Edward Teach, who was born in 1680 most probably in Bristol, England is better known as Blackbeard, one of the most notorious and the most feared pirates that ever sailed.
Although the historical facts about his early life are poor, it is known he went to sea very young and served as a privateer during Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713) but when Britain stepped out of the war he turned to piracy like many others. Blackbeard began his piracy career on a Jamaican sloop under the command of
Benjamin Hornigold. In 1717 they captured a French slave ship which was given to Blackbeard and Hornigold retired from piracy soon after. The ship was given the name Queen Anne’s Revenge (QAR) and Blackbeard sailed on it for about seven months, ravaging the ships in the Caribbean and up the coast of North America. During this time he came across another pirate sloop, the Revenge from Barbados under the captain Bonnet, and invited them to sail together. Soon after he realized that Bonnet is an unskilled sailor he gave the command to another pirate and Bonnet remained practically a prisoner on QAR. It is said that in the months to come this two vessels encountered about 45 another ships and took their valuables, rum, navigational instruments and weapons. They usually let them to sail away if there was no resistance and it is believed that Blackbeard never killed anyone who didn’t threat to kill him.
In May 1718 the QAR was lost at Beaufort Inlet, after a week of blocking the Charleston port and one smaller vessel from Blackbeard’s 4 ship fleet was lost the same day. Before leaving, Blackbeard left a group of about 25 pirates stranded on a deserted sandbar and ran with all of the goods aboard a smaller vessel. The pirates were later rescued by Bonnet and they returned to the Revenge, renamed the Royal James but in December the same year they were captured and sentenced to death by hanging because of piracy. In the meantime, Blackbeard and his crew continued their journey to Bath, which was then the capital of North Carolina, and there received pardons from Governor Charles Eden. In the late 1718, after the Governor of Virginia found out that Blackbeard is still attacking other ships and taking prizes, he send the Royal Navy to North Carolina. This was the end for Blackbeard for he died in, as it is said, a bloody battle at Ocracoke Inlet in November 22, 1718.
Blackbeard was described in movies, stories and documentaries as a fierce pirate who brought terror wherever he went. He wore a crimson coat, two swords at his waist and many pistols and knives on his chest. He is often portrayed with fire in his long beard and at the end of his pigtails because he lit the wicks with gunpowder during battles. All of this is well remembered in legends where Blackbeard will always be talked about as the most notorious pirate who ever lived.
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