Pirates

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• The Pirates Project

Pirate: A person who engages in the crime of robbery or other act of violence for private ends on the high seas.

A Pirate By Any Other Name Is Still A Pirate

Pirate Simply one who robs or plunders at sea. Many worked as privateers or on military ships before becoming pirates. Some were pressed into service or abducted seamen forced into serving when their ships were captured.

Buccaneer These pirates first got their name from the French word boucan which means "barbecue," for the way they grilled their meat. They originally hunted the waters off the island of Hispanola but by the 17th century, buccaneers were any pirate based in the West Indies.

Corsair Pirates or privateers who plundered the Mediterranean. The most famous of the Corsairs were the Barbary Corsairs from the Barbary Coast of North Africa.

Marooner From the Spanish word for "Cimarron" which means deserter, Marooners were Spaniards who had deserted the navy and included the Cimarron negroes who were runaway slaves that had been brought to the Americas by Spain. Like the Buccaneers, they were the pirates of the Caribbean.

Privateer Those that waged a form of economic warfare against their enemies by only attacking ships from hostile nations, sharing their plunder with their country's rulers.

Pirates Across the Ages

Pirates From the Middle Ages

• Giorgio Adorno, Knight of Malta active in the Mediterranean. Originally from Naples, he was elected "Captain-General of the Galleys" in 1547, 1549, 1557 and 1558
• James Alday, An English privateer. Raided Spanish ports with James Logan and William Cooke.
• William Aleyn, English pirate active in the Thames and English Channel. Associate of William Kyd.
• Jean Ango, A French ship-owner who provided ships to Francis I for exploration of the globe.
• Aruj, An Ottoman privateer and Bey (Governor) of Algiers and Beylerbey (Chief Governor) of the West Mediterranean.
• Awilda, She and some of her female friends dressed like sailors and commandeered a ship.
• Hayredin Barbarossa, An Ottoman privateer and later Admiral who dominated the Mediterranean for decades.
• Baldassare Cossa (Antipope John XXIII), Antipope during the Western Schism, John XXIII was accused of—among other crimes—piracy, incest and sodomy.
• John Crabbe, Flemish pirate best known for his successful use of a ship-mounted catapult. Once won the favor of Robert the Bruce and acted as a Naval Officer for England during the Hundred Years' War (after being captured by King Edward III.)
• Pier Gerlof Donia, a Frisian warrior, pirate, freedom fighter, folk hero and rebel.
• Eric of Pomerania, The first king of the Nordic Kalmar Union, he spent his last years living on the island of Gothland and "sent forth piratical expeditions against friend and foe alike".
• Eustace the Monk, He was a mercenary for both England and France.
• Alv Erlingsson, He was a favorite of the Queen, yet committed countless acts of piracy throughout his life
• Jean Fleury (Florin), French privateer and naval officer under Jean Ango. Seized three Spanish ships carrying Aztec treasure from Mexico to Spain in 1523.
• Magnus Heinason, Faroese naval hero and privateer. Was executed for piracy, though charges were later dropped.
• Klein Henszlein, A 16th-century pirate who raided shipping in the North Sea until his defeat and capture by a fleet from Hamburg
• Wijerd Jelckama, The nephew of Pier Gerlofs Donia (also known as Grutte Pier), fought along his side against the Saxon and Hollandic invaders.
• William Kyd, English pirate active in Southwest England during the early-to-mid-15th century.
• Godeke Michels, A German pirate and one of the leaders of the Likedeeler, a combination of former Vitalienbrüder
• Didrik Pining, A pirate and privateer operating in the North Sea. Often partnered with Hans Pothorst.
• Hans Pothorst, A pirate and privateer operating in the North Sea. Often partnered with Didrik Pining.
• Salih Reis, A Turkish privateer and Ottoman admiral.
• Turgut Reis, A Turkish privateer and Ottoman admiral as well as Bey of Algiers; Beylerbey of the Mediterranean; and first Bey later Pasha of Tripoli.
• Klaus Stortebeker, He was a leader of the Victual Brothers.
• Kristofer Trondson (Rustung), A Norwegian nobleman-turned pirate and privateer. Operated in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Gave up piracy in 1542 and eventually became admiral of the Danish Fleet.
• Hennig Wichmann, One of the leaders of the Likedeeler, an association of former Victual Brothers.
• Cord Widderich, A pirate active during political conflicts between Dithmarschen and North Frisia in the early 15th century.
• Magister Wigbold, Often described as the brains behind the Victual Brothers.
• Wimund, He was a bishop who became a seafaring warlord adventurer.

