The Pirate flag...The Jolly Roger  was devised by the Pirates themselves as a flag that could be instantly recognized by any ship of any nationality.  The Skull in particular was the universal sign of death or at least, the promise of something ghastly to happen to all who would dare to cross it.  The skull was either depicted with crossed-bones or crossed-cutlasses.

Pirates in the 17th century actually had a set of rules or codes of honor that they lived and indeed die by.  They were not the completely lawless bunch of renegades always fighting each other as is often perpetrated.

A wise Pirate captain would rule his ship with democracy rather than dictatorship if he knew what was good for him.  Some pirate captains who tried to rule as tyrants like a dictator were more often than not assassinated by their crew.  Rules such as the sharing of all and any proceeds of a robbery was strictly observed and voting on many issues by a show of hands.

Pirates were in bed by eight o clock of a night, a good nights sleep was usually enforced so that they would be wide awake and at the ready the following day for attacking other ships etc.  Also the rule of no fighting amongst themselves was adhered to on most pirate ships and all arguments had to be solved amicably or at least man to man.

Below is a list of actual rules as laid down by Pirate Captain Black Bart

Rule I. Every man shall have an equal vote in affairs of moment. He shall have an equal title to the fresh provisions or strong liquors at any time seized, and shall use them at pleasure unless a scarcity may make it necessary for the common good that a retrenchment may be voted.

Rule II. Every man shall be called fairly in turn by the list on board of prizes, because over and above their proper share, they are allowed a shift of clothes. But if they defraud the company to the value of even one dollar in plate, jewels or money, they shall be marooned. If any man rob another he shall have his nose and ears slit, and be put ashore where he shall be sure to encounter hardships.

Rule III. None shall game for money either with dice or cards.

Rule IV. lights and candles should be put out at eight at night, and if any of the crew desire to drink after that hour they shall sit upon the open deck without lights.

Rule V. Each man shall keep his piece, cutlass and pistols at all times clean and ready for action.

Rule VI. No woman to be allowed amongst them. If any man shall be found seducing any of the other sex and carrying her to sea in disguise he shall suffer death.

Rule VII. He that shall desert the ship or his quarters in time of battle shall be punished by death or marooning.

Rule VIII. None shall strike another on board the ship, but every man's quarrel shall be ended on shore by sword or pistol in this manner. At the word of command from the quartermaster, each man being previously placed back to back, shall turn and fire immediately. If any man do not, the quartermaster shall knock the piece out of his hand. If both miss their aim they shall take to their cutlasses, and he that draws first blood shall be declared the victor.

Rule IX. No man shall talk of breaking up their way of living till each has a share of £l,000. Every man who shall become a cripple or lose a limb in the service shall have 800 pieces of eight from the common stock and for lesser hurts proportionately.

Rule X. The captain and the quartermaster shall each receive two shares of a prize, the master gunner and boatswain, one and one half shares, all other officers one and one quarter, and private gentlemen of fortune one share each.

Rule XI. The musicians shall have rest on the Sabbath Day only by right. On all other days by favour only.

The list is very comprehensive, but you can come out with as many rules as you like as you will never beat the old adage " There is no honor amongst thieves "

The Pirates rules were backed up by punishments for offenders who did not follow their oaths.  This may have taken form of being marooned on a small desolate outcrop that could not support life, they would be left with a bottle of rum and a knife or a loaded flintlock pistol to take their own life swiftly as opposed to dying slowly under the sun.

Because the traditional naval punishment was to be flogged with a cat 'o' nine tails, Pirates did not adopt this method rather they would tie a transgressor to the mast and leave them there for a couple of days before getting their dehydrated body down. They would then be watered and fed as punishment was deemed as served.

Another punishment was to be totally outcast form the rest of the pirates and sold into slavery, which would of course also build up the ships coffers.

Walking the plank was another method of disposing of a member of the crew that had transgressed pirate law.  He would be ushered along the plank at sword point with hands bound behind his back until he fell into the sea, there to drown.  Although this has been well publicized in Hollywood films, walking the plank may have been less common as is generally thought.  The Ole Heave To where an offender was simply tied up and thrown over board is accepted as being the most probable method they used.

If a Pirate robbed from his fellows or injured another pirate then keelhauling was the punishment for them.  The offender would be dragged underneath the side of the ships hull so that the rough barnacles would tear the flesh.  This was actually believed to be done around the side of the ship port to starboard not the length bow to stern so as not to drown the unfortunate.

