Golden Age of Piracy

Famous Pirate Flags

John Quelch

Captain John Quelch, 1703 – 1704

When it comes to the pirate flags on the list, John Quelch’s flag stands alone. That’s because it isn’t really a pirate flag at all: it’s the national flag of England. Before beginning his career of piracy, Quelch sailed on the English privateer ship Charles as its lieutenant. In July of 1703, the crew mutinied and elected Quelch as the new captain.

Quelch immediately sailed south for the Portuguese colony of Brazil. By the time the crew returned to their original port of call, they had over £10,000 in goods in the hold. Quelch’s prize is equivalent to about $2,416,024 today.

However, the Portuguese were not valid targets for Quelch to privateer. He was arrested and sentenced to death through an Admiralty trial — the first of its kind in America. Quelch was hanged on June 30, 1704 in Boston.

Golden Age of Piracy

Thomas Larimore Francois Le Sage Christopher Goffe George Raynor Adam Baldridge Alexander Dalzeel Mathurin Desmarestz John Thurber George Dew John Rivers (pirate) James Allison Edward Coates William Coward William May Nathaniel North Samuel Burgess Thomas Collins (pirate) Robert Culliford John Pro Etienne de Montauban Thomas Griffin (pirate) Nathaniel Grubing Ralph Stout Thomas Tew Richard Want Edward Woodman Robert Glover Peter Lawrence Tempest Rogers Dirk Chivers Henry Every (Avery) Joseph Faro Richard Glover John Hoar John Ireland Thomas Wake Richard Bobbington Robert Colley William "Captain" Kidd George Booth John Golden Joseph Wheeler (pirate) John Breholt Thomas Day Joseph Bradish Canoot Thomas Howard Samuel Inless Evan Jones John Swann (pirate) Hendrick van Hoven David Williams (pirate) William Burke (pirate) Lewis Ferdinando John James James Kelly (James Gilliam) Black Caesar Augustin Blanco John Bowen John Derdrake Israel Hands David Herriot Don Miguel Enriquez (Henríquez) Henry King (pirate) Simon Mascarino William Read (pirate) John Taylor Emanuel Wynn Thomas Barrow Amaro Pargo John Quelch Adrian Claver Captain Crapo Captain Davy John Leadstone / "Old Captain Crackers" Thomas Penniston Regnier Tongrelow Nathaniel Burches Captain Gincks John Halsey Thomas White (pirate) Woodes Rogers Lars Gathenhielm John Cockram Christopher Moody John West (pirate) Thomas Goldsmith Jonathan Barnet Francis Fernando Henry Jennings John Norcross Daniel Stillwell Leigh Ashworth Samuel Bellamy (Black Sam) Blackbeard (Edward Teach) Josiah ("Thomas") Burgess James Carnegie Francis Demont John Julian John King (pirate) Olivier Levasseur (Oliver La Buse) Samuel Liddell John Martel Charles Vane Paulsgrave Williams Christopher Winter Charles Bellamy Jean Bonadvis Stede Bonnet Phineas Bunce Thomas Cocklyn Edward England Benjamin Hornigold Francis Leslie (pirate) William Moody (pirate) Captain Napin Thomas Nichols (pirate) Richard Noland Turn Joe Thomas Anstis John Auger John Cole (pirate) Christopher Condent Joseph Cooper Howell Davis Robert Deal James Fife William Fox Richard Frowd Ingela Gathenhielm Captain Grinnaway Edward Miller Major Penner Daniel Porter Lieutenant Richards (pirate) Richard Tookerman Nicholas Woodall Charles Yeats Robert Lane Bartholomew Roberts (Black Bart) Jasper Seagar Robert Semple (Richard Sample) Thomas Sutton Captain Thompson Richard Worley Nicholas de Concepcion Montigny la Palisse "Calico Jack" John Rackham Mary Read James Skyrme Brigstock Weaver Edward "Ned" Low Philip Roche (pirate) John Evans Charles Harris Matthew Luke (Matteo Luca) John Russell John Fenn George Lowther Richard Shipton Don Benito Anne Bonny Philip Lyne James Plantain Francis Spriggs Nicholas Brown William Fly Jean Baptiste Guedry John Prie John Vidal Mary Critchett Henry Johnson