Portrayer He gained the title Keeper of the Code, which is a book of rules and guidelines followed by all. Edward Teach (alternatively spelled Edward Thatch, c. 1680 - 22 November 1718), better known as Blackbeard, was an English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North American colonies. After dedicating his life to piracy, Jack would follow in his father's buccaneering footsteps, from his appearance to keeping to the Code. The following year he converted a captured French merchantman into a 40-gun warship, Queen Annes Revenge, and soon became notorious for outrages along the Virginia and Carolina coasts and in the Caribbean Sea. He is a very quiet, somber man who seems to bear the weight of the world - as he takes his authority very seriously. So our Heroe, Captain Teach, assumed the Cognomen of Black-beard, from that large Quantity of Hair, which, like a frightful Meteor, covered his whole Face, and frightened America more than any Comet that has appeared there a long Time. Martin Klebba was born on June 23, 1969 in Troy, Michigan, USA. After the carriers brought the Pirata Codex to the Court, Teague whistled for the Prison Dog, who had the keys to unlock the padlocked book. [103] Lee (1974) concludes that although Spotswood may have thought that the ends justified the means, he had no legal authority to invade North Carolina, to capture the pirates and to seize and auction their goods. Who is the most feared pirate in Pirates of the Caribbean? He is Jack Sparrow's father and a former Pirate Lord of Madagascar, retiring from the position and becoming the Keeper of the Pirate's Code. The next day, Teague climbed aboard his ship, the Troubadour, where he and his crew joined with the other ships in the Brethren's fleet. . His name is likely based on real world pirate Edward Teach. [113] Konstam speculates further, suggesting that Johnson may have been the English playwright Charles Johnson, the British publisher Charles Rivington, or the writer Daniel Defoe. [14], Some time later, Teague's son Jack Sparrow was also thrown into the pit, because he tried to steal the precious tears of the Indian goddess Kali from Askhay. All vessels entering or leaving the port were stopped, and as the town had no guard ship,[46] its pilot boat was the first to be captured. Reasonable Authority Figure: She openly objects to Elizabeth being voted the Pirate King, but accepts it when Teague gives the Pirate Lords a Death Glare and asks Elizabeth what her plans are to combat Beckett's forces. However he did join the Brethren Court's fleet which faced Cutler Beckett's armada although he wasn't involved in the battle itself. [18] His further fate is unknown. By the end of August he had returned to piracy, and in the same month the Governor of Pennsylvania issued a warrant for his arrest, but by then Teach was probably operating in Delaware Bay, some distance away. Teague sailed for the Indian Ocean, and followed Askhay to his hideout, the island of Velha Goa, but he was captured by Askhay's warriors, who threw Teague into the dark, nearly bottomless pit full of skeletons of previous captives. He also found several items of correspondence, including a letter from Tobias Knight. The rogues stormed the armory, and the huge battle begun at the docks. Captain Hume of HMSScarborough reported on 6 February that a "Pyrate Ship of 36Guns and 250men, and a Sloop of 10Guns and 100men were Said to be Cruizing amongst the Leeward Islands". [4][19] Teague would give advice to Jack regarding his ambitions and the way of pirate life, and was there for him when it really mattered, but was also said to be an absentee kind of father, who didn't understand Jack's interest in cosmetics[20], would beat him for not wanting to tell him which of his men beat him first, and treat him codly or outright dismiss him before Jack even had a chance to say or do anything[19], despite coming off as supportive parent in more than one situation otherwise. The pirate captains at the meeting expressed their dismay over the rogue attacks on peaceful merchant ships, for the fear of war on piracy being declared by the colonial powers of Europe. He then called a meeting of his fellow sailors and moved eight ships into the harbour, causing panic within the town. He has been widely identified as Edward Teach (or several variations thereof, including Thatch and Thack), though pirate custom at the time was to use a pseudonym when engaging in acts of piracy, and his true name will probably never be known. [80] "Thirteen white and six Negroes", was the number later reported by Brand to the Admiralty.[81]. Cooper. The pirates body was decapitated, and his head was affixed to the end of the bowsprit of his ship. [132] Blackbeard is also portrayed as a central character in three TV series: by John Malkovich in Crossbones (2014),[133] by Ray Stevenson in seasons three and four of Black Sails (20162017),[134] and by Taika Waititi in Our Flag Means Death (2022). Possibly about 1716, he joined the crew of Captain Benjamin Hornigold, a renowned pirate who operated from New Providence's safe waters. New Providence's harbour could easily accommodate hundreds of ships but was too shallow for the Royal Navy's larger vessels. The two captains refused as Holloway was involved in the civil action. Pirate John Ward: the real Captain Jack Sparrow. Lieutenant Robert Maynard of HMS Pearl was given command of two commandeered sloops, to approach the town from the sea. Eden gave Teach permission to sail to St Thomas to seek a commission as a privateer (a useful way of removing bored and troublesome pirates from the small settlement), and Teach was given official title to his remaining sloop, which he renamed Adventure. He is named for his long black beard which he braided beards and lit fuses into to scare his enemies. Those left on the Adventure were captured by the Ranger's crew, including one who planned