Pirates From 1560-1650

• Nicholas Alvel, Active in the Ionian Sea.
• Samuel Axe, An English privateer in Dutch service, Axe served with English forces in the Dutch Revolt against Habsburg rule.
• Lording Barry, Active in the Mediterranean; later sailed with Sir Walter Raleigh, and at the end of his career was captain of a privateer.
• Sir Andrew Barton, Served under a Scottish letter of marque, but was described a pirate by English and Portuguese.
• Abraham Blauvelt, One of the last Dutch corsairs of the mid-17th century, Blauvelt mapped much of South America.
• Jean Bontemps, Active in the Caribbean Sea. He attacked Santa Marta, Cartagena de Indias, Rio de Hacha an Margarita island.
• Dixie Bull - The first use of the moniker " The Dread Pirate" Bull. Maine, New England
• Nathaniel Butler, Despite a comparatively unsuccessful career as a privateer, Butler was later colonial governor of Bermuda.
• Jan de Bouff, de Bouff served as a Dunkirker in Habsburg service during the Dutch Revolt.
• John Callis (Calles), Welsh pirate active along the southern coast of Wales.
• Hendrik (Enrique) Brower or Brouwer, he was a privateer who fought the Habsburgs during the Dutch revolt, holding the city of Castro, Chile hostage for a period of two months
• Thomas Cavendish, The first man to intentionally circumnavigate the globe, Cavendish also raided numerous Spanish towns and ships in the New World.
• Jacob Callaart, A Flemish admiral who served as privateer and one of the Dunkirkers in Spanish Habsburg service during the Dutch Revolt, responsible for the destruction of at least 150 fishing boats.
• Claes Compaan, Former Dutch corsair and privateer, he later became a pirate and was successful in capturing hundreds of ships in Europe, the Barbary coast and West Africa.
• Baltazar de Cordes, A Dutch corsair who fought against the Spanish during the early 17th Century.
• Simon Danziker, Dutch corsair and privateer who later became a Barbary corsairbased in Algiers and Tunis during the early 17th century. He and John Ward dominated the Western Mediterranean during the early 17th century.
• De Veenboer, Former Dutch corsair and privateer. Later became a Barbary corsair under Simon the Dancer and eventually commanded the Algiers corsair fleet.
• Uluj Ali (Giovanni Dionigi), An Italian-born Muslim corsair, who later became an Ottoman admiral and Chief Admiral (Kaptan-ı Derya) of the Ottoman Fleet in the 16th century.
• Sir Francis Drake, Known as "el Draque" (the Dragon), he was considered a hero in England, but little more than a pirate in Spain
• Peter Easton, A privateer, then pirate, who was able to retire in Villefranche, Savoy with an estimated worth of two million pounds.
• Daniel Elfrith, English privateer and slave trader in the West Indies.
• Jan Evertsen, Dutch admiral and corsair.
• Juan Garcia, One of the Spanish privateers who accompanied Jan Jacobsen on his last voyage in 1622.
• Sir Michael Geare, Elizabethan Sea Dog active in the West Indies up until the turn of the 17th century.
• Sir John Hawkins, A some-time slaves trader in West Africa and Venezuelan coasts. His work in ship design was important during the threat of invasion from the Spanish Armada
• Piet Hein, After serving as a Spanish galley slave for four years, Hein later captured 11,509,524 guilders of cargo from the Spanish treasure fleet.
• Moses Cohen Henriques, Dutch pirate of Portuguese Sephardic Jewish origin active in the Caribbean against Spain and Brazil against Portugal
• Pieter Adriaanszoon Ita, Dutch corsair and privateer. Commanded one of the earliest and largest expeditions against the Portugal and Spain in the Caribbean during 1628.
• Jan Jacobsen, Flemish-born privateer in English service during the Eighty Years' War.
• Willem Jacobszoon, Dutch corsair who accompanied Pieter Schouten on one of the first major expeditions to the West Indies
• Willem Jansen, Dutch corsair based in Duinkerken and one time officer under Jacques Colaert.
• Jan Janszoon, Turkish service of the 'fleet from Salé'
• Cornelius Jol, Dutch corsair successful against the Spanish in the West Indies. One of the first to use a wooden peg leg.
• Shirahama Kenki, Japanese pirate and one of the first Japanese with whom the southern Vietnamese kingdom of the Nguyễn Lords made contact.
• Sir James Lancaster, Elizabethan Sea Dog active in India during the late 16th century. Later a chief director for the East India Company.
