Bartholomew Bart. Black Bart

Bartholomew Roberts was one of the luckiest and richest pirates of all time. In his short 30-month career, he captured more than 400 ships and became a real threat to the Bahamas, American colonies and West Africa.

Roberts was a colorful figure: short in stature, he had a very attractive appearance and was always beautifully dressed. He was a man of contradictions: a staunch Christian and a teetotaler who forbade his people to gamble., he flaunted his cruelty, which plunged into horror. He mercilessly killed members of his own team who disagreed with him and subjected prisoners to terrible torture.

Bartholomew Roberts, given the name John at birth, was born in Pamboxshire in South Wales. He was serving as mate on the slave ship Princess when it was captured by Howell Davis in his ship Royal Rover in June 1719. Six weeks later Davis was killed in action and Roberts was chosen captain. Having become a pirate under duress, he told his crew: “If he had to put his hands in dirty water and become a pirate, then it would be better to be a captain than an ordinary sailor.”. He took the name Bartholomew, and his subsequent exploits earned him the nickname Black Bart.

Roberts' first move was to raid the Portuguese settlement on Princess Island (El Principe) to avenge Davis' death. He then headed to Brazil, where he robbed a Portuguese caravan escorted by two seventy-gun warships. The largest cargo on the ship was 40,000 gold coins ($100,000). Returning to the Caribbean, Black Bart ran into a patrol, after which he turned to Newfoundland and captured more than 170 ships there.

Barth's reputation for cruelty is well illustrated by the reaction of merchant sailors when he stormed into Trepassay Bay amid the beating of drums and the war cries of his crew. Roberts had one ten-gun sloop and 60 people, but 1,200 terror-stricken sailors from 22 merchant sloops immediately jumped into boats and rowed to the shore, leaving Black Bart to rob their ships with impunity. He captured a large brigantine, equipped it with 28 guns, renamed it Royal Fortune and made it his new flagship. He then returned to the Caribbean, capturing more than 100 ships there; Having captured the governor of Martinique, he hanged him on the yard of his own ship.

In 1720, Roberts attempted to cross the Atlantic Ocean, but it was unsuccessful, and he continued to rob ships in . The Governor of Bermuda reported that the French prisoners captured by Black Bart were subjected to “barbaric bullying; some were flogged almost to death, others had their ears cut off, others were tied to knock-yards and they began to fire at them with all types of weapons, as if at targets in a shooting range; it all looked as if they were competing with each other in cruelty.”

Roberts' second attempt to cross the Atlantic, made in 1721, was more successful. He captured several slave ships off the coast of West Africa, including the Onslow, which he christened with his favorite name, the Royal Fortune. Off the Ivory Coast he robbed six more ships.

His reign of terror on February 10, 1722 was put to an end by a broadside salvo of large grapeshot fired from Her Majesty's ship"Swallow", according to Black Bart's flagship, anchored near Cape Lopez in Gabon. The team threw the corpse into the depths of the sea, since the captain had previously said that if he fell in battle, then his body must be thrown into the sea. The members of Black Bart's team themselves surrendered only after a bloody, three-hour battle.

Bartholomew Roberts (May 17, 1682 - February 10, 1722) rounds out the top five luckiest pirates (according to Forbes magazine). The birthplace of this pirate is Pembrokeshire (Wales, England); the regions where he succeeded most are the Atlantic and the Caribbean. He became famous in history not only as one of the most successful pirates, but also as the most elusive of the entire buccaneer brethren. During his career, he captured over 470 ships!

In fact, there was no sign that young John (that was his real name, by the way) Roberts was destined for a career at sea, even a scandalous one.

