Famous pirates that everyone should know about (6 photos). Famous pirates of the Caribbean, next to whom the movie Jack Sparrow is just a boy 10 most famous pirates

Yes, yes, the same Morgan, whose dynasty now stands behind the backs of many presidents of various countries and tells who and what to do.

Henry Morgan (1635-1688) became the most famous pirate in the world, enjoying a peculiar fame. This man became famous not so much for his corsair exploits as for his activities as a commander and politician. Morgan's main achievement was helping England seize control of the entire Caribbean Sea. Since childhood, Henry was restless, which affected his adult life. In a short time, he managed to be a slave, gather his own gang of thugs and get his first ship. Along the way, many people were robbed. While in the queen's service, Morgan directed his energy to the ruin of the Spanish colonies, which he did very well. As a result, everyone learned the name of the active sailor. But then the pirate unexpectedly decided to settle down - he got married, bought a house... However, his violent temper took its toll, and in his spare time, Henry realized that it was much more profitable to capture coastal cities than simply rob sea ships. One day Morgan used a cunning move. On the way to one of the cities, he took a large ship and filled it to the top with gunpowder, sending it to the Spanish port at dusk. The huge explosion led to such turmoil that there was simply no one to defend the city. So the city was taken, and the local fleet was destroyed, thanks to Morgan's cunning. While storming Panama, the commander decided to attack the city from land, sending his army bypassing the city. As a result, the maneuver was a success and the fortress fell. Morgan spent the last years of his life as Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica. His whole life passed at a frantic pirate pace, with all the delights appropriate to the occupation in the form of alcohol. Only rum defeated the brave sailor - he died of cirrhosis of the liver and was buried as a nobleman. True, the sea took his ashes - the cemetery sank into the sea after the earthquake.

Francis Drake (1540-1596) born in England, in the family of a priest. The young man began his maritime career as a cabin boy on a small merchant ship. It was there that the smart and observant Francis learned the art of navigation. Already at the age of 18, he received command of his own ship, which he inherited from the old captain. In those days, the queen blessed pirate raids, as long as they were directed against the enemies of England. During one of these voyages, Drake fell into a trap, but, despite the death of 5 other English ships, he managed to save his ship. The pirate quickly became famous for his cruelty, and fortune also loved him. Trying to take revenge on the Spaniards, Drake begins to wage his own war against them - he plunders their ships and cities. In 1572, he managed to capture the "Silver Caravan", carrying more than 30 tons of silver, which immediately made the pirate rich. An interesting feature of Drake was the fact that he not only sought to loot more, but also to visit previously unknown places. As a result, many sailors were grateful to Drake for his work in clarifying and correcting the world map. With the permission of the queen, the pirate went on a secret expedition to South America, with official version Australian Research. The expedition was a great success. Drake maneuvered so cunningly, avoiding the traps of his enemies, that he was able to travel around the world on his way home. Along the way he attacked Spanish settlements in South America, circumnavigated Africa and brought potato tubers home. The total profit from the campaign was unprecedented - more than half a million pounds sterling. At that time it was twice the budget of the entire country. As a result, right on board the ship, Drake was knighted - an unprecedented event that has no analogues in history. The apogee of the pirate's greatness came at the end of the 16th century, when he took part as an admiral in the defeat of the Invincible Armada. Later, the pirate’s luck turned away; during one of his subsequent voyages to the American shores, he fell ill with tropical fever and died.

Edward Teach (1680-1718) better known by his nickname Blackbeard. It was because of this external attribute that Teach was considered a terrible monster. The first mention of the activities of this corsair dates back only to 1717; what the Englishman did before that remains unknown. Based on indirect evidence, one can guess that he was a soldier, but deserted and became a filibuster. Then he was already a pirate, terrifying people with his beard, which covered almost his entire face. Teach was very brave and courageous, which earned him respect from other pirates. He wove wicks into his beard, which, when smoking, terrified his opponents. In 1716, Edward was given command of his sloop to conduct privateering operations against the French. Soon Teach captured a larger ship and made it his flagship, renaming it Queen Anne's Revenge. At this time, the pirate operates in the Jamaica area, robbing everyone and recruiting new henchmen. By the beginning of 1718, Tich already had 300 people under his command. Within a year, he managed to capture more than 40 ships. All the pirates knew that the bearded man was hiding treasure on some uninhabited island, but no one knew where exactly. The pirate's outrages against the British and his plunder of the colonies forced the authorities to announce a hunt for Blackbeard. A massive reward was announced and Lieutenant Maynard was hired to hunt down Teach. In November 1718, the pirate was overtaken by the authorities and killed during the battle. Teach's head was cut off and his body was suspended from a yardarm.

William Kidd (1645-1701). Born in Scotland near the docks, the future pirate decided to connect his destiny with the sea from childhood. In 1688, Kidd, a simple sailor, survived a shipwreck near Haiti and was forced to become a pirate. In 1689, betraying his comrades, William took possession of the frigate, calling it the Blessed William. With the help of a privateering patent, Kidd took part in the war against the French. In the winter of 1690, part of the team left him, and Kidd decided to settle down. He married a rich widow, taking possession of lands and property. But the pirate’s heart demanded adventure, and now, 5 years later, he is already a captain again. The powerful frigate "Brave" was designed to rob, but only the French. After all, the expedition was sponsored by the state, which did not need unnecessary political scandals. However, the sailors, seeing the meager profits, periodically rebelled. The capture of a rich ship with French goods did not save the situation. Fleeing from his former subordinates, Kidd surrendered into the hands of the English authorities. The pirate was taken to London, where he quickly became a bargaining chip in the fight political parties. On charges of piracy and the murder of a ship's officer (who was the instigator of the mutiny), Kidd was sentenced to death. In 1701, the pirate was hanged, and his body hung in an iron cage over the Thames for 23 years, as a warning to the corsairs of imminent punishment.