• Guillaume le Testu, French privateer, explorer and cartographer. First navigator to chart Australia in 1531.
• Peter Love, An English pirate who set up base in the Outer Hebrides and was active around Ireland and Scotland. He was betrayed by the outlaw Neil MacLeod and executed in 1610.
• Hendrick Jacobszoon Lucifer, Hendrick captured 1.2 million guilders from a Honduran treasure fleet, but was mortally wounded in the process.
• Sir Henry Mainwaring, English privateer and pirate hunter. His pirate fleet nearly broke the truce between England and Spain following the Anglo-Spanish War.
• Arnaut Mami, Active in the Narrow Sea. He was the squadron admiral and the supreme commander of all Islamic vessels in North Africa and Pasha Algiers, known as the most formidable corsair of that period.
• John Nutt, An English pirate active in Newfoundland.
• Grainne O'Malley, An important figure in Irish legend who is still present in popular culture today.
• John Oxenham, Elizabethan Sea Dog and associate of Sir Frances Drake during the early years of the Anglo-Spanish War. First English privateer to enter the Pacific though Panama.
• William Parker, Elizabethan Sea Dog active in the West Indies. Successfully attacked Porto Bello in 1602 without firing a shot.
• Pedro de la Plesa, He and Juan Garcia who joined Jan Jacobsen on his final voyage in 1622.
• Murat Reis the Elder, A Ottoman Albanian privateer and Ottoman admiral who took part in all of the early naval campaigns of Turgut Reis.
• Assan Reis (Jan Marinus van Sommelsdijk), Former Dutch privateer turned Barbary corsair. He attacked the Dutch ship St. Jan Babtista under Jacob Jacobsen of Ilpendam on March 7, 1626
• James Riskinner (Reiskimmer), A lieutenant on the ship Warwick, then part of a fleet under the command of Nathaniel Butler, he later took part in a privateering expedition between May–September 1639.
• Isaac Rochussen, A Dutch corsair active against the English during the Second and Third Anglo-Dutch War. His capture of The Falcon, an East India merchantman, was one of the most valuable prizes captured during the late-17th century.
• Mahieu Romboutsen, Dutch corsair in the service of Spain. Was part of a three ship squadron under Jacques Colaert and was captured with him after a five-hour battle with Jan Evertsen
• William Rous, Dutch corsair and privateer based on Providence Island. He was involved in privateering expeditions for the Providence Island Company and later commander of Fort Henry.
• Pieter Schouten, Dutch corsair who led one of the Dutch expeditions to the West Indies.
• Jacques de Sores, A French pirate whose sole documented act was his attack and burning of Havana in 1555.
• Matsura Takanobu, One of the most powerful feudal lords of Kyūshū and one of the first lords to allow trading with Europeans
• Olivier van Noort, Despite his venture being of limited success, it was the inspiration that led to the formation of the Dutch East India Company.
• Jan van Ryen, Dutch corsair active in the West Indies. Reportedly killed with a number of colonists attempting to establish one of the first colonies on the Wiapoco in Dutch Guiana.
• Dirck Simonszoon van Uitgeest, Dutch corsair who commanded a WIC expedition to Brazil bringing back over 12 Portuguese and Spanish prizes.
• Filips van Zuylen, Dutch corsair active against the Portuguese in West Africa.
• Sir Francis Verney, English nobleman who left behind his inheritance to become a Barbary corsair.
• Johannes van Walbeeck, Dutch admiral and corsair. Captured Curaçao in 1634 and later served as governor.
• John Ward, A notorious English pirate around the turn of the 17th century who later became a Barbary Corsair operating out of Tunis during the early 1600s.
• Edward Waters, Waters New World adventures included being twice shipwrecked and marooned, and one short season pirating out of Bermuda before settling in Virginia.
• Cornelis Witebol, Dutch corsair in Spanish service. In February 1622, attacked a fishing fleet from the Veere and Maasmond sinking several ships and bringing back the survivors to ransom in Duinkerken
• Hendrick Worst, Dutch corsair who accompanied Pieter Schouten in his expedition to the West Indies.
• Zheng Zhilong (Cheng Chih Lung), A convert to Christianity, Zhilon collaborated with Dutch forces, helping to create a monopoly on trade with Japan.
• Wang Zhi, One of the chief figures amongst the wokou of the 16th century.
• Francois le Clerc (Jambe de Bois), Known for his sacking of Santiago de Cuba in 1554

