New England’s Most Infamous Pirates 

Pirates often get a bad rap for being barbaric and anarchists who plunder offshore merchant ships. What if we told you that pirates who roamed the waters off the New England coast in the 17th and 18th centuries were often welcomed by governors as they brought with them much-needed currency including gold, silver and “specie”? They also brought exotic goods from faraway places and encouraged trade between peoples. Still think they are all bad? 

The unique world of pirates can be examined by looking closely at three New England pirates including Samual “Black Sam” Bellamy, Edward Teach or Blackbeard, and William Kidd – also known as Captain Kidd.  

Samuel Bellamy (Black Sam Bellamy) 

Born in February 1689 in Devon, England, Samuel Bellamy would later become one of the most famous pirates to sail along the New England and Cape Cod coastline. His aliases included names such as Black Bellamy, Black Sam Bellamy, Robin Hood of the Sea, and Prince of Pirates. He was known for his lengthy jet-black hair, black coat, fairness, and gallantry with his crew. 

The New England Historical Society notes that he originally came to the New England coast to connect with relatives and stayed when he reportedly fell in love with a 15-year-old girl named Mehitabel Hallett or Maria. His flagship, the Whydah, wrecked off the coast of Wellfleet during a heavy storm in 1717, and Bellamy drowned.

During his time on the sea, Bellamy traveled to areas like Florida in hopes of gaining Spanish riches for himself. During his journey across the southern coastline and throughout the Caribbean, he plundered at least 54 ships and managed his crew through a democratic method which gave him the reputation of being a fair captain. The modern value of his amassed loot would equal $120 million in today’s society. 

Blackbeard 

While Captain Black Sam Bellamy was known for his charm and fairness, Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, was known for being frightful and merciless in his leadership. The two New England pirates could not be more different if they tried. 

Blackbeard also wore his black hair long and often in a braid. However, unlike Bellamy, who was known for his well-kept appearance, Blackbeard was less so and even used his looks to put fear into his enemies. He was known for braiding his hair and putting a lit long fuse into the braid so that it appeared as though he was billowing smoke as he spoke. 

Blackbeard’s flagship was Queen Anne’s Revenge with which he was known to plunder more than 30 ships, amassing a modern valued wealth of $12.5 million. He traveled the coastline of the eastern seaboard and extensively traveled throughout the West Indies. As many “snowbirds” do these days, he spent his winter in the tropics and his summers sailing along the New England coast. 

William Kidd 

Also known as Captain Kidd, this Scottish pirate began his illustrious pirating career in the late 1680s. He sailed extensively along the East Coast and Caribbean. He also called New York home as he was known to have had a wife and two daughters. 

Remarkably, he was also known to have legitimate dealings as a respected merchant and had been hired to hunt pirates and French ships in the Indian Ocean by the appointed governor of Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire and New York. Eventually, however, he began acting more like the pirates he was hunting than a dignified social elite he once rubbed elbows with.  

During his time as a pirate, he plundered at least 6 ships and amassed a wealth equal to a modern $12.5 million. He was eventually arrested and charged with piracy. He was imprisoned in Boston and sent to England where he was hanged twice! The first time the noose failed. 

Learn more about Black Sam Bellamy and other pirates when you visit Real Pirates Salem. Explore the recovered pieces found at the site of the wreck of the Whydah.