An amazing pirate collection!

[M ELEY]

Hi Norman. I think the collection is perfectly on par for Age of Piracy. One of my biggest pet peeves are those who say piracy ceased after 1717 (the end of the Golden Age). This is simply not the case. Piracy existed ever since the first cavemen threw a log into a river to fish from while some other scoundrel floated out to rob him. It was alive and well into the 19th c. and of course still exists today. Don't mean to get on my soapbox, but the facts prove piracy went on.
I personally believe that some of that 'piracy is over' thing was created by aristocrats in the Indies that wanted to downplay its continued existence. It was the same type of ballyhoo about every pirate being a murderer, rapist, torturer, etc. While most were brutal men and thieves, some gentlemanly, well mannered, educated and had families. The infamous Edward Teach, who supposedly murdered by the score, has no historical documentation that he killed anyone save Lt. Maynard's men when they stormed his ship. Sorry about the tirade. Perhaps I'll stir up a little debate with that one!

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you so much Mark!
As always, the discussion of pirates is fascinating, fun, perplexing, intriguing and a host of all sensations, so we owe a great deal to the writers on them who have provided us with such adventures........there lies the treasure!

I do hope you get Steve to join us.....and uh.....'luddite' (?) ...I still have a Fisher-Price keyboard!!!

Regarding Blackbeard, the quintessant figure in piracy......he was only 'on account' for just over a year, and its true, he actually never killed anyone (as far as recorded). An absolute must is the recent book by Kevin P. Duffus, "The Last Days of Blackbeard the Pirate", which reveals well researched accounts of the true character of him.
The reality of his final battle with Maynard is astounding, and far from the creative embellishing of Hollywood.

Norman, I neglected noting that wonderful chest!!! These sea chests were of course far different than the almost cliche' 'treasure chests' with hump back lids characterized by Pyle and Wyeth in their renowned illustrations. This is more like that which was of that of Cap'n Billy Bones in Stevenson's "Treasure Island" , which actually was situated in the mid 18th century, long after the 'Golden Age' had uh, 'ended' (?) NOT!

As for Blackbeard (or whatever his real name was), it is believed that his naming of his captured French slaver the Queen Annes Revenge was most telling...and that he was actually a Scot, and professed Jacobite.

Along with Blackbeard, the history of the much maligned Captain Kidd, crafted into notorious and feared pirate, is revised with a much different view in various books revealing the unfortunate treatment resulting in his unjust execution. The very document which would have exonerated him was found I believe in around 1911. There have been countless searches for his 'treasure', which of course was as fabricated as most of the rest of his case.


PS. wanted to add one more title which gives dynamic perspective to piracy, its artifacts and the true image of what these pirates were like.
"X Marks the Spot: The Archaeology of Piracy", R. Skowronek and Charles Ewen, 2006.