At the same time, for a person from a poor family (and John’s father, George Roberts, could hardly claim the status of at least a partially successful person), in those days, in essence, there was no more realistic way to get rich. Not wanting to vegetate in poverty all his life like his father, John, at the age of 13, joined a merchant ship as a cabin boy. After all, you always need to start somewhere. Unfortunately, there is no information about his whereabouts from 1695 to 1718. It is known, however, that in 1718 he served as an assistant captain on a Barbados sloop. The following year, 1719, we meet him already in the status of third mate on the slave ship “Princess”; the ship was registered at the port of London, and was commanded by Captain Abraham Plumb. At the beginning of June 1719, the Princess dropped anchor off the west coast of Africa, in the region of Ghana. And it was there that she was suddenly attacked by pirates. The pirates came on two ships, the Royal Rover and the St. James. Both ships were under the command of Howell Davis. Davis, oddly enough, turned out to be a fellow countryman of Roberts; Moreover, he was also from Pembrokeshire! This, undoubtedly, was a special sign of Fate. Some of the sailors from the Princess were forced to join the pirates, Roberts was among them. However, there was no need to force him too much. Quickly getting used to his new position, he eagerly joined the crew, and immediately demonstrated to Davis his talent as a navigator - this profession, it must be said, was in great honor on pirate ships. Davis was very pleased with the acquisition and constantly consulted with Roberts regarding charting the right course. In addition, he sometimes trusted his fellow countryman with secrets unknown even to his team. Davis and Roberts, among other things, shared one passionate desire: to live a truly interesting, rich life. It may not be long, but it’s fun!

However, Howell Davis, although he trusted his fellow countryman very much, nevertheless kept him in strict rein. If we talk about the share of booty allocated to the new pirate navigator, it was, perhaps, unjustifiably small - only ‡ 3 monthly. Of course, such a sum might have seemed hefty to John Roberts' father and John himself, but to Bartholomew Roberts it seemed extremely meager. Being very ambitious, he himself dreamed of becoming a captain. But the status of captain usually implies having his own ship. To collect a sufficient amount, having a monthly salary of ‡ 3, is a utopia!

However, life went on.

The governor was confident that the death of the leader would deprive the pirates of their presence of mind, and they would simply surrender to the mercy of the victors. If he had known what was happening on the ship at this time, he would have been horrified. And on board the Royal Rover there was... an election for a new captain! Howell Davis divided the crew during his lifetime, following the structural division of the English Parliament; True, there were no chambers, but each pirate belonged to either the Lords or the Communities. The lords were the most authoritative pirates; it was their decision that depended on who would be the new captain. Their verdict was quite unusual: the choice fell on Roberts! By the way, he was on board the Royal Rover for six weeks at most, and he still hesitated whether to be with the pirates or not. However, the pirates liked him - he was tall, strong and brave. Moreover, everyone knew perfectly well that he was a skilled sailor. It was worth a lot. So, we can say that the result of the vote was predetermined in advance. Roberts, upon learning of the pirates' decision, was shocked. Six weeks ago he was only the third mate on a medium-sized merchant ship - and suddenly now he is elected captain of a real pirate brig! He immediately decides to change his name to Bartholomew - in honor of the famous buccaneer Bartholomew Sharpe. However, such long names were not in honor among the pirates - the newly-minted captain was later called Black Bart (apparently due to his long, unruly hair the color of a raven's wing).

Having thus paid a generous tribute to revenge, Black Bart went to sea; “for warm-up” he captured one Dutch brig and completely plundered it. A little later, the pirates met an English slave ship, which was their bedroom. After this, Black Bart took his ship to the shores of Brazil in the hope of special prey.

The tests were not long in coming. Already in September 1719, the Royal Rover literally encountered a huge flotilla of 44 ships. Of these, 42 ships were Portuguese merchant ships, and they were guarded by 2 well-armed frigates; each had 70 guns on board. Black Bart did not lose his presence of mind. He led the Royal Rover into the attack, and his daring and courage brought the desired results. The prey of the pirates was an impressive size sloop with ten guns; over ‡ 30,000 gold and other valuables were discovered in its holds. However, while Black Bart was fighting with a detachment of daredevils on the deck of a Portuguese sloop, a change of power occurred on the Royal Rover. A former pickpocket, and now a gentleman of fortune named Walter Kennedy, Black Bart's assistant, whom he blindly trusted, also decided... to become a captain! He waited until most of the loot was transferred aboard the Royal Rover, and then calmly ordered the sails to be hoisted and departed. As for the crew, Kennedy took advantage of a tempting trump card: he invited the pirates to return home, sharing all the valuables among themselves! Kennedy acted with certainty: Black Bart, who had just begun to enjoy his new role, firmly intended to move towards the coast of Brazil. And here was the opportunity to soon feel solid ground under my feet and have fun spending my share. In addition, when planning to board the Portuguese sloop, Black Bart appointed Kennedy as captain - as his assistant. So Walter Kennedy didn't even need to put himself up for voting: in fact, he was the captain!