Mary Read (1685-1721). From childhood, girls were dressed in boy's clothes. So the mother tried to hide the death of her early deceased son. At age 15, Mary joined the army. In the battles in Flanders, under the name Mark, she showed miracles of courage, but she never received any advancement. Then the woman decided to join the cavalry, where she fell in love with her colleague. After the end of hostilities, the couple got married. However, the happiness did not last long, her husband died unexpectedly, Mary, dressed in men's clothing, became a sailor. The ship fell into the hands of pirates, and the woman was forced to join them, cohabiting with the captain. In battle, Mary wore a man's uniform, participating in skirmishes along with everyone else. Over time, the woman fell in love with the artisan who helped the pirate. They even got married and were going to put an end to the past. But even here the happiness did not last long. Pregnant Reed was caught by authorities. When she was caught along with other pirates, she said that she committed the robberies against her will. However, other pirates showed that there was no one more determined than Mary Read in the matter of plundering and boarding ships. The court did not dare to hang the pregnant woman; she patiently awaited her fate in a Jamaican prison, not fearing a shameful death. But a strong fever finished her off early.

Olivier (Francois) le Vasseur became the most famous French pirate. He was nicknamed "La Blues", or "the buzzard". A Norman nobleman of noble origin was able to turn the island of Tortuga (now Haiti) into an impregnable fortress of filibusters. Initially, Le Vasseur was sent to the island to protect the French settlers, but he quickly expelled the British (according to other sources, the Spaniards) from there and began to pursue his own policy. Being a talented engineer, the Frenchman designed a well-fortified fortress. Le Vasseur issued a filibuster with very dubious documents for the right to hunt the Spaniards, taking the lion's share of the spoils for himself. In fact, he became the leader of the pirates, without taking direct part in the hostilities. When the Spaniards failed to take the island in 1643, and were surprised to find fortifications, Le Vasseur's authority grew noticeably. He finally refused to obey the French and pay royalties to the crown. However, the deteriorating character, tyranny and tyranny of the Frenchman led to the fact that in 1652 he was killed by his own friends. According to legend, Le Vasseur collected and hid the largest treasure of all time, worth £235 million in today's money. Information about the location of the treasure was kept in the form of a cryptogram on the governor's neck, but the gold remained undiscovered.

William Dampier (1651-1715) often referred to not just as a pirate, but also as a scientist. After all, he completed three voyages around the world, discovering many islands in the Pacific Ocean. Having been orphaned early, William chose the sea path. At first he took part in trade voyages, and then he managed to fight. In 1674, the Englishman came to Jamaica as a trading agent, but his career in this capacity did not work out, and Dampier was forced to again become a sailor on a merchant ship. After exploring the Caribbean, William settled on the Gulf Coast, on the Yucatan coast. Here he found friends in the form of runaway slaves and filibusters. Dampier's further life revolved around the idea of ​​traveling around Central America, plundering Spanish settlements on land and sea. He sailed in the waters of Chile, Panama, and New Spain. Dhampir almost immediately began keeping notes about his adventures. As a result, his book “A New Journey Around the World” was published in 1697, which made him famous. Dampier became a member of the most prestigious houses in London, entered the royal service and continued his research, writing new book. However, in 1703, on an English ship, Dampier continued a series of robberies of Spanish ships and settlements in the Panama region. In 1708-1710 he took part as a navigator of a corsair round the world expedition. The works of the pirate scientist turned out to be so valuable for science that he is considered to be one of the fathers of modern oceanography.

Zheng Shi (1785-1844) considered one of the most successful pirates. The scale of her actions will be indicated by the facts that she commanded a fleet of 2,000 ships, on which more than 70 thousand sailors served. The 16-year-old prostitute "Madame Jing" married the famous pirate Zheng Yi. After his death in 1807, the widow inherited a pirate fleet of 400 ships. Corsairs not only attacked merchant ships off the coast of China, but also sailed deep into river mouths, ravaging coastal settlements. The emperor was so surprised by the actions of the pirates that he sent his fleet against them, but this did not have significant consequences. The key to Zheng Shi's success was the strict discipline she established on the courts. It put an end to traditional pirate freedoms - robbery of allies and rape of prisoners was punishable by death. However, as a result of the betrayal of one of her captains, the female pirate in 1810 was forced to conclude a truce with the authorities. Her further career took place as the owner of a brothel and a gambling den. The story of a female pirate is reflected in literature and cinema; there are many legends about her.

Edward Lau (1690-1724) also known as Ned Lau. For most of his life, this man lived in petty theft. In 1719, his wife died in childbirth, and Edward realized that from now on nothing would tie him to home. After 2 years, he became a pirate operating near the Azores, New England and the Caribbean. This time is considered the end of the age of piracy, but Lau became famous for the fact that in a short time he managed to capture more than a hundred ships, while showing rare bloodthirstiness.

Arouj Barbarossa (1473-1518) became a pirate at age 16 after the Turks captured his home island of Lesbos. Already at the age of 20, Barbarossa became a merciless and brave corsair. Having escaped from captivity, he soon captured a ship for himself, becoming the leader. Arouj entered into an agreement with the Tunisian authorities, who allowed him to set up a base on one of the islands in exchange for a share of the spoils. As a result, Urouge's pirate fleet terrorized all Mediterranean ports. Getting involved in politics, Arouj eventually became the ruler of Algeria under the name of Barbarossa. However, the fight against the Spaniards did not bring success to the Sultan - he was killed. His work was continued by his younger brother, known as Barbaross the Second.

Bartholomew Roberts (1682-1722)

Captain Bartholomew Roberts is no ordinary pirate. He was born in 1682. Roberts was the most successful pirate of his time, always well and tastefully dressed, with excellent manners, he did not drink alcohol, read the Bible and fought without removing the cross from his neck, which greatly surprised his fellow corsairs. A stubborn and brave young man who set foot on the slippery path of sea adventures and robberies, during his short four-year career as a filibuster, he became quite a famous person of that time. Roberts died in a fierce battle and was buried, in accordance with his will, at sea.