Pirates From 1650-1690

• Vincenzo Alessandri, Originally a Knight of Malta, Alessandri was captured and enslaved.
• Michiel Andrieszoon, Dutch merchant-pirate. Associated with Thomas Paine and Laurens de Graff.[
• John Ansell, Sailed with Henry Morgan and participated in his raids against Maracaibo and Gibraltar, Venezuela.
• Philip Babb, it's said he was one of Capt. Kidd's men and that his ghost haunts Babb's Cove off Appledore Island near the coast of Maine.
• Jean Bart, Born the son of a fisherman, Bart retired an Admiral in French service.
• John Bear A Captain of some note during his lifetime, he was once the toast of Havana.
• Philippe Bequel, Was one of the first foreign privateers awarded a letter of marque by the governor of Jamaica
• Jacob Janssen van den Bergh, Dutch corsair and slave trader for the Dutch West India Company.
• Lancelot Blackburne, Blackburne was an English clergyman, who became Archbishop of York, and – in popular belief – a pirate.
• Eduardo Blomar, Spanish renegade active in the Spanish Main during the 1670s. Tried in absentia and convicted of piracy with Bartolomé Charpes and Juan Guartem in Panama in 1679.
• Pierre Bot, French buccaneer active in the Caribbean.
• Manuel Butiens, Dutch renegade and Dunkirker in the service of Spain.
• Bartolome Charpes, Spanish renegade who was tried in absentia and convicted of piracy with Eduardo Blomar and Juan Guartem in Panama by Governor Don Dionicio Alceda in 1679.
• Edward Collier, Served as Sir Henry Morgan's second-in-command throughout much of his expeditions against Spain during the mid-17th century.
• John Cooke (Cook), English buccaneer who led an expedition against the Spanish in the early 1680s.[
• John Coxon, One of the most famous of the Brethren of the Coast, a loose consortium of pirates and privateers who were active on the Spanish Main.
• William Dampier, Was the first person to circumnavigate the world three times
• Edward Davis, Led the last major buccaneer raid against Panama.
• John David (Robert Searle), Davis was one of the earliest and most active buccaneers on Jamaica.
• Jacquotte Delahaye, Delahaye was a French Buccaneer, and together with Anne Dieu-Le-Veut was one of very few female buccaneers.
• Anne Dieu-Le-Veut, Was originally one of the women – "Filles de Roi" – sent by the French government to Tortuga to become wives to the local male colonists.
• Charlotte de Berry, A female pirate, she later commanded her own ship.
• Cornelius Essex, An English buccaneer who took part in Captain Bartholomew Sharp's privateering expedition, the "Pacific Adventure", during the late 1670s.
• Laurens de Graaf, Characterised as "a great and mischievous pirate" by Henry Morgan, de Graaf was a Dutch pirate, mercenary, and naval officer in the service of the French colony of Saint-Domingue.
• Michel de Grammont, A French buccaneer, de Grammont primarily attacked Spanish holdings in Maracaibo, Trujillo, Cumana and Veracruz
• Jean du Casse, Born to Huguenot parents, du Casse was allowed to join the French navy on the value of his prizes taken while a buccaneer.
• Alexandre Exquemelin, A French writer, most known as the author of one of the most important sourcebooks of 17th century piracy, De Americaensche Zee-Roovers.
• Jean Foccard, Associate of Laurens de Graaf and Michel de Grammont. He later joined them in their attack on Tampico in 1682.
• "Red Legs" Greaves, Greaves's nickname was based on a commonly used term for reddened legs often seen among the Scottish and Irish who took to wearing kilts in almost any weather. Notably his raid of Margarita island
• Juan Guartem, A Spanish renegade pirate who raided Spanish settlements in New Spain during the late 17th century with his most notable raid being against Chepo in 1679.
• Peter Harris, English buccaneer and member of Captain Bartholomew Sharp's "Pacific Expedition". Killed at Panama in 1680
• Jean Hamlin (Hamilton), French buccaneer active in the Caribbean. Later hunted down by Captain John Coxon
• Richard Hawkins, A buccaneer and explorer who was later knighted.
• George Hout (d'Hout), English buccaneer who joined Francois Grogniet and Pierre le Picard in their raid on Guayaquil in 1687.
• William Jackson, It was the fleet under his command that captured Jamaica for England.
• Bartholomeus de Jager, Dutch corsair active against the Portuguese. He attacked a small merchant fleet at Fernando Noronha capturing one merchant ship and driving off the other.
• Daniel Johnson, Became known as "Johnson the Terror" amongst the Spanish.
• William Knight, Along with Edward Davis, he took part in the final large buccaneer attack on Spanish holdings.
• Pierre Le Grand, Known only for a single attack against a Spanish galleon, his existence is disputed.
• Edward Low, British pirate active in the Caribbean during the 1660s.
