Shiver Me Timbers
BY MARILYN JONES
Shallow inlets along North Carolina’s coast became a haven for many pirates during the 17th and 18th centuries. Blackbeard (Edward Teach) first gained notoriety in late 1717 with his converted French merchantman, Queen Anne’s Revenge. In 1718, he established his base in a North Carolina inlet, forcibly collected tolls from shipping in the Pamlico Sound and made a prize-sharing agreement with Colonial North Carolina Governor Charles Eden. For about two years, the ruthless Blackbeard and his crew plundered every ship near the West Indies and Colonial America.
Stede Bonnet, known as the Gentleman Pirate, docked in the Cape Fear Inlet near Wilmington more than once. He purchased his vessel, the Revenge, and six cannons to arm it. He then recruited and employed a crew and paid them a salary, which was unusual for the pirate trade.
The historian Angus Konstam, author of Blackbeard, estimates 2,000 active pirates lived around the Outer Banks during the Golden Age of Piracy. Given Blackbeard’s prize-sharing agreement with Eden, the local economy welcomed the pirates and held them as heroes in North Carolina. Tales of their exploits live on in museums, festivals and tours along the coastline.
History Tour
In the 18th century, Beaufort was a significant port for trade, and, consequently a hotspot for pirate activity. Blackbeard’s ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, sank off the coast of Beaufort in 1718.
With Beaufort’s ties to Blackbeard and other maritime figures, pirates have become symbols of the area’s past. That history is preserved and shared with visitors who take a tour of the town with Beaufort Ghost Walk. The tours are led by pirate guides, who bring that history to life with engaging storytelling. “It becomes more than just a ghost walk; it’s an interactive performance that transports visitors back in time and [is] grounded in local lore,” says owner and tour pirate Jonathan Edwards. “A pirate guide is more than a character—[they’re representing] an era when piracy and maritime danger were real parts of life in Beaufort, adding depth to the shared ghost stories and legends.”
After the walking tour, pirate-seekers in Beaufort can climb aboard the Revenge, a 40-foot pirate replica ship, to take part in singing and sword fights, and vie for treasure with water cannon battles as they cruise the high seas.
On the Lookout for Pirates
On a large pontoon boat off the coast of Carolina Beach, the assembled listen to Captain Tony Newberry as he weaves tales of the pirates who sailed along the North Carolina coast, including Bonnet and Blackbeard. Twenty or so children sit rapt with attention.
The Pleasure Island Pirate Cruise captain points to their treasure—kept safe in a wooden box—when suddenly, another pirate known as Ricky McJames bounds down the dock, snatches the box off the boat and races down the beach. Captain Newberry tasks the children with returning the treasure. They pursue McJames along a lonely stretch of beach before finding him and fighting for the treasure with water cannons. They return to the boat victorious.
Southport
The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport has many artifacts on display within a special pirate exhibit, including Blackbeard’s sunken flagship. “The museum showcases the vast nautical history of the Lower Cape Fear,” says Cyndi Brown, information and communications specialist. The area was of great importance to the region’s people, including Bonnet, the planter turned pirate. During Bonnet’s short career in piracy, he joined forces with the notorious Blackbeard. “Stede Bonnet was eventually captured here near the mouth of the Cape Fear River and later executed in Charleston,” says Brown.
Greenville’s PirateFest
Pirate culture runs deep in Pitt County. During the Golden Age of Piracy, pirates hid in the Inner and Outer Banks and secluded waterways. PirateFest is Greenville’s signature festival to celebrate this rich history. Held on the banks of the Tar River in April, the event draws over 35,000 swashbucklers to downtown Greenville for some tomfoolery, food and live music.
Bath
Blackbeard arrived here in Bath in June of 1718 and immediately received Gov. Eden’s “gracious pardon” of the Royal Proclamation. As the legend goes, Blackbeard took up residence in a home on Plum Point. This house was visible across the bay from the Bonner House—now a North Carolina Historic Site—where members of the Bonner family told of a ghostly phenomenon called “Blackbeard’s Lights.” During violent storms, they would see a ball of fire floating back and forth from Plum Point to Archbell Point throughout the night.
The Van Der Veer House in Historic Bath also has a room devoted to Blackbeard that includes a graphite vase rumored to be the famous pirate’s money pot. Accounts say the people of Colonial Bath treated their infamous pardoned pirate as somewhat of a celebrity. When Blackbeard and his crew were in town, they threw lavish dinners and wild parties.
North Carolina’s coastal region echoes with the stories and lore of pirates and their reign of terror. Today, we can learn about them and explore their history through the museums and organizations that showcase their legends.
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