Sam Bellamy (1689-1717)

Love led Sam Bellamy to the path of sea robbery. Twenty-year-old Sam fell in love with Maria Hallett, the love was mutual, but the girl’s parents did not let her marry Sam. He was poor. And in order to prove to the whole world the right to the hand of Maria Bellamy, she becomes a filibuster. He went down in history as “Black Sam.” He got his nickname because he preferred his unruly black hair to a powdered wig, tying it in a knot. At his core, Captain Bellamy was known as a noble man; dark-skinned people served on his ships along with white pirates, which was simply unthinkable in the era of slavery. The ship on which he sailed to meet his beloved Maria Hallett was caught in a storm and sank. Black Sam died without leaving the captain's bridge.

My grandmother smokes a pipe in her little room in her Khrushchev house,
My grandmother smokes a pipe and through the smoke she sees the waves of the seas.
All the pirates in the world are afraid of her and are rightfully proud of her
Because grandma robs and burns their frigates,
But it spares the elderly and children!
Sukachev Garik and the Untouchables

M ama is a pirate... what could be more authoritative for a child, and it helps to keep her husband in line.
Most people associate the word “pirate” with the image of a bearded sea robber with one leg and a pinned eye. However, among the successful famous pirates there were not only men, but also women. This post is about some of them.


Listen or download My Grandmother Smoking a Pipe for free on ProstoPlayer

Scandinavian pirate princess Alvilda

Alvilda is considered one of the first pirates, who robbed the waters of Scandinavia during the early Middle Ages. According to legend, this medieval princess, the daughter of a Gothic king (or king from the island of Gotland), decided to become a “sea Amazon” in order to avoid the marriage forced on her to Alf, the son of a powerful Danish king.

Having gone on a pirate voyage with a crew of young women dressed in men's clothes, she turned into the number one “star” among sea robbers. Since Alvilda’s dashing raids posed a serious threat to merchant shipping and the inhabitants of the coastal regions of Denmark, Prince Alf himself set off in pursuit of her, not realizing that the object of his pursuit was the coveted Alvilda.

Having killed most of the sea robbers, he entered into a duel with their leader and forced him to surrender. How surprised the Danish prince was when the pirate leader took off his helmet from his head and appeared before him in the guise of a young beauty whom he dreamed of marrying! Alvilda appreciated the perseverance of the heir to the Danish crown and his ability to swing a sword. The wedding took place right there, on board the pirate ship. The prince swore to the princess to love her to the grave, and she solemnly promised him never to go to sea without him again.

Everyone died... Hallelujah! Is the story told true? Researchers have discovered that the tale of Alwilda was first told to readers by the monk Saxo Grammaticus (1140 - ca. 1208) in his famous work “The Acts of the Danes.” Most likely he learned about it from the ancient Scandinavian sagas.

Jeanne de Belleville

The Breton noblewoman Jeanne de Belleville, who was married to the knight de Clisson, became a pirate not out of love for adventure and wealth, but out of a desire for revenge.

In the period 1337-1453, with several interruptions, there was a war between England and France, which went down in history as the Hundred Years' War. Jeanne de Belleville's husband was accused of treason.
King Philip II of France ordered his arrest, and without any evidence or trial, on August 2, 1943, he was handed over to the executioner. The widow Jeanne de Belleville-Clison, known for her beauty, charm and hospitality, vowed brutal revenge. She sold her property and bought three fast ships. According to another version, she went to England, achieved an audience with King Edward and, thanks to her beauty... received three fast ships from the monarch for corsair operations against France.

She commanded one ship herself, the others - her two sons. The small fleet, dubbed the "Channel Fleet of Vengeance", became the "scourge of God" in French coastal waters. The pirates mercilessly sent French ships to the bottom, devastating the coastal areas. They say that everyone who was to cross the English Channel on a French ship first of all wrote a will.

For several years the squadron plundered French merchant ships, often even attacking warships. Zhanna took part in battles and was excellent at wielding both a saber and a boarding axe. As a rule, she ordered the crew of a captured ship to be completely destroyed. It is not surprising that Philip VI soon gave the order to “catch the witch dead or alive.”

And one day the French managed to surround the pirate ships. Seeing that the forces were unequal, Jeanne showed real cunning - with several sailors she launched a longboat and, together with her sons and a dozen oarsmen, left the battlefield, abandoning her comrades.

However, fate cruelly repaid her for her betrayal. For ten days, the fugitives wandered around the sea - because they had no navigational instruments. Several people died of thirst (among them Jeanne's youngest son). On the eleventh day, the surviving pirates reached the shores of France. There they were sheltered by a friend of the executed de Belleville.
After this, Jeanne de Belleville, who is considered the first female pirate, left her bloody craft and married again. Popular rumor said: she began to embroider with beads, got a lot of cats and settled down. This is what the life-giving cross does, what a successful marriage means...

Leat Kiligra

Some two hundred years after Joan of Belleville, a new female pirate appeared in the English Channel: Lady Kiligru. This lady led a double life: in society she is the respected wife of Governor Lord John Killigru in the port city of Falmet, and at the same time secretly commands pirate ships that attack merchant ships mainly in Falmet Bay. Lady Kiligru's tactics proved successful for a long time, as she never left any living witnesses.

One day a heavily laden Spanish ship entered the bay. Before the captain and crew came to their senses, the pirates attacked and captured him. The captain managed to take cover and was very surprised to discover that the pirates were commanded by a young and very beautiful woman, who could compete with men in cruelty. The Spanish captain reached the shore and quickly headed to the city of Falmet to inform the royal governor of the attack. To his new surprise, he saw the pirate sitting next to the governor, Lord Kiligru. Lord Kiligru controlled two fortresses, whose task was to ensure the smooth navigation of ships in the bay. The captain kept silent about what happened and immediately left for London. By order of the king, an investigation began, which brought unexpected results.

It turned out that Lady Kiligru carried violent pirate blood in her, as she was the daughter of the famous pirate Philip Wolversten from Sofolk, and as a girl she participated in pirate attacks. Thanks to her marriage to a lord, she acquired a position in society, and at the same time created a large pirate company that operated not only in the English Channel, but also in neighboring waters. During the process, many mysterious cases of disappearances of merchant ships were revealed, which until now were attributed to “supernatural forces.”

