a must have book.

About the classical pirate symbols: I think it is generally said that the standard pirate flag with skull and crossbones became the only recognized pirate flag by the late 18th Century. Yet, it seems that even as late as 1769 a different flag could be considered as the standard jolly roger.

An universal dictionary of the marine: or, A copious explanation of the technical terms and phrases employed in the construction, equipment, furniture, machinery, movements, and military operations of a ship 1780 edition (original should be made in 1769). Writer Falconer, William, (1732-1769).

One section below "Pirate"

The colours usually displayed by pirates are said to be black field, with a death's head, a battle-axe and hour-glas, The last instrument is generally supposed to determine the time allowed for prisoner, whom they take, to consider whether they will join the pirates in their felonious combination, or be put to death, which is often perpetrated in the most cruel manner.

A battle axe?

[Baylus_Brooks]

Ahoy, mates!

Historian Mark G. Hanna goes into a good explanation of pirate flags in chapter ten of his new book:

Pirate Nests and the Rise of the British Empire, 1570-1740

Baylus C. Brooks
Candidate in Maritime Studies Program
East Carolina University

Professional Research Historian at Brooks Historical

Amazon Author Page

LinkedIn Profile

[Baylus_Brooks]

From Pirate Nests, page 370 and 370n10:

When members of Edward Low's were executed in Newport in July 1723, newspapers reported that they were hanged upon the gallows, under "their black flag, with the Pourtrature of Death having an Hour-Glass in one Hand, and a Dart in the other, at the end of which was the Form of a Heart with three Drops of Blood falling from it... this flag they called Old Roger, and often us'd to say they would live and die under it."

Reference: New England Courant (Boston), July 15-22, 1723

... the crew hanged "under their own deep Blew Flagg which was hoisted up on their gallows, and had pourtraid on the middle of it, an Anatomy with an Hour-glass in one hand and a Dart in the Heart with 3 drops of Blood proceeding from it, in the other."

Reference:

Boston News-Letter, published as The BOSTON News-Letter. (Boston, Massachusetts) • From Thursday July 18, to Thursday July 25, 1723 • Page [2]

Read the last here: http://baylusbrooks.com/BNLjuly1723.jpg

This description is the exact one later used to describe the flag of Edward "Blackbeard" Thache.

Baylus C. Brooks
Candidate in Maritime Studies Program
East Carolina University

Professional Research Historian at Brooks Historical

Amazon Author Page

LinkedIn Profile

Edited February 3, 2016 by Baylus_Brooks

[Fox]

The blue/black dichotomy of Low's flag sheds interesting light on the finer details of pirate flags. The two sources are clearly describing not just flags with the same device, but the same actual flag, yet one witness described it as black, the other as blue. True black was a notoriously difficult colour to dye, and to make colour-fast, so a lot of the things described as 'black' were actually just very dark colours - in this case a very dark blue hue which had probably faded a little over time. One witness described what he was supposed to see, a 'black' flag; the other described what he actually saw, a blue flag. An important lesson on the nature of witnesses.

Although the device described on Low's flag has since been attributed to Blackbeard, that flag was not attached to Blackbeard's name until the 1978, in Douglas Botting's TIME-LIFE book, Pirates.

[Baylus_Brooks]

1978, heh? lol

Yeah, I have some experience at colors when I was an artist/stained glass guy. Black is very difficult... without modern paints/dyes. Specifically, I painted on glass and fired it in a kiln at approx. 1400 degrees F. Reds were the hardest to maintain hue in that kind of heat. I stopped using the older Reusch red paints and began using a modern one. It takes too long to fire the piece and cool it down properly, only to have it turn out wrong by the end of the day.

BTW, the witness that described the "black" flag... he may have described it by the term "black flag" meaning a quintessential "pirate flag" and not necessarily because of its color... or is that what you were saying?

[Fox]

I can't swear that 1978 was the first, but it's the earliest I've managed to find in years of searching.

And yes, that's more or less exactly what I meant about the blue/black thing. One witness reported what he actually saw, a blue flag; the other saw a dark coloured pirate flag so it automatically became a 'black flag'.

[Capt. Calico]

On 2/4/2016 at 1:55 AM, Fox said:

I can't swear that 1978 was the first, but it's the earliest I've managed to find in years of searching.

And yes, that's more or less exactly what I meant about the blue/black thing. One witness reported what he actually saw, a blue flag; the other saw a dark coloured pirate flag so it automatically became a 'black flag'.

 

There is also the factor of light and human color perception.  If the flag were a deep navy blue (think like on US Navy Peacoats), the light in which the witness viewed the flag could very well have made it appear blacker or bluer.  I had this exact argument over my Navy Bridge Coat with one of my past girlfriends.  She swore it was black until seeing it laid over black fabric, while to me it was blue, clear as day.  Worse still, the words we use to describe color are imprecise.  We have this problem in WWII reenacting with Olive Drab colors.  Is it khaki or green?  Mustard brown?  The same item viewed under different like can look like all three.  Officer's uniforms are often called "chocolate brown" though they have significant green tint that would make me wary of any chocolate.