The Pirate Republic - A Pirate birthday, Julius Caesar’s capture, a £60M estate battle, and modern rogues at sea

The past, present, and future of piracy collide — Episode 23 sails with stories of treasure, power, and plunder. Issue #23 – Sept 26th, 2025

Ahoy, Matey

Today we toast Jean Lafitte’s birthday, relive the time Julius Caesar was kidnapped by pirates, peek into the Department of Naval Intelligence’s piracy chart, and meet a modern woman claiming her share of a £60 million pirate fortune. Add Halloween plunder and the Weymouth Pirate Fest, and ye’ve got a hold full o’ treasure.

September 25, 1780 – The Birth of Jean Lafitte

Born in France on this day, Jean Lafitte became one of the most infamous privateers of the Gulf Coast. By the early 1800s, he and his brother Pierre were smuggling out of Louisiana, with their stronghold at Barataria Bay.

When U.S. officials cracked down, Lafitte played both sides — striking deals, offering intelligence, and even helping Andrew Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans (1815). He later returned to smuggling in Texas.

🦜 Little-Known Facts About Lafitte

• Master of Disguise: Said to move through New Orleans in costume, unseen by friend or foe.

• The Gentleman Pirate: Hosted dances and feasts at Barataria, mixing crime with refinement.

• Vanishing Act: His fate remains a mystery — some say he died in the 1820s, others that he lived quietly under another name into the 1850s.

Lafitte’s mix of outlaw daring and political maneuvering made him one of history’s most complex pirates — smuggler, patriot, traitor, and folk hero all in one.

⚔️ One of the Greatest Pirate Kidnappings in History

75 BC – Julius Caesar, the Cocky Captive

Before he was Rome’s most famous general, Julius Caesar was kidnapped by pirates in the Aegean Sea.

They demanded 20 talents of silver (about $600,000 today). Caesar scoffed and insisted they raise it to 50 talents, claiming he was worth far more. During captivity, he acted like their commander — shushing them when he wished to sleep, reciting poetry, and warning he would return to punish them.

When freed, Caesar raised a fleet, hunted the pirates down, and crucified the lot — proving that even in chains, his ambition knew no bounds.

🌍 This Month in Modern Piracy (ONI Report)

The seas be restless, and the Department of Naval Intelligence keeps tally o’ the rogues that still stalk the waves. Here’s what the latest numbers reveal:

⚓ Gulf of Guinea (West Africa)

• 20 reported events in 2025 so far.

• Hijackings: none this year (down from 1 in 2023).

• Kidnappings: steady at 7 in 2025 — the most persistent threat in these waters.

• Boardings: 10 incidents, matching the last two years.

📉 Six-month trend: mostly quiet, with just a few flickers in April, May, and August.

⚓ Horn of Africa

• 4 total events in 2025 — a sharp drop from 18 in 2024.

• Hijackings peaked in 2024 (12!) but only 3 so far this year.

• August saw a lone incident; otherwise, the region’s calmer than the days of Somali pirate infamy.

📉 Six-month trend: flat seas, save for one August blip.

⚓ Southeast Asia

• Still the busiest hunting ground — 117 incidents in 2025 already, mostly boardings and attempted boardings.

• Hijackings have dropped to zero this year, but petty theft and armed boardings keep the numbers high.

📈 Six-month trend: a surge in May (23 incidents) followed by a steady decline — but September still logged a fresh report.

🗺️ Legends & Lore

The £60 Million Pirate Estate of Black-Jack Stockwell

Not all treasure lies buried beneath the sands — some fortunes end up hidden in plain sight.

Viki López-Love, age 52 of Pontypool, Wales, has launched a bold bid to reclaim a share of a fortune said to be worth £60 million. Her ancestor? None other than John “Long John” or “Black-Jack” Stockwell, a 17th-century pirate who once sailed alongside the infamous Captain William Kidd.