Caribbean pirates such as Blackbeard, Black Bart Roberts and Jack "Calico" Rackam were thieves, robbers and cut-throats who were not afraid to torture their victims.  Blackbeard was said to have cut off a captives lips and ears and forced him to eat them or " I'll have ye eyes on the end of my blade! " if he failed to do so. 

They were evil men indeed but at the same time they ruled with a very fair democracy aboard their ships.  It was a democracy that was unheard of in say the British Navy where you did as ordered or faced a flogging, starvation and all other host of cruel punishments at the whim of the Captain.  Not surprising really that so many sailors deserted and joined pirate ships.

Before setting sail the pirate captain would gather all the other pirates  together on deck and have a meeting, laying down the ships rules of fairness to all aboard.  These rules as stated earlier would regulate drinking, dining, gambling and the way arguments have to be dealt with. It was all put to the vote and the majority vote won the constitution.

This law of democracy that was used by the pirates in say the 15th century is something that was not put into general practice by Governments until the 20th century.  Most of the time the land was governed by a very unfair, cruel and biased dictatorship " do as I say, not as I do " monarchy.  Monarchies are never voted in, instead they have the Right of Succession which only includes immediate family members.  A well thought out system ( for the monarchy ) of keeping all the wealth and power strictly in the family.

Pirate captains such as Blackbeard were fairly elected into office by their crews via the vote.  Many captains who lost favor with he crew were similarly voted out of office, if the Captain disagreed then they would throw him overboard or he may even be killed with lunge from a cutlass.  A pirate Captain had to be fair to all his men or such a fate could be administered.

Many pirates had a reign for many years and ruled their ships so well that they were never voted out.  The were usually quite successful Captains that led many successful raiding parties on other ships.  The supplies and treasures of which were then distributed amongst the crew, keeping them more than happy to serve.

FAMOUS PIRATES

  • Kanhoji Angria 1698 - 1729. A very successful pirate captain who reigned for an unbelievable 32 years. He died in obscurity somewhere in the Caribbean.

  • Anne Bonny 1700 - 1782.  A successful female pirate who teamed up with pirate Captain Jack Rackam to serve with him for several years. It is thought she escaped being executed when their ship and crew was captured by the British Navy as someone bribed the officials with a large sum of money, and she died peacefully in South Carolina at the age of 82

  • Howell Davies 1690 -1719. He was a Welshman who reigned for just under a year before being ambushed and killed.

  • John Hawkyns 1532 - 1595. He was related to Sir Francis Drake, as a Pirate he captured seafarers and sold them into slavery.  He died of illness in 1595.

  • Henry Morgan aka Captain Blood 1635 - 1688. He was a Welshman who became a very successful  and notorious pirate captain.  It is thought he contracted TB and died of this in London 1688.

  • Jack 'Calico' Rackam 1862 -1720. He was a Pirate captain for several years until getting captured by The British Royal Navies Captain Jonathan Barnet in October 1720.  He was hanged at Gallows Point in Port Royal, Jamaica a month later.  His body was tarred and feathered, then hung in a cage to rot as a warning to other pirates.

  • Bartholomew Roberts aka Black Bart 1682 - 1722. He was perhaps the most successful Pirate captain ever, robbing over 450 ships and amounting more than an alleged £50 million in booty during his reign.  He wore a crimson waistcoat and the Hollywood film 'Crimson Pirate' was made to illustrate him and his exploits.  He was killed when he was shot in the neck from grapeshot fired from a ships cannon during battle, death would have been quite quick.

  • Blackbeard aka Edward Teach 1680 - 1718.  He was the most notorious of Pirate captains, always armed with 2 cutlass's, several loaded pistols and various knives.  He had a successful career spanning over a decade until being killed and decapitated in battle.  His head was impaled on a spike at the North Shore of Hampton River in Virginia USA at a spot now named Teach's Point  as a warning to other would be pirates.  To die in battle was every Pirates wish as opposed to death at the hangman's noose.

  • Captain Kidd 1645 -1701 He was a Scottish Pirate who had a good reign over several years before being captured, imprisoned for a year and finally hanged.  His body was hung up (gibbeted as seen in image below) by the River Thames for 20 years as a reminder of how pirates would be treated by the authorities of the day.