| CHARLES TOWN PIRATES EDWARD TEACH AKA “BLACKBEARD” & STEDE BONNET, THE ‘GENTLEMAN” PIRATE Exerpt from WICKED CHARLESTON: THE DARK SIDE OF THE HOLY CITY |
Stede Bonnet was an unlikely candidate for piracy; he was an educated
man and served in the Royal Army as a major. After retirement from
the military, he grew wealthy as the owner of a large sugarcane
plantation on Barbados. For some reason, in 1717 Bonnet purchased a
ship, the Revenge, hired a crew of seventy and set sail out of
Bridgetown Harbor and began to plunder ships in the Caribbean. This
is the only recorded incident of a pirate purchasing a ship.
No one is sure why Bonnet turned to piracy. One theory is that he
suffered from a "disordered mind". Another theory is that he rebelled
against his comfortable life and suffered what we would now call a
"midlife crisis". Instead of buying a Corvette, he bought a pirate ship.
The most enduring and popular theory, however, was that Bonnet
turned to the sweet trade to escape his nagging, shrewish wife.
man and served in the Royal Army as a major. After retirement from
the military, he grew wealthy as the owner of a large sugarcane
plantation on Barbados. For some reason, in 1717 Bonnet purchased a
ship, the Revenge, hired a crew of seventy and set sail out of
Bridgetown Harbor and began to plunder ships in the Caribbean. This
is the only recorded incident of a pirate purchasing a ship.
No one is sure why Bonnet turned to piracy. One theory is that he
suffered from a "disordered mind". Another theory is that he rebelled
against his comfortable life and suffered what we would now call a
"midlife crisis". Instead of buying a Corvette, he bought a pirate ship.
The most enduring and popular theory, however, was that Bonnet
turned to the sweet trade to escape his nagging, shrewish wife.
| Stede Bonnet |
It didn’t take Bonnet’s crew long to determine that he was not much of a
pirate. He suffered from seasickness, dressed in fine clothes and wore a
powdered wig. He was a refined gentleman who rarely drank and spent most
of his time reading in his cabin. That was not the profile of a typical pirate.
The crew was talking mutiny with plans to strand Bonnet on a deserted
island until the Revenge crossed paths with the infamous Edward Teach –
"Blackbeard".
An odder couple would be hard to imagine: Blackbeard - brutish and
flamboyant, with flaming beard and wild hair; and Stede Bonnet – a pudgy
little gentleman dandy wearing snow-white breeches and a powdered wig.
Blackbeard quickly realized that Bonnet’s crew was unhappy with their
captain. He convinced Bonnet that since the gentleman was inexperienced,
and not used to the rigors of pirate command, it would be more productive if
they threw in together. Blackbeard offered to put one of his men on board so
that Bonnet could live a more relaxed lifestyle on his vessel.
pirate. He suffered from seasickness, dressed in fine clothes and wore a
powdered wig. He was a refined gentleman who rarely drank and spent most
of his time reading in his cabin. That was not the profile of a typical pirate.
The crew was talking mutiny with plans to strand Bonnet on a deserted
island until the Revenge crossed paths with the infamous Edward Teach –
"Blackbeard".
An odder couple would be hard to imagine: Blackbeard - brutish and
flamboyant, with flaming beard and wild hair; and Stede Bonnet – a pudgy
little gentleman dandy wearing snow-white breeches and a powdered wig.
Blackbeard quickly realized that Bonnet’s crew was unhappy with their
captain. He convinced Bonnet that since the gentleman was inexperienced,
and not used to the rigors of pirate command, it would be more productive if
they threw in together. Blackbeard offered to put one of his men on board so
that Bonnet could live a more relaxed lifestyle on his vessel.
