Black Sam Bellamy
| Samuel Bellamy | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
c. February 23, 1689 Hittisleigh, Devon, England |
| Died |
April 26, 1717 (aged 28) Wellfleet, Massachusetts |
| Piratical career | |
| Nickname | "Black Sam" Bellamy, "Prince of Pirates", "Black Bellamy", "Robin Hood of the Sea" |
| Type | Golden Age Pirate |
| Allegiance | Whydah Constitutional Republic |
| Years active | 1716 – April 26, 1717 |
| Rank | Elected Commodore of pirate fleet |
| Base of operations | Blanco Islet, Tortola B.V.I. (later re-named Bellamy Cay), Caribbean Sea |
| Commands | Postillion, Sloop Marianne, Pinque Mary Anne, Sultana Galley, Whydah Galley, Anne, Fisher |
| Wealth | Equiv. US$133.5 million in 2016; #1 Forbes top-earning pirates |
Captain Samuel Bellamy (c. February 23, 1689 – April 26, 1717), later known as "Black Sam" Bellamy, was an English pirate who operated in the early 18th century.
Though his known career as a pirate captain lasted little more than a year, he and his crew captured at least 53 ships under his command – making him the wealthiest pirate in recorded history – before his death at age 28. Called "Black Sam" in Cape Cod folklore because he eschewed the fashionable powdered wig in favor of tying back his long black hair with a simple band, Bellamy became known for his mercy and generosity toward those he captured on his raids. This reputation earned him another nickname, the "Prince of Pirates". He likened himself to Robin Hood, with his crew calling themselves "Robin Hood's Men".
Bellamy was the youngest of six known children born to Stephen and Elizabeth Bellamy in the parish of Hittisleigh in Devonshire, England, in 1689. Elizabeth died soon after, and was buried on February 23, 1689, three weeks before Samuel's baptism on March 18. The future pirate became a sailor at a young age; in his late teens, he joined the Royal Navy and fought in several battles. Though it has been speculated that he may have had a wife and child, there is no definite historical proof of this.
Bellamy traveled to Cape Cod around 1715, allegedly to seek some of his relatives there. According to an abundance of local lore on the subject, it is believed that he took up an affair with a local beauty, Goody Hallett — the "Witch of Wellfleet". Professor Elizabeth Reynard, in her 1934 book, The Narrow Land, gave her the name "Maria", and though there is no evidence of her bearing that name, it has nevertheless become a popular name for her. Other modern authors have called her "Mariah" and "Mary". Her age and marital status remains a subject of much debate. Some stories depict her as a young lady between 16 and 25, while others depict her as a very old woman. In some stories, her parents liked him, but did not think a poor self-confident sailor was husband material; circumstantial evidence indicates that she may have already been married, confirming some stories that it was Bellamy's intent to seek his fortune and then return, not to marry her, but to take her away.
For whatever reason, he left Cape Cod in early 1716 with a group of men to seek the vast treasures on the Florida coast from the Spanish wreck of the 1715 Treasure Fleet. Wealthy jeweler Palgraves Williams (also recorded as Palsgrave, Paulgrave, Paulgraves, Paulsgrave and Paul), son of Rhode Island Attorney General John Williams, joined Bellamy and funded their expedition. After Bellamy left the Cape, Hallett was found to be pregnant by Bellamy. It is said that she gave birth to a son and hid the child in a barn for warmth while she foraged for food; and when she returned she found that the child had choked to death on the straw. Some legends say that it was the barn of the notable Knowles family, others claim it to be that of Justice Joseph Doane who had banished her. In either case, she was arrested for the child's murder and imprisoned in the Old Jail of Barnstable, Massachusetts (the oldest wooden jail house in the United States; said to be haunted by her). Her sentence was relatively short, but she was exiled from the town. Even after that, she still waited for him in Eastham. The treasure hunters apparently met with little success, as they soon turned to piracy in the crew of pirate captain Benjamin Hornigold, who commanded the Marianne with his first mate, the soon to become famous Edward "Blackbeard" Teach.
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