Lord Kiligru was condemned to death and executed. His wife also received a death sentence, but the king later commuted it to life imprisonment.

Mary Ann Blyde

Irish Mary was exceptionally tall for her time - 190 cm and unearthly beauty. She became a pirate completely by accident, but devoted herself entirely to this dangerous activity. One day she was heading on a ship to America and was captured by the most famous sea pirate in history - Edward Titch, nicknamed Blackbeard. Thanks to her good upbringing, Mary Ann Blyde remained with her captor. She soon proved herself to be an excellent student of Tichch and received her own ship. Her passion was jewelry and precious stones. They say that together with Tichch she accumulated treasures worth $70 million, and together they buried them somewhere on the shores of North Carolina. The treasure has not yet been discovered.

All pirates, both men and women, who do not die in battle end their lives ingloriously: they are usually sentenced to death or life imprisonment. Mary Ann, however, had a different fate. In 1729, during an attack on a Spanish ship, she fell in love with young man who was traveling on this ship. The young man agreed to marry her, but on the condition that she give up her occupation. The two of them run away to Peru, and there their traces are lost...

Anne Bonney

Anne Cormack (her maiden name) was born in a small Irish town in 1698. This red-haired beauty with a wild temperament became an icon of the Golden Age of Piracy (1650-1730s) after secretly throwing in her lot with a common sailor named James Bonney. Anne's father, a respected man, upon learning of his daughter's marriage, disowned her, after which she and her newly-made husband were forced to leave for the Bahamas, which at that time was called the Pirate Republic, a place where slackers and slackers lived. Happy family life Bonnie didn't last long.

After divorcing her husband, Anne met the pirate Jack Rackham, who became her lover. Together with him, she went on the ship “Revenge” to the open sea to rob merchant ships. In October 1720, members of Rackham's crew, including Anne and her bosom friend Mary Read, were captured by the British. Bonnie blamed her lover for everything. On their last meeting in prison, she told him the following: “It’s a pity to see you here, but if you had fought like a man, you wouldn’t have been hanged like a dog.”

Rackham was executed. Bonnie's pregnancy allowed her to obtain a reprieve from her death sentence. However, it is nowhere recorded in historical records that it was ever put into action. Rumor has it that Ann's influential father paid a huge sum of money to have his unlucky daughter released.

Mary Read

Mary Read was born in London in 1685. Since childhood, by the will of fate, she was forced to portray a boy. Her mother, the widow of a sea captain, dressed the illegitimate girl in the clothes of her early deceased son in order to lure money from her wealthy mother-in-law, who did not know about the death of her grandson. Pretending to be a man in the Renaissance was easy, since all men's fashion was very similar to women's (long wigs, big hats, lush outfits, boots), which Mary managed to do.

At age 15, Mary enlisted in the British Army under the name Mark Reid. During her service, she fell in love with a Flemish soldier. Their happiness was short-lived. He died unexpectedly, and Mary, again dressed as a man, set off on a ship to the West Indies. On the way, the ship was captured by pirates. Reed decided to stay with them.

In 1720, Mary joined the crew of the ship Revenge, owned by Jack Rackham. At first, only Bonnie and her lover knew that she was a woman, who often flirted with “Mark,” making Anne wildly jealous. After a couple of months, the entire team knew about Reed’s secret.

After the ship Revenge was captured by pirate hunter Captain Jonathan Barnet, Mary, like Anne, managed to defer her death sentence due to pregnancy. But fate still overtook her. She died in her prison cell on April 28, 1721, from puerperal fever. What happened to her child is unknown. Some suspect he died during childbirth.

Sadie "Goat"

Sadie Farrell, an American sea robber of the 19th century, received her rare nickname due to the strange way she committed her crimes. On the streets of New York, Sadie gained a reputation as a merciless robber who attacked her victims with severe headbutts. It is said that Sadie was kicked out of Manhattan after she got into an argument with a fellow criminal, Gallus Mag, which resulted in her losing part of her ear.

In the spring of 1869, Sadie joined the Charles Street street gang and became its leader after she stole a moored sloop on a bet. Farrell and her new crew, flying a black flag with the Jolly Roger, sailed the Hudson and Harlem rivers, along the way plundering the farm estates and mansions of the rich along the banks, and sometimes kidnapping people for ransom.

By the end of the summer, such fishing became too risky as farmers began to defend their property by shooting without warning at an approaching sloop. Sadie Farrell was forced to return to Manhattan and make peace with Gallus Mag. She returned a piece of her ear, which she kept for posterity in a jar with a special solution. Sadie, from then on known as the "Queen of the Harbor", placed it in a locket, which she never parted with for the rest of her life.

Illyrian Queen Teuta

After Teutha's husband, the Illyrian king Agron, died in 231 BC, she took the reins of power into her own hands, since her stepson Pinnes was then too young. In the first four years of her reign over the Ardiei tribe, which lived on the territory of the modern Balkan Peninsula, Teuta encouraged piracy as a means of struggle against the powerful neighbors of Illyria. Adriatic sea robbers not only robbed Roman merchant ships, but also helped the queen recapture a number of settlements, including Dyrrachium, and Phoenicia. Over time, they expanded their influence into the Ionian Sea, terrorizing the trade routes of Greece and Italy.

In 229 BC, the Romans sent envoys to Teuta, who expressed dissatisfaction with the scale of the Adriatic pirates and called on her to influence her subjects. The queen responded to their requests with ridicule, declaring that piracy, according to Illyrian ideas, was a legitimate craft. How the Roman ambassadors reacted to this is unknown, but apparently not very politely, since after meeting Teutha one of them was killed and the other was sent to prison. This was the reason for the start of the war between Rome and Illyria, which lasted two years. Teutha was forced to admit defeat and make peace on extremely unfavorable terms. Ardiei was obliged to pay Rome a onerous tribute annually.

Teuta continued to oppose Roman rule, for which she lost her throne. There is no information about her further fate in history.

Jacotte Delaye

Jacotte Delaye was born in the 17th century to a French father and a Haitian mother. Her mother died in childbirth. After Jacotte's father was killed, she was left alone with her younger brother, who suffered from mental retardation. This forced the red-haired girl to take up the pirate trade.

