Page 23 - All About History - Issue 28-15

Outlaws

SETTLE A DISAGREEMENT

Quartermasters were keen to avoid any fighting on
their ships, so any disagreements had to be settled
on shore, and there was a set procedure for this.
The quartermaster would accompany the men to
land and turn them back to back. They would walk
a set amount of paces, then, on his word, turn and
fire. If both miss, they would draw their cutlasses.
The intention wasn’t to kill their opposition but to
The famous Jolly Roger draw first blood.
flag was another form
of intimidation
CAPTURE A SHIP
Much of a crew’s success depended on having a
fierce reputation. Rather than slaughtering their
way to victory, the aim was for the other ship to
surrender peacefully, and terrifying reputations
encouraged this. However, once surrendered, the
enemy crew were usually spared. If it was known
that pirates killed their prisoners, then crews would
fight to the death, and this would make victory
more costly in lives. Most were happy to surrender
their booty peacefully.
SHARE OUT THE SPOILS

There was an agreed hierarchy on board pirate
ships that determined how the captured riches
were distributed. Pirates would even use early
forms of modern-day checks and balances to keep
everything fair. Ordinary seaman usually received
a single share, while the captain, officers and
quartermasters received larger amounts. Treasure
was rarely, if ever, buried, and usually comprised
food, weapons and clothing rather than chests of
gold coins and jewels.

AVOID CAPTURE

Nearly all of the most famous pirates in history,
such as Charles Vane and Blackbeard, only
sailed for a few years before they were captured.
Punishment for pirates was very harsh, and their
executions served as a form of entertainment.
Many would end up being hung or ‘dancing the
hempen jig’, and some were placed in gibbets and
starved to death. Their bodies would be left in the
iron cages to swing and rot, serving as a gruesome
deterrent for other would-be pirates.

OVERSEE MEDICAL CARE

Life at sea was not for the faint of heart – injuries
and illness were just an accepted risk of the
profession. The classic images of pirates with
peg legs and hooks are not so farfetched – if
untreatable, most injured limbs would be sawn
off on board, with the patient being held down
by his fellow pirates. If they could afford it,
a lost leg would be replaced with a specially
madepeglegtofit,butotherwiseastickwas
just tied to the stump. Hooks, meanwhile, were
Despite their bloodthirsty reputation, very expensive. © Alamy
pirate captains would usually be
elected through a democratic vote
23