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Benjamin Hornigold - Pirate (c1680
- 1719) |
Benjamin Hornigold was a privateer turned pirate
who went on to become a pirate hunter. Amongst
his crew were Edward Teach and Samuel Bellamy,
who would go on to be well known pirates in
their own right. In more recent times he has
appeared as a character in the US TV series
Black Sails, and in the video game Assassins
Creed.
This page details facts about Benjamin Hornigold's
life and the events that shaped his history.
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Benjamin Hornigold the Pirate
- Fun Facts for Kids ! |
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Benjamin Hornigold Fact
1: |
Although no records exist, it is suspected
that Benjamin Hornigold was born around 1680, possibly in
Norfolk. |
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Benjamin Hornigold Fact
2: |
It is believed that he was a privateer
until the end of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713. |
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Benjamin Hornigold Fact
3: |
In 1713 Benjamin Hornigold was attacking
and plundering ships off New Providence, now known as the
Bahamas, with a sloop. He was based at the capital Nassau
where, along with a rival pirate Henry Jennings, he dominated
the ‘Pirate’s Republic’. The 'Pirates Republic' was a place
of safety, in Nassau, New Providence, which was run by pirates
using their own code. |
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Benjamin Hornigold
Fact 4: |
Benjamin Hornigold
went on to command the ‘Ranger’, a 32 gun sloop. He
made Edward
‘Blackbeard’ Teach his second
in command and captain of the older sloop.
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Benjamin Hornigold
Fact 5 |
With this small fleet,
Benjamin Hornigold went on to take three Merchant ships.
A Portuguese ship carrying wine from Madeira, a ship
from Bermuda carrying spirits and another ship carrying
flour.
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Benjamin Hornigold
Fact 6: |
Benjamin Hornigold
then went on to attack a pirate hunting merchant ship
that had been sent by the Governor of South Carolina.
The merchant ship escaped by grounding itself on Cat
Cay in the Bahamas. By this time he was reported to
have a fleet of five ships.
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Picture
of Blackbeard the Pirate |
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Benjamin Hornigold Fact
7: |
Benjamin Hornigold never
attacked ships sailing under the British flag. It’s believed
that his reason for this action was that, if he was caught,
it would bolster a claim that he was privateering. |
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Benjamin Hornigold Fact
8: |
Benjamin Hornigold’s crews weren’t happy
with this policy and, in late 1716, took a vote on whether,
or not, to attack any ship they wanted. The crews voted
for the change, with Hornigold voting against. As a result,
Hornigold was replaced as captain by
Samuel 'Black Sam'
Bellamy. |
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Benjamin Hornigold Fact
9: |
It’s believed that Edward Teach was in
another area at the time so didn’t find out about these
events until he returned. It seems likely that this is the
time when he and Benjamin Hornigold went their own ways. |
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Benjamin Hornigold Fact
10: |
Benjamin Hornigold carried on his piracy
with a sloop and a small crew until December 1717 when he
heard about the general pardon for pirates. The offer of
a pardon was made by King George I, and was to last a year
from 5th September 1717 until 5th September 1718. |
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Benjamin Hornigold Fact
11: |
In January 1718, Hornigold headed for
Jamaica where he received a pardon from the Governor Woodes
Rogers. |
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Benjamin
Hornigold Fact 12: |
Hornigold
was commissioned by Rogers to become a pirate
hunter and go after his former colleagues. In
December 1718 was commended to the London Board
of Trade, by Rogers, for his efforts.
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Benjamin
Hornigold Fact 13: |
Hornigold
died in 1719 when his ship was hit by a hurricane
and wrecked on a reef in the Mexico area.
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Benjamin
Hornigold Fact 14: |
Benjamin
Hornigold, alongside
Blackbeard,
Anne
Bonny,
Calico
Jack,
Mary Read
and
Charles
Vane, has appeared
as a character in the popular video game Assassins
Creed IV, Black Flag. He also appears in the
fictional TV series Black Sails. The series,
a prequel to Robert Louis Stephenson’s Treasure
Island, was released in the United States in
2014.
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Picture of Anne Bonny the Pirate
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Benjamin Hornigold
the Pirate (c1680 - 1719) Fun Facts Info for
Kids ! |
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