In the 1660s, Jacotte had to fake her own death in order to escape persecution by government troops. She lived for several years under male name. When everything calmed down, Jacotte returned to her previous activities, taking the nickname “Red-haired, returned from the other world.”

Breton lioness

Jeanne de Clisson was the wife of the wealthy nobleman Olivier III de Clisson. They lived happily, raising five children, but when the war between England and France began, her husband was accused of treason and executed by beheading. Joan swore revenge on King Philip VI of France.

The widow de Clisson sold all her lands in order to buy three warships, which she christened the Black Fleet. Their crew consisted of merciless and cruel corsairs. Between 1343 and 1356, they attacked the French king's ships sailing across the English Channel, killing crew members and beheading with an ax any aristocrats unfortunate enough to be on board.

Jeanne de Clisson engaged in sea robbery for 13 years, after which she settled in England and married Sir Walter Bentley, a lieutenant in the army of the English King Edward III. She later returned to France, where she died in 1359.

Anne Dieu-le-Veux

The Frenchwoman Anne Dieu-le-Veux, whose surname translates as “God wants it,” had a stubborn and strong character. She arrived on the island of Tortuga in the Caribbean in the late 60s or early 70s of the 17th century. Here she became a mother and a widow twice. Ironically, Anne's third husband was the man who killed her second husband. Dieu-le-Veux challenged Laurence de Graaff to a duel to avenge the death of her late lover. The Dutch pirate was so fascinated by Anne's courage that he refused to shoot himself and offered her his hand and heart. On July 26, 1693, they got married and had two children.

After her marriage, Dieu-le-Veux went to the open sea with her new husband. Most of his crew believed that the presence of a woman on the ship promised bad luck. The lovers themselves laughed at this superstition. No one knows exactly how their love story ended.

According to one version, Anne Dieu-le-Veux became the captain of de Graaff's ship after he was killed in a cannonball explosion. Some historians suggest that the couple fled to Mississippi in 1698, where they may have continued to engage in piracy.

Saida Al-Hurra

A contemporary and ally of the Turkish corsair Barbarossa, Saida Al-Hurra became the last queen of Tetouan (Morocco); She inherited power after the death of her husband in 1515. Her real name is unknown. “Saida Al-Hurra” can be roughly translated into Russian as “a noble lady, free and independent; a female overlord who does not recognize any power over herself.”

Saida Al-Hurra ruled Tetouan from 1515 to 1542, controlling the western Mediterranean with her pirate fleet while Barbarossa terrorized the eastern. Al-Hurra decided to take up piracy in order to take revenge on the “Christian enemies” who forced her family to flee the city in 1492 (following the conquest of Granada by Catholic monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile).

At the peak of her power, Al-Hurra married the King of Morocco, but refused to give him the reins of Tetouan. In 1542, Saida was overthrown by her stepson. She lost all power and property; nothing is known about her further fate. It is believed that she died in poverty.

Grace O'MailBald Grainne"

Grace was also called the “pirate queen” and “the witch of Rockfleet.” . ABOUT It’s impossible to write briefly for this woman))) everything in her life was so interesting and confusing. Dumas smokes nervously. She was so famous that Queen Elizabeth I of England herself met her.

Grace was born around 1530 in Ireland, in the family of the leader of the O'Malley clan, Owen Dubdara (Umall-Uakhtara). According to legend, she “went bald” by cutting her hair in response to her father’s remark that a woman on a ship was a bad omen, and after her father’s death she defeated her brother Indulf in a knife fight, becoming a leader.

Having married O'Flaherty's taniste, Domhnall the Warlike, Granual became the head of her husband's fleet. The marriage produced three children: Owen, Murrow and Margaret.
In 1560, Domhnall was killed, and Granual went to Clare Island with two hundred volunteers. Here she (continuing her pirate activities) fell in love with the aristocrat Hugh de Lacy, who, however, was killed by the McMahon clan hostile to him. Granual, in response to this murder, took their fortress and killed the entire clan.

A year later, she announced a divorce and did not return the castle; however, she managed to give birth to a son, Tibbot, in this marriage. According to legend, on the second day after giving birth, her ship was attacked by Algerian pirates, and Granual inspired her people to fight, declaring that giving birth was worse than fighting. Considering that men won’t have to give birth anyway, this is a questionable motivation. Apparently women's logic was the most logical back then....

Gradually capturing the entire coast of Mayo, except for Rockfleet Castle, Granual married (according to Irish tradition, in the format of a “trial marriage” for a year) Iron Richard from the Berk clan.

There were defeats in Grania's life; One day the British took her prisoner and placed her in Dublin Castle. Somehow the pirate managed to escape, and on the way back she tried to spend the night in Howth. She was not allowed in; the next morning she kidnapped the burgomaster's son, who had gone out hunting, and released him free of charge, but with the condition that the doors of the city were to be open to everyone seeking lodging for the night, and there should be a place for them at every table.

Queen Elizabeth hosted her twice and wanted to attract her to her service. The first time, at the entrance, Grace's hidden dagger was taken away and Elizabeth was very concerned about the fact that it was there. Grace then refused to bow before the queen because she “did not recognize her as the Queen of Ireland.”
When Grace took a sip of snuff, one of the noble ladies handed her a handkerchief. Having used it for its intended purpose, that is, blowing her nose, she threw the handkerchief into the nearest fireplace. Responding to Elizabeth's astonished look, Grace stated that in Ireland, once used, a handkerchief is thrown away.

This meeting was captured in an engraving, the only lifetime depiction of the pirate; Even the color of her hair is unknown, traditionally considered black, according to her father’s nickname, but in one of the poems called red. History is silent about why she was called bald.

The pirate queen died in the same year as the Queen of England - in 1603.

Zheng Shi

Zheng Shi gained fame as the most merciless sea robber in history. Before meeting the famous Chinese pirate Zheng Yi, she made her living as a prostitute. In 1801, the lovers got married. Yi's fleet was huge; it consisted of 300 ships and about 30 thousand corsairs.

