Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "samuel-bellamy"

The Pirate Next Door: The Untold Story of Eighteenth Century Pirates' Wives, Families and Communities by Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Video and print provide readers with a one-dimensional view of pirates. They are portrayed as single, idle, uneducated, and poor seamen who distanced themselves from society. They cared only for themselves and their ill-gotten gains. Geanacopoulos’s research, however, shows the opposite is true. They possessed strong family ties and some degree of education; they also came from families with varying degrees of status. They were criminals, but sometimes economic restrictions, such as the Navigation Acts, and cultural factors, such as downsizing in times of peace, provided greater impetus to go on the account than simply to plunder. In digging deeper for the truth, she discovered that government propaganda and dubious sources have led us to believe in this one-dimensional portrayal.

Of the eighty married pirates, this book delves into the lives of four specific captains to prove how wrong our misconceptions are. In doing so, she shows how women played far greater roles in their lives than originally thought. She focuses on men whose exploits occurred between 1695 and 1720 and who were connected to New England, a region with close ties to piracy. While each chapter discusses their personal lives, their ties to community (both in society and among the brethren of the coast), and the women they loved, each one also focuses on a specific aspect that the women in their lives best demonstrates.

Samuel Bellamy – “Black Sam” and His Lady on the Shore
Paulsgrave Williams – Deep Roots and Family Ties
William Kidd – The Woman Behind the Pirate
Samuel Burgess – Window into the Private Lives of Pirates

Maps and illustrations are included, as are end notes, a bibliography, and an index. The book begins with a summary of Caribbean piracy and the time period, but contains one misstatement pertaining to Bellamy’s marital status. He never married Maria Hallett, but the desire to do so was a motivating factor in his leaving Cape Cod. In spite of this, Geanacopoulos’s introduction is easy to read and quite interesting in its own right. Her explanation on how she reconstructed the pirates’ lives is equally enlightening and fascinating since historical documents provide far more information than we’ve been led to believe.

Recent research into Maria Hallett hints that there may be more truth than fiction in the enduring legend – delightful news for romantics. Equally compelling is the bewildered stranger who stopped at a tavern soon after the wreck of the Whydah, a tidbit often omitted in histories on Bellamy. The chapter on Williams is a welcome addition to pirate lore, since his story is often eclipsed by Bellamy and the shipwreck. Sarah Kidd’s story perhaps best demonstrates the flipside of the pirate. Equally fascinating is Burgess’s chapter, not because he was a pirate – which he once was – but because he rendered an invaluable service to pirates and their families. The letters shared within these pages provide strong evidence that at least some “enemies of all mankind” were really human beings who cared about loved ones left behind.

At no time, however, does Geanacopoulos romanticize these men’s chosen profession. She merely shows that, as with any criminal, there is more to them than just their nefarious deeds. The Pirate Next Door is an engaging and compelling window into four real pirates. This work also an invaluable resource that ably contradicts many misconceptions we have about pirates. It is a must read for anyone who wants to know the whole truth.




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The Whydah: A Pirate Ship Feared, Wrecked, and Found by Martin W. Sandler

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Originally constructed for a member of parliament involved in the slave trade, the Whydah was bound for England when Samuel Bellamy and his fellow pirates attacked her in February 1717. In 1984 Barry Clifford and his team of divers discovered what remained of her off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Born in 1689, Englishman Samuel Bellamy found himself unemployed after his stint in the Royal Navy during the War of the Spanish Succession. He eventually journeyed to New England, where he hoped to seek his fortune. He met Paulsgrave Williams, son of an influential Rhode Island family, and the two decided to try their hand at diving on the Spanish treasure fleet that had sunk off the Florida coast in 1715. The fortune both sought failed to materialize, so they went on the account in hopes of finding adventure and wealth. Along the way they encountered other infamous pirates, such as Benjamin Hornigold, Olivier Levasseur, and Edward Teach. Bellamy also came to captain his own pirate ship, which led him to acquire new crew members. Among these were John King (the youngest known pirate), John Julian (a Moskito Indian), and Tom Davis (a carpenter forced to join). They captured many vessels, but the Whydah finally delivered what Bellamy desired most – an ideal pirate ship loaded with treasure. But tragedy struck when she and all but two of her crew sank during a violent storm.