Black Bart took the incident calmly. In essence, things weren't so bad. First of all, he still had a ship. It may not be that big, but it is quite worthy. Plus ten guns. This was also important. Black Bart renamed the sloop “Luck” and began pirate terror of the seas. He captured several ships of medium displacement; however, their holds were not particularly rich. Since news of the attack on the Portuguese soon became public, several warships were dispatched to capture the pirates. Black Bart's sloop had to become the object of pursuit by an English frigate. However, Bart was clearly lucky, and he happily escaped pursuit. Meanwhile, the volume of loot aboard the Luck grew and grew. Bartholomew Roberts thought it best to return to New England.

After a good walk on land, Black Bart went to sea again in the summer of 1720. His "Luck" moved to the shores of Newfoundland. It was there that he was destined to show himself in full glory. “Luck” instantly became the terror of the entire coast. All attempts to catch up with the pirates and destroy them were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, he captured twenty-six ships, one hundred and fifty fishing boats, and in the end he became so carried away that he began to destroy coastal buildings. One of his trophies was an 18-gun whaleboat, which he replaced with a 28-gun French frigate. Black Bart called him "Royal Fortune" and, feeling that he was beginning to get bored, moved his ships south. On the way, he robbed a dozen more ships of the English merchant fleet. The number of crew of his small flotilla grew literally by leaps and bounds. This happened because many sailors, tired of pulling the government strap, voluntarily went over to the side of the pirates. Since the number of volunteers did not decrease, Black Bart had to limit his intake. However, he always favored the British, so they were willingly accepted into the team. But the French were clearly not to his liking. According to some sources, Black Bart did not even disdain to brutally torture his captives if they turned out to be of French nationality. He actually killed many.

It is curious that all this time Bartholomew Roberts dreamed of trying his luck as a pirate off the coast of Africa. His first attempt was not very successful due to bad weather conditions; In addition, due to the lack of experience in traveling in this direction, the prepared supplies of drinking water were catastrophically insufficient (in the end there was only no more than one sip of water per day per team member!). Upon returning home, Black Bart decided to undertake a new voyage in the spring of the next year (1721), and in the next six months - to prove himself as brightly as possible in the Caribbean Sea.

And he succeeded!

The autumn of 1720 turned out to be troublesome, but extremely fruitful for Black Bart. He started from the island of St. Kitts, in the harbor of which he plundered one ship and set several others on fire. After a short repair on the island, Black Bart captured fifteen ships - both French and English. At the beginning of January 1721, it was the turn of the Dutch. The pirates managed to board a 32-gun slave frigate flying the Dutch flag. And then a very witty combination was born in Black Bart’s head. He ordered some of the pirates to board a Dutch frigate and follow to the shores of Martinique (Lesser Antilles) and, sailing along them, convey an invitation using flags to go to the island of St. Lucia for the supposedly record-breaking cheap sale of slaves there. Since slaves were always at a high price, this proposal was received by the French (Martinique was and remains a possession of France) with ardent enthusiasm. A whole flotilla of ships moved towards the island of St. Lucia. However, along the way they were suddenly attacked by pirates, who, of course, were led by Black Bart. The result was truly terrible: about 15 ships were plundered and subsequently burned! The crew of the ships were captured and subjected to severe torture. For example, the pirates cut off the ears of some prisoners, and the bodies of other victims, strung up on a yardarm, were used by unruly thugs... as shooting targets!

Black Bart was quite satisfied; he was already preparing for the African voyage. But before that it was necessary to put his squadron in proper order. Upon detailed examination, it turned out that it would be more expedient to replace the “Royal Luck” with a more recent vessel. The Brigantine, armed with eighteen guns, appeared to them. Black Bart immediately dubbed her “Big Luck.” Everything was ready for the African voyage. But just before the start of the voyage, Black Bart struck the final chord. He managed to get a 50-gun frigate that belonged to the governor of Martinique, and the latter himself was on board. Black Bart was absolutely delighted; He immediately hanged the governor, and attached his majestic frigate to his squadron. By the way, even here it was not without renaming: the former frigate of the governor began to be called with the light hand of Black Bart ... “Royal Fortune”!

The pirate was so obsessed with his incredible luck that he tried to emphasize it at the slightest opportunity.