On November 16, 1807, Zheng Yi died. His fleet passed into the hands of his wife, Zheng Shi ("Zheng's widow"). Zhang Bao, the son of a fisherman, whom Yi kidnapped and adopted, helped her manage everything. They turned out to be a great team. By 1810, the fleet consisted of 1,800 ships and 80,000 crew members. Zheng Shi's ships were subject to strict laws. Those who violated them paid for it with their heads. In 1810, Zheng Shi's fleet and authority weakened, and she was forced to conclude a truce with the emperor and go over to the side of the authorities.

Zheng Shi became the most successful and richest sea robber of all time. She died at the age of 69.

Madame Shan Wong

200 years after the death of the first Chinese “pirate queen”, in the same waters where her fleets were robbing, a completely worthy successor to her work appeared, who rightfully won the same title. A former Cantonese nightclub dancer named Shang, who became famous as China's most seductive diva, married no less famous person. His name was Wong Kungkim, he was the largest pirate chieftain in Southeast Asia, who began robbing merchant ships back in 1940.
His wife, Madame Wong, as she was called by friends and foes, was a faithful friend and intelligent assistant to the pirate in all his operations. But in 1946, Wong Kungkit died. The story of his death is mysterious; it is believed that the pirate’s competitors are to blame. When in the end, two of Wong Kungkit's closest assistants came to the widow so that she would purely formally (since everything had already been decided by these two) approve the candidacy they named for the post of head of the corporation. “Unfortunately, there are two of you,” the madam answered, without looking up from the toilet, “and the company needs one head...” After these words, the madam turned sharply, and the men saw that she was holding a revolver in each hand. This is how Madam Wong’s “coronation” took place, because after this incident there were no people willing to talk to her about power in the corporation.

Since then, her power over the pirates has been unquestioned. Her first independent operation was an attack on the Dutch steamer Van Heutz, which was boarded at night at the anchorage. In addition to the seizure of the cargo, everyone who was on board was robbed. Madam Wong's haul amounted to more than 400 thousand pounds sterling. She herself rarely took part in raids and in such cases always wore a mask.
The police of coastal countries, knowing that the pirates were led by a woman named Madame Wong, could not publish her portrait, which negated the possibility of her capture. It was announced that a reward of 10 thousand pounds would be awarded for her photograph, and whoever caught or killed Madame Wong could name the amount of the reward, and the authorities of Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines would guarantee payment of such a sum.
And one day the chief of the Singapore police received a package with photographs on which it was written that they were related to Madame Wong. These were photographs of two Chinese men being cut into pieces. The caption read: They wanted to take a photo of Madame Wong.

That's almost all...

The theme of beautiful women among pirates is glorified by cinema... and will only gain popularity every year.

Pictures (C) on the Internet. If they are highly artistic and colorful, then they have no relation to the pirate being described. I apologize to them and to you, I am sure real life they looked more impressive...

From the 17th century to the early 18th century, pirates owned many of the famous ships. Their combined fleet was capable of repelling the navies of the most powerful nations. Often, pirates captured powerful warships, changed their names and turned them into their flagships, 15 of which are described in the list below.

Top 15 most famous pirate ships

Wanderer

Charles Vane was a notorious pirate who terrorized French and English ships and plundered gold and treasure. He tortured sailors for information and always captured ships that were better than his. He renamed each of his captured ships "Pathfinder". However, the Spanish brig captured in 1718 was given the name "Wanderer".

Rising Sun

The owner of this ship was Captain William Moody. The pirate ruled the Caribbean on his ship with 36 guns and a crew of 150 people. As a rule, all the ships he captured were plundered and burned.

Speaker

In 1699, Captain George Booth captured a 45-ton Indian slave ship and named it the Orator. This was his most precious prize, which had a long service as pirate ship even after George's death. The Orator ran aground in 1701 off the coast of Madagascar.

Revenge

Originally named "Caroline", his name quickly changed after John Gow and other crew members mutinied and killed the captain as well as soldiers loyal to him. Gow took over as captain, and renamed the ship "Revenge".

Bachelor's Delight

40 gun ship under the command of John Cook and Edward Davis. In 1684, this pirate ship was captured by them in West Africa and attacked many Spanish cities and ships throughout South America.

flying dragon

After Christopher Condent became a pirate and began wreaking havoc on the Atlantic, he came across a Dutch ship, captured it, and renamed it the Flying Dragon. This ship brought even greater success to Condent, allowing him to capture other ships and treasures at sea.

William

The small but fast twelve-ton sloop carried only four guns and had about thirteen crew members. He was captured by Captain Anne Bonny, also known as "Toothless Annie". Under Bonnie's command, the ship caused true terror in the Caribbean.

Kingston

Jack "Calico Jack" Rackham was a member of the pirate crew under the command of Captain Charles Vane. He later became a captain in his own right and eventually got his hands on a very large Jamaican ship called the Kingston. Using this ship as their flagship, Rackham and his crew were able to evade capture for a long time.

Satisfaction

At the helm of this ship was Captain Henry Morgan. In the 17th century he was a privateer in England and was considered very successful, excelling in capturing ships of the Spanish fleet. Ultimately, however, the Satisfaction succumbed to the battle against powerful storms and reefs.

Rebecca

This 6-gun ship belonged to the ruthless Edward Lowe, and was given to him by Captain George Lowther. With the Rebecca, Lowe was able to expand his pirate power and had significant successes on the seas. He later replaced the Rebecca with a large fishing vessel.

Adventure

Built in 1695 by Captain William Kidd, the ship could sail at 14 knots and was armed with 32 cannons. The ship was initially used as a privateer to hunt down pirates until Kidd became one of the sea robbers himself.

Sudden death

Once the Russian ship "Man of War" with 70 crew, it was captured by the pirate John Derdrake off the coast of Norway. Derdrake, at the time, had a much smaller ship, but he somehow found a way to capture such a formidable vessel. The new owner gave him the name "Sudden Death".

