Who was history’s most notorious pirate?
It must surely be Edward Teach, who terrorised the seas of the British Atlantic world from 1716-18, towards the end of the so-called “Golden Age of Piracy”. He killed fewer people than other pirates, captured only one major ship, and did not plunder enough goods to make himself very wealthy – yet by the time he died he was practically a household name. How did a seemingly average pirate become one of the most notorious in history?
Teach became a celebrity thanks to his nickname: Blackbeard. In an era when it was fashionable for men to be clean-shaven, he grew his black hair into a long mane and cultivated a beard that stretched halfway down his chest. During battle he placed lit tapers in his hair to make it look as if he’d emerged from the depths of hell. This image enabled him to subdue his victims through fear rather than lethal violence.
Blackbeard’s spectacular death etched his name into historic memory. On 22 November 1718, his ship was cornered off Ocracoke Island, North Carolina by British naval lieutenant Robert Maynard, who engaged the pirate captain in combat. “Well done, lad!” Blackbeard reputedly shouted, too injured to retaliate – before being decapitated. His head was then mounted on a ship’s bowsprit to be displayed up and down the eastern seaboard of North America.
The dread buccaneer’s final battle was discussed for decades, spawning a rich mythology. His skull was encased in silver and used as a drinking vessel, some said. Others claimed that Blackbeard had 14 wives and buried treasure. One thing we can be sure of, though, is that no other pirate could ever match his infamy.