It was April 1721. Having completed all the necessary preparations, Bartholomew Roberts moved to the coveted shores of Africa. In addition to receiving new loot, he intended, for the benefit of himself and the team, to exchange the looted valuables they had for gold. It should be noted that Black Bart somehow especially trusted gold. The flagship of the squadron was, as one might have guessed, the governor's frigate. Moreover, in the holds of the “Royal Fortune” there was most of the treasures obtained by the pirates. The frigate's crew numbered 228 people, including 48 blacks. On “Big Luck,” the crew size was not so large: 140 souls, and 40 of them were blacks. The diversity of the team led to problems in terms of obedience. To keep this rabid pack under control, Black Bart often resorted to overly savage measures, mercilessly punishing them for the slightest offense. The fact that he sometimes went too far could not win him much sympathy from the team. A riot was brewing. It was headed by Thomas Anstis, Howell Davis's closest associate, who went over to Roberts' service after his death. Despite the fact that Roberts valued Anstis, and so much so that he even entrusted him with “Big Fortune,” he considered himself undeservedly deprived. He persuaded the crew of the Big Fortune, and they decided to escape with the loot they had on board. Black Bart was beside himself, but did not pursue the traitors, not wanting to give up his route. And in June 1721, the Royal Fortune anchored off the coast of Africa, simultaneously capturing four ships; Black Bart ordered three of them to be burned, and the fourth one, the one that was better than the rest, renamed him “Little Tramp” and transferred part of the team to him. After this, the pirate ships moved towards Liberia; there the frigate Onslow with a large cargo of valuables and money became their victim. This frigate Black Bart also did not burn or sink, since he preferred to join the squadron. True, there was no time to think carefully about the name, and therefore “Onslow” turned into another “Royal Fortune”.

Then the pirate squadron moved to Nigeria, and from there to the Ivory Coast. Six more ships became his prey. Then the pirates reached the coast of Benin. There they were even luckier: as many as eleven slave ships! Black Bart offered to pay a huge ransom to the captains; Only one of them, the Portuguese, refused. As a result, both of his ships with their entire cargo of slaves were burned. The rest paid without complaint. Having looked at all the ships, Black Bart noted one frigate, deciding that it was time to change the flagship. And so it happened. Roberts' new flagship was the Great Tramp. Having taken stock of all the spoils, Black Bart considered it advisable to return to Brazil. The pirates were happy with his decision; they were really eager to spend their money well! They did not yet know that the decision was mature in Roberts’ soul to end his pirate career, and simply disband the crew upon arrival home.

And then Black Bart’s luck changed. His squadron attracted the attention of two English frigates. One of the frigates, the Swallow, captured the Big Tramp. This happened on February 5, 1722. By luck, Roberts remained on board the Royal Fortune, otherwise he would certainly have been captured. Moreover, the pirates did not even know what happened. On the "Big Tramp" they mistook the "Swallow" for a merchant ship and set off in pursuit of it. "Swallow" waited until the "Big Tramp" moved away from the ships of the pirate squadron, and when this happened, it turned around and attacked. And five days later, “Swallow” managed to overtake “Royal Luck”. She, with two more ships, was at Cape Lopez, waiting in vain for the return of the “Big Tramp”. However, there was joy on board: the pirates had just taken possession of another merchant sloop with all its contents. The team was completely drunk. Nevertheless, Black Bart, always on the alert, noticed the “Swallow”, instantly understood everything and planned to attack first. He led the “Royal Fortune” towards the English frigate, but due to a change in the wind, maneuverability was impaired, and the ship turned around on its entire side. The British immediately took advantage of the whim of the elements and fired a volley of grapeshot at the pirates from all guns. Bartholomew Roberts, who was directly on the bridge, died on the spot. Fulfilling his last wish, the pirates threw the body of their captain overboard so that the British would not get it.

Meanwhile the battle continued. Despite their numerical superiority, the pirates, left without a leader, acted chaotically and illiterately. Three hours later, the Royal Fortune surrendered, and then the other two ships of the pirate squadron. All the spoils went to the British. With the exception, however, of a certain share of the treasure, which the captain of the “Little Tramp” took with him in the heat of battle, managing to escape on a boat. The captain of the Swallow, Challoner Ogle, took the other pirates to Ghana, where they were put on trial on the Cape Coast. The Negro pirates were returned to slavery; As for the whites, forty-four people ended up on the gallows, another thirty-seven were sent to hard labor. The most amazing thing was that the remaining seventy-four people were acquitted by the court... and released!

Thus ended the life epic of Bartholomew Roberts, nicknamed Black Bart, and his team.