Pride

It was the favorite ship of Jean Laffite, the notorious Louisiana war hero, pirate, privateer, spy and governor. He made much of his business out of the Pride and made the ship his home. When the United States government began catching him for piracy, he burned his colony and headed south, continuing to ravage South American shores.

Saint James

Captured by pirate captain Howell Davis, this 26-gun ship was the flagship of his fleet after he raided Mayo Island. This ship contributed to the turning point in his pirate career. Davis became admiral over two other pirate captains and captured four large English and Dutch ships loaded with ivory and gold.

Queen Anne's Revenge

Owned by the infamous pirate Blackbeard, this ship is almost as famous as its captain. It was a French ship converted into a pirate ship, armed to the teeth with 40 cannons and carrying a large number of armed crew. Instead of engaging in bloody battles, Blackbeard intimidated his prey, and it often worked. Queen Anne's Revenge sank in 1718 and was found again off the coast of North Carolina in 1996.

Pirates, “gentlemen of fortune” have always terrified the population of coastal cities. They were feared, raided, executed, but interest in their adventures never waned.

Madame Jin is her son's wife

Madame Jin, or Zheng Shi, was the most famous "sea robber" of her time. The army of pirates under her command terrified the coastal cities of Eastern and Southeast China in early XIX V. Under her command there were about 2,000 ships and 70,000 people, which even the large fleet of the Qing Emperor Jia-ching (1760-1820), sent in 1807 to defeat the willful pirates and capture the powerful Jin, could not defeat.

Zheng Shi's youth was unenviable - she had to engage in prostitution: she was ready to sell her body for hard cash. At the age of fifteen, she was kidnapped by a pirate named Zheng Yi, who, like a true gentleman, took her as his wife (after marriage she received the name Zheng Shi, which meant “Zheng’s wife”). After the wedding, they went to the shores of Vietnam, where the newly-made couple and their pirates, attacking one of the coastal villages, kidnapped a boy (the same age as Zheng Shi) - Zhang Baotsai - whom Zheng Yi and Zheng Shi adopted, since the latter could not have children. Zhang Baozai became Zheng Yi's lover, which apparently did not bother the young wife at all. When her husband died in a storm in 1807, Madame Jin inherited a fleet of 400 ships. Under her, there was iron discipline in the flotilla, and nobility was not alien to it, if this quality can be correlated with piracy at all. Madame Jin sentenced the perpetrators to death for the plunder of fishing villages and the rape of captive women. For unauthorized absence from the ship, the culprit's left ear was cut off, which was then presented to the entire crew for intimidation.

Zheng Shi married her stepson, putting her in command of her fleet. But not everyone on Madame Jin’s team was happy with the woman’s power (especially after the unsuccessful attempt of two captains to woo her, one of whom Zheng Shi shot). The dissatisfied rebelled and surrendered to the mercy of the authorities. This undermined Madame Jin's authority, which forced her to negotiate with the emperor's representatives. As a result, according to the agreement of 1810, she went over to the side of the authorities, and her husband received a sinecure (a position that did not give any real powers) in the Chinese government. After retiring from pirate affairs, Madame Zheng settled in Guangzhou, where she ran a brothel and gambling den until her death at the age of 60.

Arouj Barbarossa - Sultan of Algeria

This pirate, who terrorized the cities and villages of the Mediterranean, was a cunning and resourceful warrior. He was born in 1473 in the family of a Greek potter who converted to Islam, and from a young age, together with his brother Atzor, began to engage in piracy. Urouj went through captivity and slavery on the galleys owned by the Ionite knights, from which his brother ransomed him. The time spent in slavery hardened Urouge; he plundered ships belonging to Christian kings with particular cruelty. So in 1504 Arouj attacked galleys loaded with valuable cargo that belonged to Pope Julius II. He managed to capture one of the two galleys, the second tried to escape. Arunj used a trick: he ordered some of his sailors to put on the uniform of soldiers from the captured galley. Then the pirates moved to the galley and took their own ship in tow, thus simulating the complete victory of the papal soldiers. Soon the lagging galley appeared. The sight of a pirate ship in tow caused a surge of enthusiasm among Christians, and the ship approached the “trophy” without any fear. At that moment, Urouge gave a sign, after which the crew of pirates began to brutally kill the fugitives. This event significantly increased Arouj's authority among the Muslim Arabs of North Africa.

In 1516, in the wake of the Arab uprising against the Spanish troops settled in Algeria, Aruj proclaimed himself sultan under the name Barbarossa (Redbeard), after which he, with even greater zeal and cruelty, began to plunder the cities of southern Spain, France, and Italy, amassing enormous wealth. The Spaniards sent a large expeditionary force (about 10,000 people) led by the Marquis de Comares against him. He managed to defeat the army of Arouj, and the latter began to retreat, taking with him the wealth accumulated over the years. And, as the legend says, along the entire retreat route Arouj, in order to delay his pursuers, scattered silver and gold. But this did not help, and Urouj died, his head was cut off along with the pirates loyal to him.

Forced to be a man

One of the famous pirates who lived at the turn of the 17th-18th centuries, Mary Reed, was forced to hide her gender all her life. Even as a child, her parents prepared a fate for her - to “take the place” of her brother, who died shortly before Mary was born. She was an illegitimate child. To hide the shame, the mother, having given birth to a girl, gave her to her rich mother-in-law, having previously dressed her daughter in the clothes of her deceased son. Mary was a “grandson” in the eyes of her unsuspecting grandmother, and all the time the girl was growing up, her mother dressed and raised her as a boy. At the age of 15, Mary went to Flanders and joined an infantry regiment as a cadet (still dressed as a man, under the name Mark). According to the memoirs of contemporaries, she was a brave fighter, but still could not advance in the service and transferred to the cavalry. There, gender took its toll - Mary met a man with whom she fell passionately in love. Only to him did she reveal that she was a woman, and they soon got married. After the wedding, they rented a house near the castle in Breda (Holland) and equipped the Three Horseshoes tavern there.