• Raveneau de Lussan, An impoverished nobleman. Attacked targets in Central America. Known for a “long march” in 1688.
• Thomas Magott (Mackett), English buccaneer who sailed with Bartholomew Sharp and others on the "Pacific Adventure".
• Edward Mansvelt (Mansfield), Dutch buccaneer in English service. Known as the Admiral of the "Brethren of the Coast", Mansvelt was a mentor to Sir Henry Morgan who succeeded him following his death.
• Marquis de Maintenon, A French nobleman who became a buccaneer in the Caribbean, selling his castle and title to Madame de Maintenon. Remarkable his raid of Margarita island.
• David Marteen, Known primarily as the sole non-English Captain who participated in the raids against Spanish strongholds in present-day Mexico and Nicaragua.
• Daniel Montbars (Exterminator), A former French naval officer and gentleman adventurer, he engaged in a violent and destructive war against Spain in the Caribbean and the Spanish Main. His hatred of the Spanish earned him the name "Montbars the Exterminator".
• Sir Henry Morgan, A privateer (and pirate) who later retired to become Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica
• John Morris, A skilled pilot, he served with both Christopher Myngs and Henry Morgan before becoming a pirate hunter.
• Sir Christopher Myngs, Described as "unhinged and out of tune" by the governor of Jamaica, Myngs nevertheless became a Vice-Admiral of the Blue in the Royal Navy.
• Francois l'Ollonais (Jean-David Nau), Nicknamed "Flail of the Spaniards", l'Ollonais had a reputation for brutality, offering no quarter to Spanish prisoners.
• Pierre Le Picard, An officer under l'Ollonais, he and Moise Vauquelin left to pursue a career on their own. He later served in King William's War.
• Chevalier du Plessis, French privateer active in the West Indies. He was succeeded by Moise Vauquelin following his death.
• Baron Jean de Pointis, His greatest venture was the 1697 Raid of Cartagena.
• Bartolomeu Portugues, One of the earliest pirates to use a pirate code.
• Thomas Pound, Briefly commanded a small ship near Massachusetts before being captured.
• Lawrence Prince, Dutch buccaneer in English service. An officer under Sir Henry Morgan, he and John Morris led the vanguard at Panama in 1671.
• Roche Braziliano, Roasted two Spanish farmers alive when they refused to hand over their pigs.
• Philip Ras, Captured several English ships as both a corsair and privateer during the First Anglo-Dutch War.
• Thomas Paine, A colonial American privateer who raided several settlements in the West Indies with Jan Willems, most notably against Rio de la Hacha in 1680. He also drove the French from Block Island.
• Manuel Ribeiro Pardal, Portuguese privateer in the service of Spain. One of the few successful privateers active against the buccaneers of the Caribbean during the late 17th century.
• Benjamin Rawlings, a privateer who captained the 'Thomas & Elizabeth ca 1696 between Africa and Barbadoes.
• Stenka Razin, A Cossack pirate who operated on the Volga and later expanded into the Caspian Sea.
• Richard Sawkins, Participated, along with John Coxon and Bartholomew Sharp, in the surprise attack on Santa Marta
• Lewis Scot, Known for his attack on the city of Campeche, on the Yucatan Peninsula.
• Bartholomew Sharp, Plundered 25 Spanish ships and numerous small towns.
• Gustav Skytte, Attacked ships in the Baltic Sea, along with other accomplices of noble descent.
• Bernard Claesen Speirdyke, Dutch buccaneer active in the Caribbean, he was captured by Captain Manuel Ribeiro Pardal near Cuba and later executed.
• Charles Swan, A reluctant pirate, he begged for a pirate even as he looted his way around South America.
• Jacques Tavernier (Le Lyonnais), French buccaneer who took part in expeditions with Laurens de Graaf, Michel de Grammont, Pierre Le Grand, François l'Ollonais and Sir Henry Morgan before his execution in 1673. His existence is disputed as the only pre-20th century reference to him appears in Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography.
• Nicholas (Nikolaas) van Hoorn, Merchant, privateer and later pirate, van Hoorn was hugely successful before dying of wound infection.
• Cornelis Janszzon van de Velde, Dutch corsair active near the Antillen, he was briefly associated with Bartholomeus de Jager.
• Moise Vauquelin (Vanclein), An officer under l'Ollonais, he also had a partnership with Pierre le Picard. In his later years, he wrote a book detailing the coastline of Honduras and the Yucatan along with fellow buccaneer Philippe Bequel.
• Lionel Wafer, An explorer whose work helped inspire the Darien Scheme.
• Yankey (Janke Willems), Dutch buccaneer active in the Caribbean.
• William Wright, Despite being English, Wright was active as a privateer under a French commission. He later became a buccaneer.