Bartholomew Roberts one of the five luckiest pirates (according to Forbes magazine). The birthplace of this pirate is Pembrokeshire (Wales, England); the regions where he succeeded most are the Atlantic and the Caribbean. He became famous in history not only as one of the most successful pirates, but also as the most elusive of the entire buccaneer brethren. During his career, he captured over 470 ships!

In fact, there was no sign that young John (that was his real name, by the way) Roberts was destined for a career at sea, even a scandalous one.

At the same time, for a person from a poor family (and John’s father, George Roberts, could hardly claim the status of at least a partially successful person), in those days, in essence, there was no more realistic way to get rich. Not wanting to vegetate in poverty all his life like his father, John, at the age of 13, joined a merchant ship as a cabin boy. After all, you always need to start somewhere. Unfortunately, there is no information about his whereabouts from 1695 to 1718. It is known, however, that in 1718 he served as an assistant captain on a Barbados sloop. The following year, 1719, we meet him already in the status of third mate on the slave ship “Princess”; the ship was registered at the port of London, and was commanded by Captain Abraham Plumb. At the beginning of June 1719, the Princess dropped anchor off the west coast of Africa, in the region of Ghana. And it was there that she was suddenly attacked by pirates. The pirates came on two ships, the Royal Rover and the St. James. Both ships were under the command of Howell Davis. Davis, oddly enough, turned out to be a fellow countryman of Roberts; Moreover, he was also from Pembrokeshire! This, undoubtedly, was a special sign of Fate. Some of the sailors from the Princess were forced to join the pirates, Roberts was among them. However, there was no need to force him too much. Quickly getting used to his new position, he eagerly joined the crew, and immediately demonstrated to Davis his talent as a navigator - this profession, it must be said, was in great honor on pirate ships. Davis was very pleased with the acquisition and constantly consulted with Roberts regarding charting the right course. In addition, he sometimes trusted his fellow countryman with secrets unknown even to his team. Davis and Roberts, among other things, shared one passionate desire: to live a truly interesting, rich life. It may not be long, but it’s fun!
However, Howell Davis, although he trusted his fellow countryman very much, nevertheless kept him in strict rein. If we talk about the share of booty allocated to the new pirate navigator, it was, perhaps, unjustifiably small - only ‡ 3 monthly. Of course, such a sum might have seemed hefty to John Roberts' father and John himself, but to Bartholomew Roberts it seemed extremely meager. Being very ambitious, he himself dreamed of becoming a captain. But the status of captain usually implies having his own ship. To collect a sufficient amount, having a monthly salary of ‡ 3, is a utopia!

However, life went on.

The pirate squadron set course for Principe, simultaneously robbing a rich Dutch brig, from which they managed to take £15,000 worth of gold alone! True, the squadron was soon reduced by one ship, since the St. James had to be abandoned due to a leaky bottom. All the pirates were now sailing on the Royal Rover. Once in Principe harbor, Howell Davis attempted to kidnap the governor under the guise of an invitation to a dinner party. Davis's daring plan, however, was discovered, and he was killed in the ensuing shootout.
The governor was confident that the death of the leader would deprive the pirates of their presence of mind, and they would simply surrender to the mercy of the victors. If he had known what was happening on the ship at this time, he would have been horrified. And on board the Royal Rover there was... an election for a new captain! Howell Davis divided the crew during his lifetime, following the structural division of the English Parliament; True, there were no chambers, but each pirate belonged to either the Lords or the Communities. The lords were the most authoritative pirates; it was their decision that depended on who would be the new captain. Their verdict was quite unusual: the choice fell on Roberts! By the way, he was on board the Royal Rover for six weeks at most, and he still hesitated whether to be with the pirates or not. However, the pirates liked him - he was tall, strong and brave. Moreover, everyone knew perfectly well that he was a skilled sailor. It was worth a lot. So, we can say that the result of the vote was predetermined in advance. Roberts, upon learning of the pirates' decision, was shocked. Six weeks ago he was only the third mate on a medium-sized merchant ship - and suddenly now he is elected captain of a real pirate brig! He immediately decides to change his name to Bartholomew - in honor of the famous buccaneer Bartholomew Sharpe. However, such long names were not in honor among the pirates - the newly-minted captain was later called Black Bart (apparently due to his long, unruly hair the color of a raven's wing).

