All Episodes

May 27, 2023 65 mins

In part 2, we'll take you through the last years of Stede Bonnet's hobby career as a pirate, from Bonnet and Blackbeard's infamous blockade of Charles Town to successfully gaining a pardon with a promise. This episode is filled with as many moments of action as it is comedy and is a must-listen for anyone interested in the history of the high seas and the iconic figures who made their mark upon it.


Source material for this episode:

The Life and Tryals of the Gentleman Pirate, Major Stede Bonnet by Jeremy R Moss

Rent: https://www.worldcat.org/title/1191214452?oclcNum=1191214452

Buy: https://www.amazon.com/Tryals-Gentleman-Pirate-Major-Bonnet/dp/164663151X


SUBSCRIBE!

Don’t forget to subscribe so you can catch future shows.

PLEASE RATE & REVIEW: <3

Especially if you are on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

We’re Just getting started, and it means a lot!


LINKS:

Past Episodes: https://blackcat.report/episode

Find, Follow & Subscribe Here: https://bcr.link/s

Our Website: https://blackcat.report/

Find and Follow us on Social Here: https://bcr.link/social

Our Discord: https://bcr.link/discord

Submit Show Ideas Here: https://bcr.link/submit

Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
I didn't see you there. Something big is going on here
from hunting, goes to Bigfoot hair.
Normal UFOs, True Crime and more.
We won't just be spouting articles.
I was researching For Your Entertainment, beginning of a
new world, the best Bok Gil, ever fucking a true story.
It's basically like one day you walk outside and you see that
the answer playing with matches this about see you on the other

(00:22):
side. I'd So I've learned some amazing
piratey terms as I was researching the life of Stede
Bonnet. Do you guys want to hear a few
bilge rat? This was an insult given to
people like Yar. You build trat, you didn't scrub

(00:44):
the deck, it's pretty much. What's build was the center of
the ship, where a lot of big. It makes me think of bile lot
where all the crap went. Pretty much bilge so bring upon
the spring upon her. Uh cable.
Do you guys know what that meansis way too long to be bringing
upon the spring upon, or kid? Bring a spring upon her cable.

(01:07):
Bring this bringing a sentence, it means to come around from
another direction web, it is, yeah, that was a pretty innuendo
thing that they used. And this is, you want to
drinking night Gil occur Rouser.That's about right someone who
partakes in righteous drinking and festivities that's about it.

(01:28):
Yeah. That's everybody in the studio
is nodding. Yeah Dance The hempen Jig.
Oh that's me. This is one is to literally be
hanged or to hang. Yeah.
He said you had him pinned jig. Yeah I guess the hemp rope is
what they mean? Yeah I think that's what they
mean made of hemp. Yeah that makes sense.

(01:49):
And the last one landlubber. Basically a person who sucks it,
being a pirate or sexy being thesea, which brings us to Stede
Bonnet. So welcome to the black cat
report and episode 48. Stede Bonnet, part two parts,
dear with me is carousing Gil. Hello, Buccaneer, bets the bay

(02:14):
and sea shanty Selena and we aresetting our sales for the land.
Lubber Stede Bonnet, and I'm also Joey so, At this point in
time, Steed is sitting on a boatthat is in his he's on the
princess and the Queen Anne's Revenge watching Blackbeard and

(02:35):
two other captains lead. The Armada steeds both.
The revenge is being captured byanother man named Richards and
they are setting sail for Charlestown.
Oh what is modern day Charleston?
Now can't be said enough of the difference between the two men
Blackbeard or Edward thatch was a taller.
Rougher looking man with long black beard and crazy piercing

(02:57):
eyes. Basically, fits the narratives
of what a pirate should be. And he was very scary to behold
in battle as well as a great tactician because he knew what
he was doing. He'd been doing it enough.
So Steed, on the other hand was described as a shorter and more
portly fellow, who wore more gentlemanly attire with the gold
Brim. Hat in a more fitted coat.

(03:19):
So he basically look like if youput Danny DeVito in a fitted
dress suit on the bow of a ship.Yeah.
And then like pimp where yeah pretty much.
Yeah. So also fun fact I found this
out by researching it there is ashow called our flag means
death. I've heard about you, it's Taco

(03:40):
icky and Rhys Darby and takayukiplays Blackbeard and Rhys Darby
plays Steve. It and so there is actually a
comedic show on it. I think it's on HBO there was on
HBO there's to show two seasons of it and it's basically the
part it's basically the jokes that they make of anything to do
with TD. Makes I am in love with, it's

(04:01):
great and it basically makes Blackbeard look amazing.
And Stede Bonnet. Look like the bumbling idiot
that he mostly is. Which, as we see in the story,
he kind of is a pirate. So, that's a big shit.
Yeah, I'm going to take it. Let's go, let's go.
Schnell career as a pirate cup. Yeah, he's pretty much a pirate
cook. He just bought a ship for

(04:21):
everybody. He's bought a ship for himself
ended up being everybody else's shit.
Yes. Just like the, the like nerdy
rich kid. That wants to be friends with
everyone and doesn't know how sohe just like B them stuff.
Yeah, that's what he was as a kid.
He's a poser. You have proposed her sailor
anyways. So they headed to Charlestown

(04:42):
and started blasting through theSeas to trial.
And however, the four ships spread out and choke the
entryway. So that no ship should could get
into or out of the harbor without dealing with them.
And as soon as they set up shop,they took five ships.
And within five days, they have taken nine ships, including the

(05:03):
Charlestown pilot boat that helped other boats, navigate the
shoals around the city. So at this time news traveled
very fast and soon the whole town was panicking and trade by
water completely. Pletely stopped no one wants to
go out there because I know they're going to get taken by a
pirate ship. They knew they're out there, but
they, at this point, they couldn't see them.

