🏴‍☠️ How Do You Become a Pirate? First, Steal a Ship.

Ahoy,

What do you do when your pirate crew needs a ship?

Apparently, you steal one.

This week we're sailing back to August 1720, when Calico Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny and Mary Read decided to return to piracy—and began their adventure by stealing the sloop William right out of Nassau Harbor.

We'll also celebrate the birth of Henry Every, the pirate who pulled off one of history's greatest scores and then seemingly vanished, meet a modern-day pirate crew keeping the spirit alive with shanties and song parodies, and discover a spectacular lighted pirate ship you can acquire without Woodes Rogers putting a price on your head.

Plus, we've found an upcoming Renaissance Faire worth marking on your charts.

So climb aboard, keep quiet as we slip out of the harbor...

And whatever you do, don't wake the harbormaster. 🏴‍☠️ 

Welcome to Episode 69 of The Pirate Republic.

📜 THIS WEEK IN PIRATE HISTORY

💰 August 20, 1659 — A Pirate King Is Born

On August 20, 1659, near Plymouth, England, a boy named Henry Every was born.

There was little to suggest that this obscure Englishman would one day become perhaps the most wanted pirate on Earth.

Every spent years at sea before leading a mutiny aboard the Charles II in 1694, renaming her the Fancy, and setting out in search of richer prey.

Then came the prize that changed everything.

In 1695, Every and his pirates attacked the Mughal treasure ship Ganj-i-Sawai, carrying an enormous fortune in gold, silver, jewels and other valuables.

The haul was staggering.

The political fallout was even greater.

The attack enraged Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, threatened England's enormously valuable trade with India, and helped trigger an international hunt for Every and his crew.

And then Every did something few legendary pirates ever managed.

He disappeared.

No gallows.

No final battle.

No body swinging above a harbor as a warning to other pirates.

Henry Every simply vanished from history, leaving behind rumors that he had escaped with his fortune and lived like a king.

Whether he actually did is another matter entirely.

But the legend was born.

⚓ Pirate Republic Take

Blackbeard became the most famous pirate.

Bartholomew Roberts captured the most ships.

But Henry Every accomplished the dream nearly every pirate chased:

Take one unimaginable prize... and disappear before the hangman catches you.

More than three and a half centuries after his birth, we still don't know how his story ended. 🏴‍☠️

---

🏴‍☠️ August 22, 1720 — Anne Bonny, Mary Read & Calico Jack Steal a Pirate Ship

Imagine walking down to Nassau Harbor one morning...

...and discovering your ship is gone.

That's essentially what happened to Captain John Ham on August 22, 1720.

Anchored in Nassau was his small but well-armed sloop, the William.

Then John "Calico Jack" Rackham, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, and a band of fellow rogues decided they needed her more than he did.

So they stole her.

The William was only about 12 tons, but she carried four large guns and two swivel guns—more than enough firepower for a small, fast pirate vessel.

And with that, one of the Golden Age's most legendary pirate crews sailed out of Nassau and returned to piracy.

Governor Woodes Rogers wasn't amused.

Rackham had previously accepted the King's pardon. Now he'd not only returned to piracy but had stolen a vessel practically from beneath the governor's nose.

Within weeks, Rogers issued a proclamation naming the fugitives—including Anne Bonny and Mary Read—and declaring them pirates and enemies of the Crown of Great Britain.

What followed would become one of piracy's most famous final voyages.

Rackham, Bonny, Read and their crew raided vessels around the Caribbean aboard the William.

But their freedom wouldn't last long.

Just two months after stealing her, their pirate adventure came crashing to an end when they were captured near Jamaica.

⚓ Pirate Republic Take

There are plenty of elaborate origin stories in pirate legend.

This one doesn't need embellishment.

They wanted to become pirates again.

They needed a ship.

So they stole one.

And aboard that little sloop sailed three names that would still be synonymous with piracy more than 300 years later:

Calico Jack Rackham.Anne Bonny.Mary Read.

Not bad for a stolen getaway boat. 🏴‍☠️

🎵 Meet the Modern Day Pirates

What happens when two mates throw on some pirate gear, head out looking for mischief... and never quite stop?

You get The Modern Day Pirates.

Click to watch the video

The crew first set sail in 2016, when Keelhaul Crowley and Captain James Shorthshanks cobbled together some rough pirate outfits and headed into the wild looking for adventure. What began as two friends having a bit of pirate fun gradually attracted more like-minded rogues until they had a proper crew on their hands.

And these pirates don't just dress the part.

Over the years they've become entertainers, makers and volunteers, appearing at pirate festivals and local events while crafting their own leatherwork, baldrics, belts, props and other pirate gear.