Black Bart's first order immediately followed. He called on the pirates to take brutal revenge on the governor of Principe for the death of Howell Davis. The Royal Rover rushed with full sail to attack the fort. The governor never dreamed that something like this could happen at all. Truly overconfidence has serious consequences! The city came under furious fire from every gun on board the Royal Rover. The fort was engulfed in fire, many died, and the souls of the survivors were filled with horror for a long time.
Having thus paid a generous tribute to revenge, Black Bart went to sea; “for warm-up” he captured one Dutch brig and completely plundered it. A little later, the pirates met an English slave ship, which was their bedroom. After this, Black Bart took his ship to the shores of Brazil in the hope of special prey.

The pirate was so obsessed with his incredible luck that he tried to emphasize it at the slightest opportunity.
It was April 1721. Having completed all the necessary preparations, Bartholomew Roberts moved to the coveted shores of Africa. In addition to receiving new loot, he intended, for the benefit of himself and the team, to exchange the looted valuables they had for gold. It should be noted that Black Bart somehow especially trusted gold. The flagship of the squadron was, as one might have guessed, the governor's frigate. Moreover, in the holds of the “Royal Fortune” there was most of the treasures obtained by the pirates. The frigate's crew numbered 228 people, including 48 blacks. On “Big Luck,” the crew size was not so large: 140 souls, and 40 of them were blacks. The diversity of the team led to problems in terms of obedience. To keep this rabid pack under control, Black Bart often resorted to overly savage measures, mercilessly punishing them for the slightest offense. The fact that he sometimes went too far could not win him much sympathy from the team. A riot was brewing. It was headed by Thomas Anstis, Howell Davis's closest associate, who went over to Roberts' service after his death. Despite the fact that Roberts valued Anstis, and so much so that he even entrusted him with “Big Fortune,” he considered himself undeservedly deprived. He persuaded the crew of the Big Fortune, and they decided to escape with the loot they had on board. Black Bart was beside himself, but did not pursue the traitors, not wanting to give up his route. And in June 1721, the Royal Fortune anchored off the coast of Africa, simultaneously capturing four ships; Black Bart ordered three of them to be burned, and the fourth one, the one that was better than the rest, renamed him “Little Tramp” and transferred part of the team to him. After this, the pirate ships moved towards Liberia; there the frigate Onslow with a large cargo of valuables and money became their victim. This frigate Black Bart also did not burn or sink, since he preferred to join the squadron. True, there was no time to think carefully about the name, and therefore “Onslow” turned into another “Royal Fortune”.

Thus ended the life epic of Bartholomew Roberts, nicknamed Black Bart, and his team.

The film "Pirates of the Caribbean" and its legendary character Jack Sparrow are known to everyone. But few people know that this character of John Depp had a real prototype - the famous sea robber Bartholomew Roberts, aka Black Bart. He was the most successful pirate in history, because luck always followed him. Over the course of 4 years, Black Bart robbed 450 ships, receiving from them a seemingly unrealistic sum of 50 million pounds sterling.

Where is Black Bart's money?

A group of underwater archaeologists, while exploring the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Gabon, discovers the wreck of a ship. Among the poorly preserved wreckage, divers find dishes, an hourglass, an anchor and even an ancient cannon. The found artifacts were urgently sent for examination. Laboratory test data becomes a sensation.

It turns out that the finds discovered by scientists lay under water for almost 300 years and, perhaps, they are part of the ship of Black Bart, the most famous pirate of the 18th century.

Bartholomew Roberts ( English Bartholomew/Bart Robert s), a seemingly very intelligent man in a smart camisole and a hat with a red feather. It's hard to believe, but in reality he was the most brutal pirate of the Atlantic.

Roberts began his maritime career as a navigator on a slave ship and, most likely, would not have become a captain if it were not for chance. In 1719, the slave trading ship on which Bartholomew served was captured by pirates commanded by pirate captain Howell Davis.

Not only the live goods, but also the entire crew became the prey of the robbers. Sailors, along with slaves, are sold by pirates at the slave market. Incredibly, Roberts, the only one of the entire crew, manages to avoid this fate. Moreover, the sea robbers not only set him free, but offer him to join them.

So the still unknown 37-year-old Bartholomew Roberts becomes the pirate Black Bart.

Life as a Pirate

Together with other robbers, Bartholomew Roberts plied the Atlantic Ocean along the western coast of Africa, along the way robbing Dutch and English merchant ships. After a month and a half of sailing, he became captain.