Kidd was first hired by the Crown to hunt pirates, but when laws shifted he himself was branded an outlaw. Stockwell, his crewmate, turned his own cut of the plunder into land holdings around London — the Stockwell-Angell estate, stretching from south of the Thames to Croydon. Worth £64 million in today’s coin, it became a hidden legacy of piracy woven into the fabric of the city.

Stockwell later returned to sea and never came back. His land passed into shadowed ownership, leaving his descendants scrambling centuries later to prove their claim.

For Viki, the discovery came as a shock. “I thought my sister was having me on,” she said. “Then I Googled it, and he did exist. I traced my ancestry and there he was, through a direct descendant named Bloodworth.”

Now she’s appealing to BBC’s Heir Hunters and anyone who might help unravel the tangle of inheritance. And she’s not the first — other Stockwell descendants have tried for their slice of the estate before.

⚓ Whether or not the courts ever award a doubloon, the saga proves that the plunder of the Golden Age still echoes in today’s ledgers and land deeds. Some treasure is buried in sand, some in the soil beneath our feet.

💰 Plunder Pick of the Week

Halloween be approachin’ fast, mates — and if ye don’t want the little buccaneers mutinyin’ at yer door, ye best be ready with the proper plunder!

🍫 Chocolate Gold for Trick-or-Treaters

Pirate Gold Chocolate Coins — shiny foil-wrapped doubloons filled with chocolate treasure. Perfect to hand out on All Hallows’ Eve, or to keep hidden in yer own chest for a midnight raid. Some reviews say the chocolate be old, so open one up to make sure they haven’t spent too much time in the hold.👉 Snag yer chocolate plunder here — but order soon, lest the tide carry it away before Halloween night!

Want treasure without the chocolate? Try this Hanaive 100 Pcs Metal Pirate Coins Treasure Chest — gleamin’ Spanish doubloon replicas fit for party favors, pirate costumes, game nights, or decor. No sweets here, just the shine of gold to spark the eyes of any landlubber. I gave these away last hallow’s eve and those little buccaneer crews were looking to spend their plunder for weeks on end.

👉 Stock yer chest with coins here before the festival season be upon ye!

🎪 Festival Forecast

Weymouth Pirate Fest — Weymouth, UK (Oct 3-5, 2025)

Set in England’s oldest port, this three-day celebration fills the harbor with pirate revelry. Three tall ships will moor at Weymouth Quay: the galleon Nao Victoria, the cutter Moonfleet, and the lugger The Mudlark.

Highlights:

• Friday Night Launch Party aboard Nao Victoria.

• Saturday Pirate Parade (11:15 AM) through town with music, buskers, and costumed antics.

• Sunday Afternoon Chill aboard Moonfleet, ending with acoustic sets at The Dolmen.

▶️ More info: Weymouth Pirate Fest

☠️ Captain’s Log

“From Lafitte’s birthday to Caesar’s chains, from modern rogues to heirs of old plunder — piracy proves it never dies, it only changes sails. As Halloween approaches, keep yer coins ready, yer tongue sharp, and remember: the sea always favors those bold enough to claim her.”

Fair winds,– Captain Blackquill

🗣️ Share the Spoils, Matey!

Know a landlubber who’d love tales of treasure, ghost ships, and real pirate history? Don’t keep the gold to yerself—send ‘em our way!

📜 Sign up here → https://www.piratefanclub.com/weeklynewsletter-thepiraterepublic

Fair winds and full inboxes!

Sail with us across the digital seas:📜 TikTok: @thepiraterepublic▶️ YouTube: The Pirate Republic

🎖️ Thanks for Embarkin’ on the Voyage

We set sail every Friday, storm or shine. Keep yer spyglass pointed at the horizon...and may yer week be full o’ plunder, parlay, and just the right amount o’ mutiny.

Share this letter with yer crewmates, an if ye find treasure or tales worth tell’n, send them to captainblackquill@gmail.com.

 Disclosure: Some links in this newsletter are affiliate links, which means we may earn doubloons (aka a small commission) if you make a purchase—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting The Pirate Republic, ya savvy sea dog!