Pirates From 1690-1730

• Thomas Anstis, Was mainly active in the Caribbean, and served under first Howell Davis and later Bartholomew Roberts
• Adam Baldridge, English pirate and one of the early founders of the pirate settlements in Madagascar.
• Bartholomew Roberts (Black Bart), The most successful pirate of the Golden Age of Piracy, estimated to have captured more than 470 vessels.
• George Booth, One of the earliest pirates active in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea.
• John Bowen, Was active in the Indian Ocean, his contemporaries included George Booth and Nathaniel North.
• Samuel Bellamy (Black Sam), Despite having a career of only 16 months, Bellamy was extraordinarily successful, capturing more than 50 ships before his death at age 28.
• Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, With his fearsome appearance, Blackbeard is often credited with the creation of the stereotypical image of a pirate. Though his real name remains unknown, he began his pirate career as the first officer of Buccaneer-turned-pirate Captain Benjamin Hornigold of the Mary Anne. When a young crewman, Samuel Bellamy, called for a vote of no confidence in Hornigold for his refusal to attack English ships, the crew by a vote ousted Hornigold and Blackbeard, leaving the Mary Anne to Bellamy whom the crew elected their new captain.
• Black Caesar, A captured slave turned pirate, Black Caesar was a well-known pirate active off the Florida Keys during the early 18th century. He later acted as a lieutenant to Blackbeard and was one of five Africans serving on his flagship.
• Stede Bonnet, Nicknamed "The Gentleman Pirate", Bonnet was born into a wealthy family before turning to piracy.
• Anne Bonny, Despite never commanding a ship herself, Anne Bonny is remembered as one of few female historical pirates
• Nicholas Brown, Active off the coast of Jamaica, Brown was eventually killed – and his head pickled – by childhood friend John Drudge.
• William Carkeet, Active several years beginning in 1689. Based in Salem, Massachusetts, where he died about 1720.
• Dirk Chivers, Active in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, Chivers later retired from piracy and returned to the Netherlands
• Thomas Cocklyn, Primarily known for his association with Howell Davis and Oliver La Buze, Cocklyn's activities after 1719 are unknown.
• Christopher Condent, After entering into piracy in 1718, Condent later took a prize of £150,000 and retired to France, becoming a wealthy merchant.
• William Condon, Captaining the Fiery Dragon, Condon was killed when she caught fire and sank.
• Robert Culliford, The former first mate of William Kidd, Culliford led a first mutiny against Kidd, stealing his ship Blessed William.
• Francois Delaunee a French pirate hanged in Princess Anne County, Virginia in May 1700
• Alexander Dalzeel, Served under Henry Every. Was captured four times before finally being hanged.
• Howell Davis, Having a career that lasted only 11 months, Davis was ambushed during an attempt to kidnap the governor of Príncipe.
• Edward England, Differing from many other pirates of his day, England did not kill captives unless necessary.
• John Evans, After an unsuccessful career as a legitimate sailor, Evans turned to piracy – initially raiding houses from a small canoe.
• Henry Every (Avery), Famous as one of the few pirates of the era who was able to retire with his takings without being either arrested or killed in battle
• John Fenn, Sailed with Bartholomew Roberts and, later, Thomas Anstis.
• William Fly, Raided off the New England coast before being captured and hanged at Boston, Massachusetts.
• Cornelius Franc a French pirate aboard La Paix, he was captured and hanged in Princess Anne County, Virginia in 1700
• Ingela Gathenhielm, Widow of Lars Gathenhielm, active on the Baltic Sea.
• Lars Gathenhielm, Active on the Baltic Sea
• Robert Glanfield, A Captain out of Salem, Massachusetts, he was active from at least 1688 until his death in 1706. He seemed to have protection from interests in Salem, as he was able to act openly.