In the aftermath of the wreck, many sought the treasure, but locating the Whydah proved elusive. Centuries passed before she finally gave up her secrets. This volume, written for middle-grade readers, recounts the story of this ship, the pirates who attacked her, and the hunt to locate the first verified pirate shipwreck. Sandler also includes the legends surrounding Bellamy; what the recovered artifacts have taught us about piracy during the early eighteenth century; and the establishment of a museum to showcase these artifacts.

This fascinating tale is recounted in twelve chapters, each of which includes a feature that further illuminates some facet pertaining to the information in the chapter. Among these historical sidepieces are discussions on the slave trade, pirate life and tactics, the history of diving, and preserving artifacts. To further enhance the reading experience, Sandler incorporates quotations from period documents or people involved in the hunt and discovery of the shipwreck, black-and-white illustrations, and maps.

The inclusion of an index makes this history of the Whydah more accessible than Clifford’s own books that often lack this important feature. Sandler clearly mentions any alterations he makes, such as rewording passages from Captain Johnson’s A General History of Pyrates into modern-day language for easier reading, and points out when the historical record remains silent about a particular aspect of the story, such as the legend of Maria Hallett. The inclusion of lesser-known facts, such as two of the divers who helped in the search, will surprise many. The chronological unfolding of events and the smooth flow of the narrative make this an inviting tale that snares the reader’s attention. This might be a book aimed at young pirate readers (ages ten and up), but adults will find it an equally intriguing adventure.




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If the Tide Turns by Rachel Rueckert

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The girl just dove off the pier right before his eyes. She doesn’t sink right away; she ventures farther afield until her strength gives out. That’s when he jumps in and rescues her.

Maria Brown (also known as Goody or Mehitable) just wants to learn to swim. She’s been teaching herself, but those lessons can only go so far. Swimming allows a sense a freedom, something which is nearing an end. At seventeen, she should be married, but she’s learned that resisting is futile. Sooner or later, she will have to marry John Hallett and her life will no longer be her own.

Samuel Bellamy should be looking for a job now that the war has ended and the Royal Navy has released him from service. But jobs on Cape Cod are few and there’s something about the beautiful girl he saves that speaks to him. It’s as if they are kindred souls. To see her again, he offers to give her swimming lessons.

Despite the risk to her reputation, Maria takes him up on his offer. The time they spend together is precious, and Sam’s unique way of looking at life stirs long-buried ideas within her. Still, the clock ticks closer to the inevitable period when their paths will diverge. She already knows her future, or at least she thinks she does. For Sam, he’s offered a chance to acquire riches enough to convince Maria’s father that he deserves to wed Maria instead of the prosperous and influential Hallett. Waiting in the wings, however, is Maria’s mother. She’s determined that her daughter will follow a straight and righteous path, one where Maria will not have to endure what she has. Before long, choices are made – ones that cannot be undone – and their paths are forever altered in ways neither expects.

Rueckert masterfully whisks together historical facts with legend and lore to create a spellbinding and realistic tale that breathes new life into Maria Hallett and Sam Bellamy. Along the way, we experience the cruelties and hardships of social life on Cape Cod, as well as the desperateness that drives people toward alternatives they might never have pursued otherwise. If the Tide Turns takes place between 1715 and 1717, and readers meet real life pirates such as Paulsgrave Williams, Henry Jennings, Benjamin Hornigold, Edward Teach, John Julian, and John King (the youngest known pirate). Time and again, the story transports readers with its you-are-there sensation. Even if you know the story of Sam and Maria, Rueckert will make you think again. Unexpected twists and harsh realities are deftly entwined with hope and aspirations to create a story of enduring love.


(This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Rueckert.html)




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