Christopher Forest - The Crude, Unpleasant Age of Pirates: The Disgusting Details about the Life of Pirates

1. 1689 William Kidd earns the name pirate; the naming of Kidd as a pirate helps usher in the Golden Age of Pirates.
   
2. 1693 An earthquake destroys the city of Port Royal in Jamaica; this city was a popular pirate hideout.
3. 1700 Jolly Roger flags become common on pirate ships.
   
4. 1701 Englands government takes William Kidd to court for charges of being a pirate; Kidd is put to death.
5. 17021713 Queen Annes War breaks out between France and England; at the end of the war sailors are out of work, and some become pirates.
6. 1714 New Providence in the Bahamas becomes a pirate hideout.
7. 1716 Edward Teach joins a pirate crew; Teach later becomes known as Captain Blackbeard.
   

No, a merry life and a short one shall be my motto.

as quoted in Raiders and Rebels: The Golden Age of Piracy by Frank Sherry

1. 1717 Pirate hunter Woodes Rogers becomes governor of the Bahamas; Rogers promises to end piracy.
2. 1718 Pirate hunters kill Blackbeard in battle.
3. 1720 The British Navy captures a pirate crew off the coast of Jamaica; among the pirates caught were Anne Bonny and Mary Read.
4. 1722 Bartholomew Roberts, last of the great pirate captains, dies in battle.

People say Thomas Tew had the largest recorded stolen treasure. In todays money, his treasure would equal $150 million.

Pirates sailed flags called Jolly Rogers. Black or red, these flags had pictures of skeletons, skulls, or bleeding hearts.

CAPTAIN elected by pirate crew to command the ship

FIRST MATE helped the captain run the ship

QUARTERMASTER handled supplies, rations, and helped keep order on the ship

PILOT kept the ship on course

SAILOR general crewmember

Ahoy mate, orders a large man holding a sword. To your post! The smell of saltwater spray and seaweed fills the air as the large pirate ship readies to sail. Crowded onto the ship is a crew of dirty, sweaty men.

Each man moves about with a job to do. Some crewmembers struggle to pull up the ships sails. Others blister their hands loosening ropes. Below the main treasure hunt.

For nearly 40 years, pirates ruled the seas. Often, pirates looked no different than people of their time. But make no mistake. These foul sailors surely did act different. Pirates made a living attacking ships, killing crews, and stealing treasure. If pirates were lucky, they lived long enough to spend their money. Unlucky pirates died at sea.

A pirate had to watch his back. Even his crewmates could turn on him.

Danger filled pirates lives. They lost limbs in battle and suffered fatal wounds. They also endured painful and deadly diseases. But weather was the greatest danger. Storms at sea damaged ships and killed crews. A pirates life was crude and unpleasant. Still, their rough life often paid off with stolen treasure.

Hundreds of pirates were often crammed on a single ship. It didnt take long before foul smells filled the air. These men shared food, beds, and toilets. The few items they brought with them were kept in common chests shared by others.

No matter how watertight the ship, water filled the lower deck. Pirates dumped out the water as fast as they could. Still, they could not rid the ship of its foul sewer smell. The decks for food storage were a bit drier. But these decks had problems too. In these dark areas, barrels and sacks of food housed worms, spiders, and rats.

RAT

Captains had private quarters, but the crews living space was tight. Pirates found any place they could to sleep. Some chose a sack of food as a restful spot. Others found a dry place on the rough wooden floor. Fires were not allowed below deck, so pirates spent many cold, damp nights trying to keep warm. During hot weather, the stench of sweat, waste, and salt water filled the ship.

On a pirate ship, sleeping on the top deck meant fresh air.

To make conditions even worse, pirates werent alone below deck. Hundreds of rodents crawled over the sleeping men. Infections from rat bites sent many pirates to an early grave.

FOUL FACT

To rid their ships of rats, pirates went hunting for the pests. A Spanish crew reported finding nearly 4,000 rats.

A Foul Crew

After weeks at sea, pirates looked as foul as they smelled. Pirates had dirty hair and rotten, yellow teeth. On a pirate ship, brushing teeth and bathing rarely happened. Freshwater was saved for cooking and drinking.

Sweaty, dirty men added to the disgusting stench. Most pirates came on board a ship with only the clothes they were wearing. These clothes quickly became torn and full of bloodstains and sweat. Washing clothes helped, but pirates often only washed their shirts. A pirates best chance at new clothes was to steal them from someone on another ship.

Picture the comfortable bathroom in your home. With one flush, waste disappears. Now picture a wooden board with some holes. Thats what a pirate called a bathroom. Most pirates went to the bathroom using a simple hole in a board at the back of the ship. A pirate had to pick the right time for his bathroom stop. During rough waves, the waste sometimes fell onto the ship and onto other pirates. Yuck, watch out below!

Pirates foul reputations matched the living quarters aboard their ships.

FOUL FACT

Not all pirates were men. Anne Bonny and Mary Read dressed as men when they served aboard pirate ships.

Poor Diet