• Louis Guittar, a French captain, who commanded the ship La Paix. He lost his ship in an all day battle offshore of Lynnhaven Bay, Virginia in April, 1700
• Charles Harris, Joining the Barbary corsairs, Harris converted to Islam, before being captured and later hanged.
• John Halsey, Active in the Atlantic and Indian oceans, Halsey is remembered by Defoe as "brave in his Person, courteous to all his Prisoners, lived beloved, and died regretted by his own People."
• Miguel Henriquez, Although born a shoemaker, Henríquez was later awarded a letter of marque by Spain for his actions against the British.
• Benjamin Hornigold, Known for being less aggressive than other pirates, Hornigold once captured a ship for the sole purpose of seizing the crew's hats
• John Houghling, ship pilot aboard La Paix, he was tried and hanged in Virginia in May of 1700
• Thomas Howard, Howard served under both George Booth and John Bowen and later commanded the Prosperous.
• "Calico Jack" John Rackham, Earned his nickname for the colourful calico clothes that he wore.
• Henry Jennings, Although later governor of the pirate haven of New Providence, Jennings only carried out two pirate acts – gaining an estimated 410,000 pesos.
• John Julian, Recorded as the first black pirate to operate in the New World
• James Kelly (James Gilliam), Active in the Indian Ocean, Kelly was a long-time associate of William Kidd.
• William "Captain" Kidd, Although modern historians dispute the legitimacy of his trial and execution, the rumor of Captain Kidd's buried treasure has served only to build a legend around the man as a great pirate. His property was claimed by the crown and given to the Royal Hospital, Greenwich, by Queen Anne.
• Olivier Levasseur (Oliver La Buse), Nicknamed "la Buse" (the Buzzard) for the speed with which he attacked his targets, Levasseur left behind a cryptic message that has yet to be deciphered fully today
• Edward "Ned" Low, A pirate known for his vicious tortures, his methods were described as having "done credit to the ingenuity of the Spanish Inquisition in its darkest days".
• Matthew Lowe, In 1715, he seized a Spanish ship said to be carrying 11,050 pieces of eight. He was arrested and jailed in Nassau. Prior to his trial, he was freed by Benjamin Hornigold, another pirate.
• George Lowther, Active in the Caribbean and the Atlantic, one of Lowther's lieutenants included Edward Low
• Christopher Moody, Active off North and South Carolina, Moody offered no quarter to captured crews, signified by his flying of a red standard
• Nathaniel North, Active in the Indian Ocean and Red Sea, North served with other famous contemporaries, including John Bowen and George Booth.
• James Plantain, Plantain ruled the island of Madagascar between 1725 and 1728, primarily through fear, and was known as the "King of Ranter Bay".
• John Quelch, Quelch was the first person tried for piracy outside England under Admiralty Law and therefore without a jury.
• Mary Read, Along with Anne Bonny, one of few female historical pirates. When captured, Read escaped hanging by claiming she was pregnant, but died soon after of a fever while still in prison
• Edward Salter, One of the members of Blackbeard's final crew, Edward survived and returned to North Carolina, dying there in 1735.
• Francis Spriggs, Along with George Lowther and Edward Low, Spriggs was primarily active in the Bay of Honduras during the early 1720s.
• John Taylor, At Reunion Island, Taylor is reputed to have captured the most valuable prize in pirate history
• Thomas Tew, Despite only going on two pirate voyages, Tew pioneered a route later known as the Pirate Round
• Matthew Tyrer, While living in South Carolina, he was active beginning in 1699, and was indicted in 1700 for seizing several ships.
• Charles Vane, Disliked due to his cruelty, Vane showed little respect for the pirate code, cheating his crew out of their shares in the takings
• Richard Worley, Credited as one of the first pirates to fly the skull and crossbones pirate flag
• Emanuel Wynn, Was the first pirate to fly the Jolly Roger. His design, however, also incorporate an hourglass below the skull.