But here's what caught our ear at The Pirate Republic:

They sing.

The crew performs sea shanties and pirate song parodies, including the wonderfully appropriate:

🍺 Grog For Me Hearties

So pour yourself something worthy of a pirate tavern, turn up the volume, and meet a crew keeping the pirate spirit alive more than 300 years after the Golden Age.

▶️ WATCH: Grog For Me Hearties

⚓ Captain Blackquill's Take

They're not trying to recreate one particular pirate crew from 1718.

As they put it, they're simply living the pirate life, one wild adventure at a time.

And around here, we can certainly raise a mug to that.

Cheers to the Modern Day Pirates! 🏴‍☠️🍺🎶

🎉🏴‍☠️ PIRATE EVENT OF THE WEEK

The Renaissance Comes to the Mountains of North Carolina!

Pirates in the Carolinas, here's one to mark on your charts.

The Western North Carolina Renaissance Faire is coming to Fort Tater in Nebo, North Carolina, September 4–6, bringing three days of merriment, merchants, entertainment, food, drink, and plenty of opportunities to break out your finest Renaissance—or pirate—garb.

The faire features live entertainment and roaming characters, a marketplace filled with artisans and shoppes, and the Royal Open Archery Tournament for those who'd like to test whether their aim is worthy of the King's army—or a particularly ambitious pirate crew.

And if one day of revelry isn't enough, camping is available, so you can make an entire weekend voyage out of it.

It may still be a couple of weeks over the horizon, but that's all the more reason we're sounding the ship's bell early. There's still time to gather the crew and make your plans!

The mountains may be a long way from the Caribbean...

But give a pirate a tavern, some entertainment, and a crowd in costume, and we'll find our way there. 🏴‍☠️🍻

⚓ Chart a course for the WNC Renaissance Faire

💰🏴‍☠️ PIRATE BOOTY OF THE WEEK

🏴‍☠️ Want Your Own Pirate Ship? You Don't Have to Steal It.

This week in 1720, Calico Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny and Mary Read needed a ship.

So they stole the William right out of Nassau Harbor.

We strongly recommend a less legally complicated approach.

This week's Plunder Pick lets you command your own legendary black pirate ship—without Woodes Rogers issuing a proclamation for your arrest.

The buildable ship comes equipped with 11 LED lights that cast a warm glow across the decks, making the black skeleton sails loom out of the darkness when displayed at night. And this isn't just a model that sits on a shelf.

There's a working rotating rudder, opening windows and hatches, movable bow railings, detailed interiors, and plenty of interactive features to explore while you're building her.

Once illuminated, she looks less like a building set and more like a mysterious pirate ship that's just sailed out of the fog.

Perfect for pirate enthusiasts, ship lovers, builders, or anyone who's always wanted a pirate flagship of their own.

Jack, Anne and Mary had to sneak through Nassau Harbor in the middle of the night to get theirs.

You just have to wait for the Amazon driver.

Much safer.

Probably. 🏴‍☠️

⚓ Steal—er, claim—your own pirate ship

😂🏴‍☠️ PIRATE JOKE OF THE WEEK

☠️ Captain’s Log

From Henry Every's mysterious rise to pirate legend to Anne Bonny, Mary Read and Calico Jack making off with someone else's ship, this week's voyage reminds us that pirate history rarely followed a sensible course.

And more than 300 years later, people are still keeping that rebellious spirit alive—singing the songs, gathering at festivals, building the ships and finding new ways to join the adventure.

Thanks for sailing with The Pirate Republic for another week.

If you enjoyed the voyage, forward this issue to another scallywag and invite them aboard the crew.

Until next time...

May the wind fill your sails, may treasure find your hold, and may every ship you sail away on actually belong to you.

Fair winds,

Captain Blackquill ⚓🏴‍☠️

"For the sea keeps no legends... only those bold enough to become them."

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New voyages, bold stories, and rich plunder await those who sail with us.

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🎖️ THANKS FOR SAILING WITH THE CREW

We set sail every Friday, storm or shine — delivering pirate history, legends, and lore from across the seas.

Keep yer spyglass trained on the horizon,rest when the winds allow,and may your course be steady, your hold full, and your tales worth telling.

If ye stumble upon treasure, tall tales, or pirate lore worth sharing, send word to:📧 captainblackquill@gmail.com

Disclosure: Some links in this newsletter are affiliate links, which means we may earn a few extra doubloons if you make a purchase — at no extra cost to you. Thanks for keeping The Pirate Republic afloat, ya savvy sea dog. 🏴‍☠️