Bonnet Jolly Roger
| Blackbeard |
Three weeks later, May 1718, Blackbeard’s six-ship pirate fleet blockaded
Charlestown harbor, with Bonnet on board the Revenge as “captain-of-
leisure”. The pirates pillaged nine vessels and held several prominent
citizens hostage, including Samuel Wragg, a member of the Governor’s
Council. With these hostages at his mercy, Blackbeard effectively held
the city of Charles Town in his control for several days. The pirates freely
roamed the city’s taverns and brothels, ransacking businesses, sampling
Charlestown harbor, with Bonnet on board the Revenge as “captain-of-
leisure”. The pirates pillaged nine vessels and held several prominent
citizens hostage, including Samuel Wragg, a member of the Governor’s
Council. With these hostages at his mercy, Blackbeard effectively held
the city of Charles Town in his control for several days. The pirates freely
roamed the city’s taverns and brothels, ransacking businesses, sampling
merchandise and women, and attacking anyone who put up resistance. As long as the hostages
remained in Blackbeard’s control the populace was powerless to retaliate. Finally, in exchange for
rations, gold, and medical supplies, South Carolina Governor Johnson was able to buy the release
of the hostages. Blackbeard sailed unmolested out of the harbor with more than £1500 of gold and
silver and made a beeline for Teach’s Hole.
Blackbeard advised Bonnet that to make it more difficult for South Carolina authorities to chase
them down, it would be better for the pirate fleet to separate. He suggested they lie low for several
weeks and explore the possibility of obtaining pardons from the North Carolina governor. Bonnet
and ten of his men went ashore to obtain provisions and inquire about the pardons. As soon as
they were gone, Blackbeard transferred everything of value onto his vessels, scuttled the
Revenge, and left the rest of Bonnet’s crew stranded on a sand bar. Bonnet returned a week later
and discovered what had happened. He rescued his men and set work repairing the Revenge,
which he renamed Royal James.
After the Blackbeard blockade, South Carolina Governor Johnson asked Colonel
William Rhett to hunt down and capture the pirates terrorizing the Carolina coast. Rhett, a well-
proven soldier, outfitted two ships, Sea Nymph and Henry, with 130 men and armament.
Governor Johnson outfitted four more ships and over the next two weeks he personally
commanded an expedition to root out other pirates south of Charlestown . Johnson's force killed
twenty-six pirates and nineteen others were brought back to town for trial.
Rhett left Charlestown and headed north with the intention of locating and capturing Blackbeard.
Within a week, Rhett discovered Bonnet refitting the Royal James in the Cape Fear River . Bonnet
hurriedly tried to sail downriver to the open sea, but the Henry intervened and was able to
maneuver the Royal James onto a shoal. In the process, both the Henry and Sea Nymph ran
aground as well. However, the Henry was within firing range of the Royal James and, as the tide
gradually came in, the two ships fought fiercely for two hours, cannons booming and muskets
blazing. Rhett's ships floated free first and they moved into position. The Charlestown men
stormed the Royal James and overpowered Bonnet and his crew of thirty-five.
The pirates were returned to Charlestown and imprisoned in the bastion guardhouse (in the
dungeon beneath the present day Exchange Building ). Bonnet was almost immediately greeted
by a group of prominent gentlemen, those same scoundrels who had profited from their secret
dealings with the pirate. They feared that if the pirate appeared before a judge, the facts of their
business relationship would be revealed. Public reaction would be strong against them. Bonnet’s
friends arranged to have the “gentleman” pirate placed under house arrest, and along with his
lieutenant, David Herriot the dandy was quartered at the mansion of the town marshal. The
sentries guarding the house were bribed, and in the middle of the night, Bonnet and Herriot
escaped, with the dandy disguised as a woman. They used a small boat supplied by a
sympathizer to escape to Sullivan's Island . The next morning their absence was discovered and
Colonel Rhett formed a posse to re-capture Bonnet.
By the end of that first day, Rhett and a group of fifteen men located the pirate’s hideout on
Sullivan’s Island . Herriot was killed during the skirmish and Bonnet surrendered, still wearing a
dress .The "gentleman” pirate was shackled in the dungeon the night before his crew was
marched to the gallows at White Point Gardens. Bonnet was brought to trial in front of Justice
Nicholas Trott's court. Bonnet pleaded his case, but was sentenced to be hanged. Bonnet sent
urgent pleas to the governor to repeal the sentence. Several townspeople came forward to ask for
his pardon, but Governor Johnson was unmoved by their pleas.
remained in Blackbeard’s control the populace was powerless to retaliate. Finally, in exchange for
rations, gold, and medical supplies, South Carolina Governor Johnson was able to buy the release
of the hostages. Blackbeard sailed unmolested out of the harbor with more than £1500 of gold and
silver and made a beeline for Teach’s Hole.
