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

by Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos

Pirate lore has long captivated us and through the centuries it has worked its way into our literature, movies and popular culture. But many of these depictions and our understanding of the nature of the pirate are wrong. The Pirate Next Door takes what we think we know about pirates and turns it on its head by exploring the human side of pirates―the wives, families and communities of the men who have long been considered outlaws and outcasts. It delves into the inner lives of pirates, focusing on their faiths, communal ties and great loves. Using newly discovered primary sources from the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries from archives in New England and London, this compelling story is told through the lives of four pirate captains who were active during the Golden Age of Piracy―Samuel Bellamy of Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Paulsgrave Williams of Block Island, Rhode Island; William Kidd of New York and Samuel Burgess of New York. This book corrects long-held beliefs about pirate life and brings to light the strong women behind these men. "This beautifully written true story blows the best pirate fiction out of the water. For the first time, a historian shines welcome light on the women behind these daring, violent and surprisingly domesticated adventure capitalists."
― Jayne O'Donnell, USA Today "For those of you who've walked a beach and dreamt of finding pirate treasure, you'll find that lost booty and much more in this carefully researched and wonderfully written book that is a new chapter in The Real History of the Pirates. "
― Barry Clifford, Explorer and Author ". . . pulls the curtain back on a world we scarce knew existed. Cutting edge scholarship and a rattling good tale. Prepare to have your timbers shivered!"
― Richard Willing, FBI and Intelligence Historian ". . . introduces us into a new aspect of the lives of pirates. Too often characterized as alienated, violent outcasts, Geanacopoulos shows us that many of them were married, cared about their children and were attached to communities. It is a new dimension in pirate studies."
― Robert C. Ritchie, Author of Captain Kidd and the War Against the Pirates ". . . a must read for all who seek to know the historic pirate experience."
― Ronald M. Johnson, Emeritus Professor of History, Georgetown University ". . . sheds light on the private lives of the rowdy buccaneers of the Golden Age of Piracy, plus the lovers, wives and families who supported such risky business. Geanacopoulos captures our attention with insight into the strict code of honor among daring rogues on both sides of the Atlantic. Pirate enthusiasts will treasure it!" ― Glen Finland, Author of Next Stop "It is well researched, drawing mainly on primary sources, and written in a readily accessible narrative style...a valuable addition to the growing corpus of pirate studies, a welcome insight into the lives of some of the chief pirates of the Golden Age and overall a very enjoyable read." ― Connie Kelleher, International Journal of Nautical Archaeology

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Pirates

147 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2017

About the author

Dr. Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos is a historian, journalist and author of The Pirate Next Door: The Untold Story of Eighteenth Century Pirates' Wives, Families and Communities (Carolina Academic Press, 2017) and The Pirate's Wife: The Remarkable True Story of Sarah Kidd (Hanover Square Press, an imprint of HarperCollins, November, 2022). Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, the Washington Post, Southern Living, Virginia Business and other outlets. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, David.

Reviews

[Cindy Vallar · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Jashvina Shah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m a little disappointed because this was less about the women and communities around pirates and more just a straight rehashing of history, including an entire tale that may or may not have been true (Maria Hallett, still not proven/unproven) and it didn’t provide any new information

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very readable revisionist look at the 'personal' lives of four American pirate captains of the Golden Age: Samuel Bellamy of Massachusetts, Paulgrave Williams of Rhode Island, and William Kidd and Samuel Burgess of New York. While recounting summaries of their possible influences that led to their piratical activities, the author accomplishes her goal of demonstrating that some pirates had viable family relationships that were integral parts of their lives. Traditional depictions of ruthless, inhumane, pirate culture, without strong familial ties are belied by examination of letters, wills, court records and other contemporary documents that give evidence of strong commitments to wives, mothers, children and other women and the desire to provide for and protect them.

[Angela Vega · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read that is full of interesting stories of the women involved in the golden age of piracy. Definitely gives a different perspective on the lives of pirates as compared to the typical historical narrative.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few little errors, like one about no photos of an 17th century woman, and a fashion statement about bustles being worn (not until the 19th century), but overall quite a fascinating little book.

[MaryB. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Popsugar 2024, #6, a book about pirates
… lots of research; interesting.

[Stefani Stoltzfus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at pirates without the propaganda that normally surrounds them. I found it to be a compelling read and could hardly put it down. Definitely recommend.

[Nav · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's an essay. A long one, but an essay.