Incredibly, it was for him, an ordinary sailor who joined the pirates just a few weeks ago, that the entire crew unanimously voted for him.

Bartholomew was chosen as captain of the ship "Pirate" (Rover). This happened after Davis was killed in the attack on Prince Island ( modern Principia, 200 km west of Equatorial Guinea).

Black Bart then went to sea and captured several merchant ships.

After 2 months, pirates led by Black Bart reached the shores of Brazil. Passing along the coast, they captured and devastated rich harbors. But the main prey of the sea robbers was a flotilla of 42 ships transporting tens of tons of gold and almost a thousand carats of diamonds from El Salvador to Lisbon. True, it was not easy to take possession of these treasures, because the Portuguese caravan with valuable cargo was carefully guarded by two well-armed frigates, each of which had 70 guns on board. Engaging with them meant obviously losing the battle, so Black Bart decided to use a trick.

Having hidden 2/3 of the crew in the hold, he, under the guise of an ordinary merchant, sailed to the nearest ship and invited its captain, supposedly to conclude a profitable deal. Under pain of death, the Portuguese pointed to the ship with the most valuable cargo. It turned out to be the admiral's 40-gun galleon, which the pirates captured without firing a shot and, having raised all sails, left the bay.

The Portuguese rushed in pursuit of the captured ship, but Black Bart managed to escape. For almost another year and a half, pirates led by Bartholomew Roberts engaged in sea robbery with impunity. Moreover, the geography of their raids and attacks was extensive. Suddenly leaving the Caribbean Sea, the pirates could head north, and from there, taking valuable cargo, head for the shores of West Africa.

Rumors of Black Bart's cruelty and incredible luck quickly spread throughout the Atlantic, so merchant ships tried to avoid his flotilla or surrendered without a fight. Feeling impunity and believing in his own invulnerability, Captain Black Bart began to plunder coastal cities, regardless of who they belonged to. He, unlike many famous pirates, never agreed to cooperate with the authorities, which means he was absolutely free to choose who to attack.

However, the patience of the colonial authorities soon came to an end. The governors of the French island of Martinique and the English Barbados especially wanted to catch the daring pirate, because it was to them that the sea robber inflicted the greatest damage. A fabulous reward was placed on Black Bart's head, but this did not frighten the pirate. On the contrary, he accepted the hunt announced for him as a challenge. Now engaged in piracy in the Caribbean, the sea robber always raised a special flag over the ship. It depicted Black Bart himself standing on the skulls of his enemies. This symbolism indicated how the meeting between the governors and the pirate would end.

One of Bartholomew Roberts' flags

Death

Roberts' career ended on February 10, 1722 on the coast of Gabon. He was killed in action with the British warship Swallow ( English HMS Swallow, Captain - Chaloner Ogle) near Cape Lopez, off the coast of modern Gabon.

On February 5, "Swallow" came across three ships engaged in minor repairs on the sandbanks in the bay near Cape Lopez. These were Royal Fortune, Ranger and Little Ranger. To avoid running aground, the Lastochka made a sharp turn, which the pirates mistook for an attempt by a merchant ship to avoid an unwanted encounter. Ranger, under the command of James Skyrme, rushed in pursuit. Having moved out of sight of the remaining pirate ships, the Swallow suddenly opened fire. In the ensuing battle, the pirates were defeated and their ship was captured.

When Swallow returned to Cape Lopez on February 10, it was discovered that Royal Fortune was still there. The day before, Roberts captured the merchant ship Neptune and the pirates were drinking, so at a critical moment many were not ready for battle.

Team Roberts' drinking party. When "Swallow" appeared, most of the team was drunk

At first, the pirates mistook the Swallow for a returning Ranger, but a deserter sailor who had previously served on the Swallow reported the mistake to Roberts. Roberts interrupted breakfast and began to prepare for battle, dressed as usual in his best suit: he was wearing a scarlet doublet and breeches of painted silk, and on his head was a hat with a red feather. Around his neck was a gold chain with a cross studded with diamonds. There is a sword in his hand, and two pairs of pistols in the slings.

Roberts hoped to leave the bay with only one broadside from the enemy, but due to a steering error the plan failed. With the second salvo from the Swallow, Roberts, who was on deck, was killed by grapeshot. The body of the deceased was immediately wrapped in a sail and thrown overboard; such was the will of Roberts himself, who did not want to fall into the hands of the law even after death. Roberts' remains were never found.

