Blackbeard

Blackbeard was a pirate in the 18th Century.

History

According to Gnash, Blackbeard was not a human (as commonly believed), but a gargoyle. ("Trick-Or-Treat")

Appearances

• "Trick-Or-Treat" (Mentioned Only)

Real World Background

Edward Thatch/Teach (c. 1680 - 1718), is believed to have been born in Bristol, England. He may have been a sailor or privateer during Queen Anne's War (1702 - 1713) before he joined Benjamin Hornigold's pirate crew in 1716. The name 'Blackbeard' is attributed to the long black beard he wore in braids with ribbons.

In 1717, Blackbeard captured the French slave ship, La Concorde, not far from Martinique in the Caribbean Sea. After selling the enslaved peoples on the vessel, he renamed the ship Queen Anne's Revenge. After a year of use, it ran aground (perhaps deliberately) off the coast of North Carolina's Outer Banks. After accepting a pardon from King George I that same year, Blackbeard returned to piracy and was killed off the coast of Ocracoke Island by Lieutenant Robert Maynard and the crew of the HMS Pearl in 1718. His head was put on display at the entrance of the port of Chesapeake Bay, Virginia. Until this final conflict, it is reported that Blackbeard did not kill or harm those he captured; he reportedly did not need to. In 1996, the remains of the wreck of Queen Anne's Revenge were rediscovered near Beaufort, North Carolina.

The flag that was long-attributed to Blackbeard featured a horned-skeleton raising an hourglass (supposedly toasting the Devil) in one hand while piercing a red heart with the other. Unfortunately, while the flag (or variations of it) was used by pirates as early as 1723, there is nothing that connects it to Blackbeard specifically. It is believed that Blackbeard used either a black flag with a skull or a plain red flag, indicating that no quarter would be given.

See Also

• Blackbeard at Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia