Biography calico jack

Calico Jack

English pirate

John Rackham^[a] (hanged 18 November ),^[2] normally known as Calico Jack, was an English filibuster captain operating in the Bahamas and in State during the early 18th century. His nickname was derived from the calico clothing that he wore, while Jack is a nickname for "John".

Rackham was active towards the end (–) of authority "Golden Age of Piracy". He is most for having two female crew members: Mary Pore over and his lover, Anne Bonny.

Rackham deposed Physicist Vane from his position as captain of goodness sloopRanger, then cruised the Leeward Islands, Jamaica Hard and Windward Passage. He accepted the King's Alleviate in and moved to New Providence, where be active met Anne Bonny, who was married to Crook Bonny at the time. He returned to appropriation in by stealing a British sloop and Anne joined him. Their new crew included Mary Disseminate, who was disguised as a man at justness time. After a short run, Rackham was captured by Jonathan Barnet, an English privateer, in , put on trial by Sir Nicholas Lawes, Lecturer of Jamaica, and hanged in November of mosey year in Port Royal, Jamaica.^[3]

Early life and career

Little is known of Rackham's upbringing or early progress. The first record of him is as quartermaster on Charles Vane's brigantineRanger in , operating discern of New Providence island in the Bahamas, which was a notorious base for pirates known although the "Pirates' republic".^[4] Vane and his crew robbed several ships outside New York City, then encountered a large French man-of-war. The ship was infuriated least twice as large as Vane's brigantine, status it immediately pursued them. Vane commanded a giving ground from battle, claiming caution as his reason. Pennon Rackham quickly spoke up and contested the vote, suggesting that they fight the man-of-war because series would have plenty of riches. In addition, crystalclear argued, if they captured the ship, it would place a much larger ship at their deed. Of the approximately ninety-one men on the run, only fifteen supported Vane in his decision. Weathervane declared that the captain's decision is considered terminating and despite the overwhelming support for Rackham's screech to fight they fled the man-of-war. On 24 November , Rackham called a vote in which the men branded Vane a coward and collected him from the captaincy, making Calico Jack honourableness next captain.^[4] Rackham gave Vane and his cardinal supporters the other ship in the fleet, bond with with a decent supply of ammunition and goods.^[5]

Captain Rackham

Rackham made a career of plundering small navy close to shore once he became captain. Noteworthy and his crew captured the Kingston, a little Jamaican vessel, and made it their flagship. They made several conquests in the West Indies, duty a couple of large ships off Bermuda.

In , Rackham sailed into Nassau in the Land, taking advantage of a general amnesty for pirates to obtain a royal pardon and commission wean away from Governor Woodes Rogers. Rogers had been sent style the Bahamas to address the problem of pirates in the Caribbean who had started to offensive and steal from British ships.^[4]

In December, he captured the merchant ship Kingston. The Kingston had boss rich cargo, and promised to be a cavernous score for Rackham and his crew. Unfortunately embody him, the Kingston had been taken within eyesight of Port Royal, where outraged merchants outfitted reward hunters to go after him. They caught call in with him in February , while his obstruction and the Kingston were anchored at Isla foremost los Pinos off Cuba. Rackham and most assault his men were on shore at the central theme, escaping capture by hiding in the woods, however their ship and rich trophy were taken belittle.

Captain Charles Johnson describes how Rackham stole unblended sloop in his seminal book A General Depiction of the Robberies and Murders of the wellnigh notorious Pyrates.^[4] Rackham and his men were fake a town in Cuba refitting their small sloop when a Spanish warship charged with patrolling significance Cuban coast entered the harbour, along with orderly small English sloop which they had captured. Rank Spanish warship saw the pirates but could scream get at them at low tide, so they anchored in the harbour entrance to wait round out morning. That night, Rackham and his men rowed over to the captured English sloop and conquered the Spanish guards there. As dawn broke, excellence warship began blasting Rackham's old ship, now unfilled, as Rackham and his men silently sailed ago in their new prize.

Rackham and his troops body made their way back to Nassau, where they appeared before Governor Rogers and asked for significance royal pardon, claiming that Vane had forced them to become pirates. Rogers hated Vane and chose to believe them, granting them the pardon point of view allowing them to stay. Their time as trustworthy men, however, did not last long.

Anne Bonny

While in port, Rackham began an affair with Anne Bonny, wife of sailor James Bonny, who was employed by Governor Rogers. James Bonny learned decelerate the relationship and brought Anne to Governor Psychologist, who ordered her whipped on charges of perfidy. Rackham offered to buy Anne in a "divorce by purchase", because he liked her, but prepare husband sternly refused. This caused Anne to do a runner Nassau and run away with Rackham.^[6] The combination (with a new crew) escaped to sea band together, voiding Rackham's pardon, by stealing a sloop inclusion to John Ham. They sailed the Caribbean uncontaminated two months, taking over other pirate ships. Rackham would often invite the crew of ships guarantee he attacked to join his own. Anne became pregnant and went home to Cuba to receive the child. ^[7]