It is known that before executing the surviving robbers, the British allowed them to say goodbye to their captain and carry out his will. Pirates loyal to Black Bart buried him with full honors on the seabed.

However, where all his treasures went remains open.

Some researchers believe that Black Bart hid them on one of the uninhabited islands of the endless Atlantic Ocean. Others believe that pirate gold is still on the Royal Fortune wreck.

Life as a Pirate

Bartholomew became one of the most successful in history, capturing 456 ships and more than £50 million worth of booty during his short four-year career as a pirate. He was practically imperceptible; historians are inclined to believe that Roberts was much brighter than such pirates as or.

Roberts began his sea voyages as a mate on a slave trading ship. He became a pirate at the age of 37, when he became the 3rd mate on board the ship "Princess of London", commanded by pirate captain Howel Davis, near Annabamo, which is located on the Western Gold Coast (the coast of modern). He was forcibly attached to the team as a navigator.

After 6 weeks of sailing under the command of Davis, Bartholomew was chosen captain of the ship Pirate ( Rover). This happened after Davis was killed in an attack on Prince Island (modern Principia, 200 km west of). This was an unexpected decision, despite the fact that he was with the team for only a month and a half, but no one had mastered the skill of a navigator better than him, and, in addition, Roberts, as historians note, was a sincere and stubborn person.

His first act as captain was to convince the crew to return to Prince Island to avenge the death of Captain Davis. Roberts and his crew attacked the island at night, killing many people and looting much valuables. Thus began the career of the most successful pirate in history. Black Bart then went to sea and captured several merchant ships.

Not content with the spoils off the coast of Africa, Roberts set out for the first of the year. By the time of his arrival on the Devil's Islands, all merchant ships chose to take refuge under the protection of the cannons of the coastal forts, since Roberts's pirate fame had long reached these places. Deciding to seek his fortune in other waters, Roberts went north, where he profitably sold the goods captured off the coast of Guinea. Off the coast, he robbed 21 ships loaded with valuables.

Death in battle

His pirate career was cut short on the coast, Roberts was killed in a battle with the Royal Navy flagship. The ship that opposed Bart was commanded by Shalonir Ogl. The battle took place near Cape Lopez, off the coast of modern Gabon.

On approaching the harbor where Bartholomew's ships were moored, Ogle had to change course to avoid the shoal. Roberts, seeing the maneuver, regarded it as a sign of indecision and sent the Drifter to capture the frightened enemy. Ogle continued to play the role of runner, dragging the Drifter further and further. When the pirates overtook the “victim” and raised it, Ogle slowed down and pretended to be ready to surrender. The ships caught up with each other, and at that time, on Ogle’s orders, the “Swallow” fired a cannon salvo. This time luck was not on the pirates' side. Having captured the Drifter, Ogle moved to Cape Lopez. Ogle's approaching ship did not at first arouse any suspicion among the captain. But when Roberts saw the royal flag, his reaction was lightning fast. The pirates raised the anchor and unfurled the sails. A plan was instantly born in Roberts’s head: go to Ogle’s ship with full sail, take his salvo, fire one of your own and, without slowing down, leave the bay. But the plan failed, as the first salvo damaged. Ogle fired a second broadside, Roberts was hit in the throat, and the enemy, paying tribute to his bravery, lowered the corpse of the captain into the sea with a gold chain and a diamond-studded cross around his neck, with a saber in his hand and two pistols in a silk sling, and then hanged them all the remaining pirates.

Roberts had characteristic features that set him apart from many others:

he was always well dressed;
hated ruthlessness, foul language, drunkenness and bad manners;
prohibited gambling between team members;
on Sundays he conducted various services to honor God; he was a deeply religious person;
had excellent manners;
he was always clean-shaven;
never drank alcohol;
he had perfect handwriting;
loved music and therefore always had musicians on board;
he gave clear orders that if he was killed in battle, his body was to be buried at sea.

Flags

Roberts is credited with being the first to call the pirate flag the “Jolly Roger.” How true this is is unknown.

Roberts' flag featured an unusual skull and crossbones design. It depicted a pirate with a drawn saber, standing on the heads of defeated enemies who were residents of Barbados (AVN, “A Barbados Head”) and Martinique (AMN, “A Martinique’s Head”). Another flag depicted a pirate and a skeleton with a spear holding an hourglass.