Pirates From 1730-1860

• Peter Alston, River pirate, highwayman, and counterfeiter, alias James May, who was believed to be an associate of the Samuel Mason and Micajah "Big" Harpe and Wiley "Little" Harpe.
• Louis-Michel Aury, French privateer, served to the Republics of Venezuela and Mexico.
• Joseph Baker, The single piratical action of his career consisted of an unsuccessful attempt to commandeer the sloop Eliza
• Renato Beluche, A known associate of the Lafitte Brothers active in the Caribbean before joining Simon Bolivar army in his fight for South American independence.
• Benito Bonito, Pirate who supposedly hid his treasures of Lima in the cliffs of Australia, or in Coco Island.
• Hippolyte de Bouchard, A French and Argentine sailor who fought for Argentina, Chile and Peru.
• Luis Brion de Trox, Dutch privateer, served to the Republics of Venezuela and Great Colombia.
• Flora Burn, Female pirate active mainly off the East coast of North America from 1741.
• Henri Caesar, Haitian pirate active in the Caribbean during the early 18th century.
• Eric Cobham and Maria Lindsey, Cobham and his wife, Maria, were primarily active in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
• Roberto Cofresi, Puerto Rican pirate active mainly in the Caribbean sea. He was executed by the Spanish in 1825.
• James Ford, A civic leader and business owner in western Kentucky and southern Illinois, secretly, was the leader of a gang of river pirates and highwaymen, along the Ohio River, known as the "Ford's Ferry Gang."
• Hezekiah Frith, British ship owner and smuggler known as Bermuda's "gentleman privateer". Alleged to have used his business as a cover to withhold cargo sized in privateering expeditions and amass a small fortune.
• Vincent Gambi, A pirate based out of New Orleans, he was an associate of Jean Lafitte.
• Jose Gaspar (Gasparilla), Though a popular figure in Florida folklore, there is no pre-20th century evidence of his existence.
• Catherine Hagerty and Charlotte Badger, Australian convicts. Among a group of convicts taken on board a shorthanded ship as crew. The convicts commandeered the ship and sailed for New Zealand. Hagerty was put ashore and died, Badger was never seen again.
• Micajah and Wiley Harpe, States America's first known serial killers, were Loyalists in the American Revolution, as well as, river pirates and highwaymen, who preyed on travelers along the Ohio River and the waterways of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois. The Harpe Brothers were associates of Samuel Mason and Peter Alston.
• Rahmah ibn Jabir al-Jalahimah, The most famous pirate in the Persian Gulf, he ruled over Qatar and Dammam for short periods and fought alongside the Wahhabis against the Al-Khalifa tribe of Bahrain.
• Bill Johnston, Nicknamed "Pirate of the Thousand Islands".
• Edward Jordan, Irish rebel, fisherman and pirate of Nova Scotia.
• Jorgen Jorgensen, Danish adventurer and writer, he was captured by the British as a privateer during the Napoleonic Wars.
• Jean Lafitte, French pirate (or privateer) active in the Gulf of Mexico during the early 1800s. A wanted fugitive by the United States, he later participated, during the War of 1812, in the Battle of New Orleans on the side of Andrew Jackson and the Americans. In 1822, Lafitte approached the navy of Gran Colombia and Simon Bolivar granted a commission and given a new ship, a 40-ton schooner named General Santander.
• Pierre Lafitte, French pirate, and lesser-known brother of Jean Lafitte, active mainly in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Narciso Lopez, Venezuelan adventurer, enlisted in United States about six hundred filibusters and successfully reached Cuba in May 1850. His troops arrived took the town of Cárdenas, carrying a flag that López had designed, which later became the flag of modern Cuba. He was executed in Havana by the royalist in 1851.
• Sam Hall Lord, Sam Lord was one of the most famous buccaneers on the island of Barbados.
• Kazimierz Lux, The Polish Pirates of the Caribbean. After pacifying the slave rebellion in Haiti, Lux started a career of piracy - shooting and boarding an American brig was one of his more spectacular successes; the vessel was later sold for 20 000 francs in Havana.
• Samuel Mason, States Initially, an Revolutionary War Patriot captain in the Ohio County, Virginia militia and an associate judge and squire in Kentucky, Mason later, ran a gang of highway robbers and waterways river pirates.
• John Murrell, Near-legendary bandit, known as the "Great Western Land Pirate," ran a gang of river pirates and highwaymen along the Mississippi River.
• Robert Surcouf, French privateer and slave trader who operated in the Indian Ocean between 1789 and 1801, and again from 1807 to 1808, capturing over 40 prizes, while amassing a large fortune as a ship-owner, both from privateering and from commerce.
• Rachel Wall, Rachel and her husband George Wall were active off the New Hampshire coast until George and the crew were washed out to sea. She was hanged in Boston on 8 October 1789.
• William Walker, American lawyer, journalist and adventurer, who organized several private military expeditions into Latin America, with the intention of establishing English-speaking colonies under his personal control. Walker became president of the Republic of Nicaragua in 1856 and ruled until 1857, when he was defeated by a coalition of Central American armies. He was executed in Trujillo by the government of Honduras in 1860.
• Alexander White, Hanged for piracy in Cambridge, Massachusetts in November 1784.
• Dominique You, Acquired a reputation for daring as a pirate. Retired to become a politician in New Orleans.

Online Resources

• List of Pirates
• Pirates Info
• 10 Facts About Pirates
• All About Pirates
• Biographies of Famous Pirates