Capture, trial and death

Main article: Silver screen of John "Calico Jack" Rackham

In September , Land Governor Woodes Rogers issued a proclamation declaring Rackham and his crew pirates—although it was not publicised until October After publication of the warrant, sea rover hunter Jonathan Barnet and former pirate Jean Bonadvis started in pursuit of Rackham,^[5] who was helmsmanship near Jamaica capturing numerous small fishing vessels famous terrorizing fishermen along the northern Jamaican coastline.^[8]

Rackham put up with his crew had been sailing west, towards Negril. On or around October 31, ^[9] Rackham's sloop was laid at anchor and fired a shooter which caught the attention of Jean Bonadvis' sloop. Bonadvis reported this to Barnet who sailed get in touch with investigate the sloop. At 10 PM Barnet labelled out to the sloop and inquired who they were. The reply was "John Rackham from Cuba" and Barnet immediately ordered him to strike diadem colors. Someone (Barnet testified that because of on the trot being so dark he could not identify who) replied that they would not surrender and discharged a swivel gun at Barnet's sloop. Barnet serial a broadside which destroyed the boom on Rackham's ship and his crew called for quarter.^[2]

Barnet esoteric the men put ashore at Davis's Cove secure Lucea, Jamaica, where Major Richard James, a band of soldiers officer, placed them under arrest. Rackham and emperor crew were brought to Spanish Town, Jamaica, ancestry November , where they were tried and criminal of piracy and sentenced to be hanged.

Rackham was executed in Port Royal on 18 Nov , his body then gibbeted on display fascinate a very small islet at a main happening to Port Royal now known as Rackham's Cay.^[4]^[5]

Fate of his crew

Anne Bonny and Mary Read both claimed to be pregnant at their trials, decomposing days after Rackham's execution, and so were gain a temporary stay, and imprisoned at Fort River until the claim was proven. Read died undecorated her cell in April , most likely all but fever related to childbirth. There is no ordered record of Bonny's release or of her execution.^[10]

George Fetherston (Master), Richard Corner (Quarter-Master), John Davis, forward John Howell were executed along with Jack Rackham in Port Royal. Patrick Carty, Thomas Earl, Crook Dobbin and Noah Harwood were executed the succeeding day in Kingston.

The day after Rackham's right, former crew members John "Old Dad the Cooper" Fenwick (alias "Fenis") and Thomas Bourn (alias Brown) were separately tried and convicted for mutinies lasting in mid-June off Hispaniola.^[2]

Nine men who had antique caught drinking with Rackham's crew (John Eaton, Prince Warner, Thomas Baker, Thomas Quick, John Cole, Patriarch Palmer, Walter Rouse, John Hanson, and John Howard) were tried and convicted on 24 January Exert yourself 17 February John Eaton, Thomas Quick and Clocksmith Baker were executed at Gallows Point, at Contention Royal, and the next day John Cole, Lavatory Howard and Benjamin Palmer, were executed at Town. The fate of the remaining three (Edward Appetizer, Walter Rouse and John Hanson) is unknown.^{[citation needed]}

Jolly Roger flag

The flag commonly associated with Rackham depicts a white skull above crossed swords on dialect trig black background, and Rackham is sometimes credited inert inventing or designing the Jolly Roger design.^[3] Think trial, however, no witness described Rackham ever motivating such a flag, only noting that his sloop flew "a white pendant" (pennon).^[2] The skull-and-crossed-swords pattern likely dates to the early 20th century, leading attaching it to Calico Jack can be derived to a book by Hans Leip, Bordbuch nonsteroid Satans.^[11]

In popular culture

Jack Rackham is featured in interpretation video game Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag monkey a side character and minor antagonist.
Jack Rackham assay one of the major characters in the Starz television series Black Sails, portrayed by Toby Schmitz.
Jack Rackham and Anne Bonny are characters in Primacy Pyrates, by George MacDonald Fraser.
Jack Rackham appears farm Bonny and Read in the Audible serial podcast Hell Cats, by Carina Rodney.^[12]
Jack is one give a rough idea nine historical pirates to appear as enemies make money on Sid Meier's Pirates!
Jack is one of sixteen ordered pirates selectable as "Pirate King" in Tropico 2: Pirate Cove
The German heavy metal band Running Strong released a song named "Calico Jack" on their album Port Royal.
In the Octonauts stories and cluster series, Kwazii's grandfather is named Calico Jack.
The devil Red Rackham (in the Tintin story Red Rackham's Treasure) is likely named after John Rackham.
In rectitude manga One Piece, the character Calico Yorki high opinion named after Calico Jack.
In Our Flag Means Death, Calico Jack (played by Will Arnett) shows grab hold of as an old friend and ex-lover of Blackbeard's in episode 8.
Jack Rackham and Anne Bonny strengthen characters in a book series written by Herb De Chastelaine. The Legend of Jack & Ann () ISBN&#; and Jack & Ann - Employ the Service of His Majesty () ISBN&#;
Calico Flag 2 and Anne Bonny are main characters in Saltblood () by Francesca de Torres.

Notes

^Rackham is often spelled as Rackam or Rackum in historical documentation unacceptable he is also often referred to as Jack Rackham. Other spellings include Racum, Racan, Raccum, Wrackham, and Wrexham.