Blackbeard advised Bonnet that to make it more difficult for South Carolina authorities to chase
them down, it would be better for the pirate fleet to separate. He suggested they lie low for several
weeks and explore the possibility of obtaining pardons from the North Carolina governor. Bonnet
and ten of his men went ashore to obtain provisions and inquire about the pardons. As soon as
they were gone, Blackbeard transferred everything of value onto his vessels, scuttled the
Revenge, and left the rest of Bonnet’s crew stranded on a sand bar. Bonnet returned a week later
and discovered what had happened. He rescued his men and set work repairing the Revenge,
which he renamed Royal James.
After the Blackbeard blockade, South Carolina Governor Johnson asked Colonel
William Rhett to hunt down and capture the pirates terrorizing the Carolina coast. Rhett, a well-
proven soldier, outfitted two ships, Sea Nymph and Henry, with 130 men and armament.
Governor Johnson outfitted four more ships and over the next two weeks he personally
commanded an expedition to root out other pirates south of Charlestown . Johnson's force killed
twenty-six pirates and nineteen others were brought back to town for trial.
Rhett left Charlestown and headed north with the intention of locating and capturing Blackbeard.
Within a week, Rhett discovered Bonnet refitting the Royal James in the Cape Fear River . Bonnet
hurriedly tried to sail downriver to the open sea, but the Henry intervened and was able to
maneuver the Royal James onto a shoal. In the process, both the Henry and Sea Nymph ran
aground as well. However, the Henry was within firing range of the Royal James and, as the tide
gradually came in, the two ships fought fiercely for two hours, cannons booming and muskets
blazing. Rhett's ships floated free first and they moved into position. The Charlestown men
stormed the Royal James and overpowered Bonnet and his crew of thirty-five.
The pirates were returned to Charlestown and imprisoned in the bastion guardhouse (in the
dungeon beneath the present day Exchange Building ). Bonnet was almost immediately greeted
by a group of prominent gentlemen, those same scoundrels who had profited from their secret
dealings with the pirate. They feared that if the pirate appeared before a judge, the facts of their
business relationship would be revealed. Public reaction would be strong against them. Bonnet’s
friends arranged to have the “gentleman” pirate placed under house arrest, and along with his
lieutenant, David Herriot the dandy was quartered at the mansion of the town marshal. The
sentries guarding the house were bribed, and in the middle of the night, Bonnet and Herriot
escaped, with the dandy disguised as a woman. They used a small boat supplied by a
sympathizer to escape to Sullivan's Island . The next morning their absence was discovered and
Colonel Rhett formed a posse to re-capture Bonnet.
By the end of that first day, Rhett and a group of fifteen men located the pirate’s hideout on
Sullivan’s Island . Herriot was killed during the skirmish and Bonnet surrendered, still wearing a
dress .The "gentleman” pirate was shackled in the dungeon the night before his crew was
marched to the gallows at White Point Gardens. Bonnet was brought to trial in front of Justice
Nicholas Trott's court. Bonnet pleaded his case, but was sentenced to be hanged. Bonnet sent
urgent pleas to the governor to repeal the sentence. Several townspeople came forward to ask for
his pardon, but Governor Johnson was unmoved by their pleas.
On December 10, 1718 , Stede Bonnet was hanged at
White Point Gardens , weeping on the gallows. His body
dangled for several days before it was dumped into the
low tide mud. Today, a marker at White Point Gardens
memorializes the event and the location of the
executions. He never disclosed the real reason he
became a pirate.
White Point Gardens , weeping on the gallows. His body
dangled for several days before it was dumped into the
low tide mud. Today, a marker at White Point Gardens
memorializes the event and the location of the
executions. He never disclosed the real reason he
became a pirate.
| EXECUTION OF STEDE BONNET |
| Marker @ White Point Garden Charleston, SC |