But fate was not favorable; soon Mary’s husband died, and she, again disguised as a man, went to the West Indies. The ship she was sailing on was captured by English pirates. Here a fateful meeting took place: she met the famous pirate Anne Bonny (a woman dressed as a man, just like her) and her lover John Rackham. Mary joined them. Moreover, she and Anne began to cohabit with Rackham, forming a bizarre “love triangle.” The personal courage and bravery of this trio made them famous throughout Europe.

Scientist Pirate

William Dampier, born into an ordinary peasant family and having lost his parents at an early age, had to make his own way in life. He began by becoming a cabin boy on a ship, then took up fishing. A special place in his activities was occupied by a passion for research: he studied new lands to which fate had thrown him, their flora, fauna, climatic features, participated in an expedition to explore the shores of New Holland (Australia), discovered groups of islands - the Dampier archipelago. In 1703, he went to the Pacific Ocean to become a pirate. On the island of Juan Fernandez Dampier (according to another version, Stradling, the captain of another ship) landed the sailing master (according to another version, the boatswain) Alexander Selkirk. The story of Selkirk's stay on a desert island formed the basis of Daniel Defoe's famous book Robinson Crusoe.

Bald Grainne

Grace O'Mail or, as she was also called, Grainne the Bald, is one of the controversial figures in English history. She was always ready to defend her rights, no matter what. She became acquainted with navigation thanks to her father, who took his little daughter on long trading voyages. Her first husband was a match for Grace. About the O'Flagherty clan, to which he belonged, they said: “Cruel people who most brazenly rob and kill their fellow citizens.” Although, in fairness, it should be noted that for the Irish clans of mountainous Connacht, civil strife is a common thing. When he was killed, Grace returned to her family and took control of her father's flotilla, thus having in her hands a truly enormous force with which she could keep the entire West Coast of Ireland in obedience.

Grace allowed herself to behave so freely, even in the presence of the Queen. After all, she was also called the “queen”, only the pirate one. When Elizabeth I handed her lace handkerchief to Grace to wipe her nose after snuff, Grace used it and said, “Do you need it? In my area they are never used more than once!” - and threw the handkerchief to her retinue. According to historical sources, two long-time opponents - and Grace managed to send one to a dozen English ships - were able to come to an agreement. The Queen granted the pirate, who was already about 60 years old at that time, forgiveness and immunity.

Black beard

Thanks to his courage and cruelty, Edward Teach became one of the most feared pirates operating in the Jamaica area. By 1718, more than 300 men were fighting under his leadership. The enemies were horrified by Teach's face, almost completely covered by a black beard, in which the wicks woven into it smoked. In November 1718, Teach was overtaken by the English lieutenant Maynardt and, after a short trial, was strung up on a yardarm. It was he who became the prototype of the legendary Jethrow Flint from Treasure Island.

Pirate President

Murat Reis Jr., whose real name is Jan Janson (Dutch), converted to Islam in order to avoid captivity and slavery in Algeria. After this, he began to cooperate and actively participate in the pirate raids of such pirates as Suleiman Reis and Simon the Dancer, just like him - the Dutch who converted to Islam. Jan Janson in 1619 moved to the Moroccan city of Sale, which lived off piracy. Soon after Janson arrived there, he declared his independence. A pirate republic was created there, the first head of which was Janson. He married in Sale, his children followed in their father's footsteps, becoming pirates, but then joined the Dutch colonists who founded the city of New Amsterdam (present-day New York).

Large and tiny, powerful and maneuverable - all these ships, as a rule, were built for completely different purposes, but sooner or later they ended up in the hands of corsairs. Some ended their “career” in battle, others were resold, others sank in storms, but all of them glorified their owners in one way or another.

Adventure Galley is the favorite ship of William Kidd, an English privateer and pirate. This unusual frigate galley was equipped with straight sails and oars, which made it possible to maneuver both against the wind and in calm weather. The 287-ton ship with 34 guns accommodated 160 crew and was primarily intended to destroy the ships of other pirates.

Queen Anne's Revenge is the flagship of the legendary captain Edward Teach, nicknamed Blackbeard. This 40-gun frigate was originally called Concorde, belonged to Spain, then passed to France, until it was finally captured by Blackbeard Under his leadership, the ship was strengthened and renamed. "Queen Anne's Revenge" sank dozens of merchant and military ships that stood in the way of the famous pirate.

Whydah is the flagship of Black Sam Bellamy, one of the pirates of the golden age of sea robbery. The Ouida was a fast and maneuverable vessel capable of carrying a lot of treasure. Unfortunately for Black Sam, only a year after the start of his pirate “career” the ship was caught in a terrible storm and was thrown ashore. The entire crew, except two people, died. By the way, Sam Bellamy was the richest pirate in history, according to Forbes' recalculation, his fortune amounted to about 132 million dollars in modern equivalent.

"Royal Fortune" belonged to Bartholomew Roberts, the famous Welsh corsair, with whose death the golden age of piracy ended. Bartholomew had several ships during his career, but the 42-gun, three-masted ship of the line was his favorite. On it he met his death in battle with the British warship "Swallow" in 1722.

Fancy is the ship of Henry Avery, also known as Long Ben and the Arch-Pirate. The Spanish 30-gun frigate Charles II successfully plundered French ships, but eventually a mutiny broke out on it, and power passed to Avery, who served as first mate. Avery renamed the ship Imagination and sailed on it until his career ended.

Happy Delivery is a small but beloved ship of George Lowther, an 18th-century English pirate. His signature tactic was to ram an enemy ship with his own while simultaneously boarding it with lightning speed.

The Golden Hind was an English galleon that, under the command of Sir Francis Drake, circumnavigated the world between 1577 and 1580. The ship was originally named "Pelican", but upon entering the Pacific Ocean, Drake renamed it in honor of his patron, Lord Chancellor Christopher Hatton, who had a golden hind on his coat of arms.

The Rising Sun was a ship owned by Christopher Moody, a truly ruthless thug who took no prisoners as a matter of principle. This 35-gun frigate terrified Moody's enemies until he was safely hanged - but she went down in history with the most unusual pirate flag known, yellow on a red background, and even with a winged hourglass to the left of the skull.