Bartholomew Roberts
| Bartholomew Roberts | |
|---|---|
Bartholomew Roberts at Ouidah with his ship and captured merchantmen in the background.
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| Born | 17 May 1682 Casnewydd Bach, Pembrokeshire, Wales |
| Died | 10 February 1722 (aged 39) At sea off Cape Lopez, Gabon |
| Piratical career | |
| Nickname | Black Bart (Welsh: Barti Ddu) |
| Type | Pirate |
| Years active | 1719–1722 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Base of operations | Off the coast of the Americas and West Africa |
| Commands | Royal Rover, Good Fortune, Royal Fortune, Ranger, Little Ranger |
| Wealth | 470 vessels |
Bartholomew Roberts, (17 May 1682 – 10 February 1722) born John Roberts, was a Welsh pirate who raided ships off the Americas and West Africa between 1719 and 1722. He was the most successful pirate of the Golden Age of Piracy as measured by vessels captured, taking over 400 prizes in his career. He is also known as Black Bart (Welsh: Barti Ddu), but this name was never used in his lifetime. He is sometimes confused with Charles Bolles, called the "Black Bart" of the American West.
He was born John Roberts in 1682 in Casnewydd-Bach, between Fishguard and Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, Wales. His father was most likely George Roberts. It's not clear why Roberts changed his name from John to Bartholomew, but pirates often adopted aliases. He may have chosen his first name after the well-known buccaneer Bartholomew Sharp. He is thought to have gone to sea when he was 13 in 1695, but there is no further record of him until 1718, when he was mate of a Barbados sloop.
In 1719, Roberts was third mate on the slave ship Princess under Captain Abraham Plumb. In early June that year, the Princess was anchored at Anomabu (then spelled Annamaboa, which is situated along the Gold Coast of West Africa, present-day Ghana) when she was captured by pirates. The pirates were in two vessels, the Royal Rover and the Royal James, and were led by captain Howell Davis. Davis, like Roberts, was a Welshman, originally from Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire. Roberts and several other of the crew of the Princess were forced to join the pirates.
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