Charles Bellamy
Encyclopedia
Charles Bellamy was an 18th century English pirate who raided colonial American shipping in New England and later off the coast of the Carolinas, to which he himself would later quote "making war on the whole world". Operating in the same area as the more widely known Samuel Bellamy
, the two have often been confused for the same man.
Bellamy's career first began during the summer of 1717 when he raided three ships off the coast of both New England
and New Brunswick
, before sailing northwards to establish a fortified encampment somewhere in the Bay of Fundy
(most likely Saint Andrew's
where he continued attacking fishing and raiding ships off the southern coast of Newfoundland. Bellemy justified his actions in comparison to the corrupt legal system of the day to which he refused to respect or acknowledge later observing "They vilify us, the scoundrels do, when there is only this difference; they rob the poor under the cover of the law, forsooth, we plunder the rich under the protection of our own courage."
After mistakenly attacking a French warship in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
, Bellamy's ship was severely damaged with a loss of 36 crew members. Bellamy would later raid fishing vessels based in Placentia Bay
however, by 1718, Bellamy was forced to flee to the safe havens of Madagascar
of the Gulf of Guinea
like so many other pirates of the region.
Samuel Bellamy
Samuel Bellamy , aka "Black Sam" Bellamy, was an English pirate who operated in the early 18th century....
, the two have often been confused for the same man.
Bellamy's career first began during the summer of 1717 when he raided three ships off the coast of both New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, before sailing northwards to establish a fortified encampment somewhere in the Bay of Fundy
Bay of Fundy
The Bay of Fundy is a bay on the Atlantic coast of North America, on the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine...
(most likely Saint Andrew's
St. Andrews, New Brunswick
St. Andrews is a Canadian town in Charlotte County, New Brunswick.It is sometimes referred to in tourism marketing by its unofficial nickname "St. Andrews-by-the-sea".-Geography:St...
where he continued attacking fishing and raiding ships off the southern coast of Newfoundland. Bellemy justified his actions in comparison to the corrupt legal system of the day to which he refused to respect or acknowledge later observing "They vilify us, the scoundrels do, when there is only this difference; they rob the poor under the cover of the law, forsooth, we plunder the rich under the protection of our own courage."
After mistakenly attacking a French warship in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
The Gulf of Saint Lawrence , the world's largest estuary, is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean...
, Bellamy's ship was severely damaged with a loss of 36 crew members. Bellamy would later raid fishing vessels based in Placentia Bay
Placentia Bay
Placentia Bay is a body of water on the southeast coast of Newfoundland, Canada. It is formed by Burin Peninsula on the west and Avalon Peninsula on the east. Fishing grounds in the bay were used by native people long before the first European fishermen arrived in the 16th century. For a time, the...
however, by 1718, Bellamy was forced to flee to the safe havens of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
of the Gulf of Guinea
Gulf of Guinea
The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean between Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian is in the gulf....
like so many other pirates of the region.
Further reading
- Botting, Douglas. The Pirates (The Seafarers; v.1). Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life Books, 1978. ISBN 0-8094-2652-8
- Mitchell, David. Pirates, An Illustrated History. New York: Dial Press, 1976.
- Rankin, Hugh F. The Golden Age of Piracy. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1969.
- Sherry, Frank. "Raiders & Rebels, A History of the Golden Age of Piracy". Harper Perennial 1986.
External links
- Charles Bellamy at The Salacious Historian's Lair
- Robert Newton: "Blackbeard the Pirate" vs. History, includes description of early career.