Famous Pirates and their Flags

During the Golden Age of Piracy, pirates could be found all over the world from the Indian Ocean to Newfoundland, from Africa to the Caribbean. Famous pirates like Charles Vane, "Calico Jack" Rackham, and "Black Bart" Roberts captured hundreds of vessels. These pirates often had distinctive flags, or "jacks," which identified them to their friends and foes alike. A pirate flag was often referred to as a "Jolly Roger," which many believe to be an Anglicization of the French jolie rouge or "pretty red." Here are some of the more famous pirates and the flags associated with them.

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The Flag of Henry "Long Ben" Avery

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Henry "Long Ben" Avery had a short but impressive career as a pirate. He only ever captured a dozen ships or so, but one of them was nothing less than the Ganj-i-Sawai, the treasure ship of the Grand Moghul of India. The capture of that ship alone puts Long Ben at or near the top of the list of all-time richest pirates. He disappeared not long after. According to legends at the time, he had founded his own kingdom, married the beautiful daughter of the Grand Moghul, and had his own war fleet of 40 ships. Avery's flag showed a skull wearing a kerchief in profile over crossbones.

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The Flag of Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts, Part One

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If you go by loot alone, Henry Avery was the most successful pirate of his time, but if you go by the number of ships captured, then Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts beats him by a nautical mile. Black Bart captured some 400 ships in his three-year career, in which he ranged from Brazil to Newfoundland, to the Caribbean and Africa. Black Bart used several flags during this time. The one usually associated with him was black with a white skeleton and white pirate holding an hourglass between them: it meant that time was running out for his victims.

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The Flag of Bartholomew "Black Bart" Roberts, Part Two

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"Black Bart" Roberts hated the islands of Barbados and Martinique, as their colonial governors had dared to send out armed ships to try and capture him. Whenever he captured ships originating from either place, he was especially harsh with the captain and crews. He even made a special flag to make his point: a black flag with a white pirate (representing Roberts) standing on two skulls. Underneath were the white letters ABH and AMH. This stood for "A Barbadian's Head" and "A Martinico's Head."

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The Flag of John "Calico Jack" Rackham

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John "Calico Jack" Rackham had a short and largely unimpressive pirate career between 1718 and 1720. Today, he is only remembered for two reasons. First of all, he had two female pirates on his ship: Anne Bonny and Mary Read. It caused quite a scandal that women could take up pistols and cutlasses and fight and swear their way into full membership on a pirate vessel! The second reason was his very cool pirate flag: a blackjack that showed a skull over crossed cutlasses. Even though other pirates were more successful, his flag has gained fame as "the" pirate flag.

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The Flag of Stede Bonnet, "The Gentleman Pirate"

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Ever notice how some people just seem to wind up in the wrong line of work? During the Golden Age of Piracy, Stede Bonnet was one such man. A wealthy planter from Barbados, Bonnet got sick of his nagging wife. He did the only logical thing: he bought a ship, hired some men and sailed out to become a pirate. The only problem was that he didn't know one end of the ship from the other! Fortunately, he soon fell in with none other than Blackbeard himself, who showed the rich landlubber the ropes. Bonnet's flag was black with a white skull over a bone in the middle: on either side of the skull were a dagger and a heart.

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The Flag of Edward Low

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Edward Low was a particularly ruthless pirate who had a long and successful career (by pirate standards). He took over a hundred ships throughout two years, from 1722 to 1724. A cruel man, he was eventually kicked out by his men and set adrift in a small boat. His flag was black with a red skeleton.

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Minster, Christopher. "Famous Pirate Flags." ThoughtCo, Feb. 22, 2021, thoughtco.com/famous-pirates-and-their-flags-2136233. Minster, Christopher. (2021, February 22). Famous Pirate Flags. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/famous-pirates-and-their-flags-2136233 Minster, Christopher. "Famous Pirate Flags." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/famous-pirates-and-their-flags-2136233 (accessed March 22, 2023).