to set fire to the powder room and blow up the ship. [128], The name of Blackbeard has been attached to many local attractions, such as Charleston's Blackbeard's Cove. [93] On their return to Virginia, Teach's head was placed on a pole at the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay as a warning to other pirates and a greeting to other ships, and it stood there for several years. "[9] In New Providence, pirates found a welcome respite from the law. [39], In March 1718, while taking on water at Turneffe Island east of Belize, both ships spotted the Jamaican logwood-cutting sloop Adventure making for the harbour. [94], Lieutenant Maynard remained at Ocracoke for several more days, making repairs and burying the dead. Though he was a captain of a ship, Teague was a withdrawn and rather, "stay at home" kind of pirate having done most of his adventuring in his younger days. Teague, Jack, and the surviving crew members watched the end of El Matador Del Mar. His nickname derived from his thick black beard and fearsome appearance; he was reported to have tied lit fuses (slow matches) under his hat to frighten his enemies. According to contemporary sources, Blackbeard flew a black flag with a skull and a blood red flag; Konstam (2007) considers this unlikely and that the pirates were almost certainly "teasing the captive with tall stories. English [130], Film renditions of his life include Blackbeard the Pirate (1952) starring West Country native Robert Newton whose exaggerated West Country accent is credited with popularising the stereotypical "pirate voice",[131] Blackbeard's Ghost (1968), Blackbeard: Terror at Sea (2005) and the 2006 Hallmark Channel miniseries Blackbeard. Teague was standing on the forecastle behind Jack when several crew members offered Jack a tribute. Another charge cited two attacks, one of which was the capture of a slave ship off Charles Town Bar, from which one of Howard's slaves was presumed to have come. A Vice Admiralty Court was quickly convened, presided over by Tobias Knight and the Collector of Customs. ", Among these other ships, Bostock reported that Teach was intent on finding a Captain Pinkentham and asked about him repeatedly. [57], Before sailing northward on his remaining sloop to Ocracoke Inlet, Teach marooned about 25men on a small sandy island about a league from the mainland. [23] In late November, near Saint Vincent, he attacked the Great Allen. They sailed from Kecoughtan, along the James River, on 17 November. [75], Maynard took command of the two armed sloops on 17 November. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. [73] He gained the support of two men keen to discredit North Carolina's GovernorEdward Moseley and Colonel Maurice Moore. Misty LadyBarnacleWicked WenchTroubadour Filthy Pirate! Bostock, who had been held aboard Queen Anne's Revenge, was returned unharmed to Margaret and was allowed to leave with his crew. In At World's End, during . During the dinner, they were attacked by pirates led by Gentleman Jocard, who thought that they were hosting King Samuel, Jocard's former owner who sold him into slavery. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Jones knew everything that happened in his watery kingdoms, and the Brethren Court spoke a magic call that brought Jones onboard the Troubadour, Teague's ship. Sometimes good, other times bad, but always full of pettiness, abuse apologism (on Teague's side), accussations and unresolved issues between the two. Harriot and his crew accepted the invitation, and Teach sent over a crew to sail Adventure making Israel Hands the captain. He then travelled back to Beaufort Inlet to collect the Revenge and the remainder of his crew, intending to sail to Saint Thomas Island to receive a commission. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. [6], Teague returned to Shipwreck Cove, where he was soon rejoined by his son Jack, who occasionally joined Teague on his journeys on Teague's ship, the Troubadour. He may have done this to stifle any protest they made, if they guessed their captain's plans. Teach captured a French slave ship known as La Concorde, renamed her Queen Anne's Revenge, equipped her with 40 guns, and crewed her with over 300 men. [2], During the meeting of the Fourth Brethren Court, presided over by Hector Barbossa and Jack Sparrow, Captain Teague was called upon by Barbossa to cite from the Pirata Codex after Jack was able to persuaded the Pirate Lords to an act of war, much to Jack's dismay. Barbossa : Barbossa. During the attack on the Misty Lady, he had a duel with Admiral Lawrence Norrington, and though his opponent was a skillful fighter, Teague easily won. Some time later, on the coast of Madagascar, Teague secretly stole the tears of Kali from Jack, boarded Jack's boat and sailed away, leaving Jack stranded and proclaiming himself as the greatest pirate in the world. John Ward was outlandish and fearless, terrorising the Mediterranean with a complete absence of morals - little wonder the English pirate was an inspiration for Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. The goods which Brand seized were officially North Carolinian property and Eden considered him a thief. Elizabeth Swann : Elizabeth Swann. Bostock also claimed that Teach had questioned him about the movements of local ships,[nb 2] but also that he had seemed unsurprised when Bostock told him of an expected royal pardon from London for all pirates.[29]. The small craft was quickly spotted by Adventure and fired at as soon as it was within range of her guns. Adventure then turned toward the beach of Ocracoke Island, heading for a narrow channel. [56] Konstam (2007) proposes a similar idea, explaining that Teach began to see Queen Anne's Revenge as something of a liability; while a pirate fleet was anchored, news of this was sent to neighbouring towns and colonies, and any vessels nearby would delay sailing.