(05:24):
So, like there in the harbor, a little farther away, hitting
choke points so that, you know, no ships get in or out without
dealing with them. But at this point, the town
couldn't see the ships. So they were just out far enough
to not be seen. So one of the vessels they had
seized was a huge passenger boatheaded for London.
It's boat held about 80 people including an influential

(05:45):
merchants and A member of the provincial Council named Samuel
rag, the prisoners were interrogated and ask the
questions the same as before basically what Steve was doing
all the time. So I think this was his
influence on Blackbeard. Not much is said about the
Affairs of Steed. During this time, he's not the
captain but he's still on the boat.

(06:07):
But I do think that he did influence that part of them
questioning and asking the very strategic questions, Fat Bonnet
and Richards. Held a meeting on what the next
course of action. So their Base City basically
sitting out in the port, taking ships that came by and I think
it was Bonnet that came up with the idea to send emissaries, to

(06:30):
the leaders in Charleston, to barter for a medicine.
So Bonnet was smart in that areabecause he knew how to run
things. He knew how to run a set of
shit. He didn't know how to run ships
in general, but he knew how to run a business because he was
good at it. He was good.
At being an aristocrat. So I think that he came up with
that plan to send the emissaries.

(06:51):
So that sent one prisoner with his pirate attachment, which was
two to three Pirates to the council.
He wanted the prisoner to go to show how serious of a
predicament that the prisoners were in that they took from that
boat and if they didn't comply with the commands batches
ruthless as he was he was like I'm just gonna kill them all.

(07:11):
Oh, matter me they're just people.
So A few mishaps basically, theysent those three to four people
out there canoe, that was going towards the island, sunk.
They got another one, it's sunk as well.
So basically the prisoner who was named mr.
Marx, who was anointed as a speaker to talk to them, he

(07:32):
added ended up hiring a Fisher but Fisherman's Boat, two of
them to get to the shore so thatthey can actually get to the
council. So they had to make sure the
Blackbeard's demands were met and to the surprise and joy.
Joy of mr. Marks, it only took two days to
gather all the necessary medicine to that, they demanded
exchange for the prisoners. As fast as it felt for mr.

(07:55):
Marks, Blackbeard felt this was way too slow and was constantly
yelling at the prisoners saying you should not live two more
hours. So in constant fear that they
would be executed, Blackbeard decided it had been long enough
and he's moved the Armada close enough to Charlestown that they
could see them. So now all the people on Shore,

(08:16):
just like, oh shit, the Pirates are out there actually being
able to see the sales in the on the horizon.
People started going crazy and running this way and that in the
streets is just nuts. I just pictured the ship still
like eight miles out there was aGod.
I mean, it would probably take them a couple hours still to get

(08:37):
to shore, no. But still, there were close
enough to be seen, which is crazy because they knew that
both were getting captured. So people were go a little crazy
because everything oh crap. Now they're just going to come
here and take everything they want.
You know, probably about 300 sailors.
Pirates came on land guard. Well, I mean, you know, 300

(08:58):
Sailors at this point. They had enough for like a
colonial town almost to basically was a floating town,
you know? Yeah.
So so in constant fear that theywould be executed Blackbeard,
you know, basically just okay. Let's move forward.
So it was mr. Marx who heard Lee went to find
the Pirates? Because the Pirates went missing
that were with with the envoy people.

(09:20):
They just went somewhere and went to the taverns and we're
just like, yeah, whatever. I don't care.
I'm gonna go. So basically mr.
Marx, had to go find these people to make sure that they
all dead the Pirates didn't comein and destroy the town.
So after this, they you know took a couple hours to find
them, they found them then they ended up getting back to the
ship delivering the goods. Yeah, it's pretty crazy so they

(09:43):
made their the goods made their way onto the Queen.
Anne's Revenge Blackbeard actually made good on his
promise and cut loose the prisoners and then they decided
off the prisoners went so Stede Bonnet on the deck of the Queen
Anne's Revenge. The only one was looking back at
the city as they departed. Everyone else is looking
straight forward because this isthe not the last time that he

(10:04):
would see Charles Town. Hmm.
So after that, the fleet separated, Ways for a bit and
then reunited on Topsail Island in the Outer Banks of North
Carolina. So as everyone everyone that has
a research Pirates before Ocracoke, the Outer Banks of
North Carolina, huge into piratelore.
That's where they went. Is very easy to hit to make

(10:27):
pirate sanctuaries. There is very easy to go other
places along the island and alsokinda, you know, protected them.
Because there was, you know, plenty of runways to get out
plenty of space for them to go and easier to get.
Ships because ships will go along the coast, so they just
snatch ships and those little those little reefs and harbors
that are in there. So very much easier for them at

(10:48):
this time, was time for brief reprieve as the Outer Banks, you
know, Hideout, refugees for pirates.
So they hit it into top. So Inlet the flagship of
Blackbeard's Fleet. The Queen.
Anne's Revenge ran, aground. Basically they just ran into
they Korean their ship but not purposefully.
So they're stuck and so Blackbeard was like well another

(11:12):
ship should come so the adventure came on its way to
assist it. Also ran aground.
So now two of their main ships were Ranna grounds and they were
irreparably damaged can't repairthem so Blackbeard jumped on a
small unmanned unnamed Sloop. Boop.
And most of the other Sailors went aboard Bonnet ship the

(11:35):
Revenge because it was the otherbigger ship at this time, Bonnet
was beaten tired and just ready for a change of scenery.
So we took a small ship and wentto go turn himself in for his
life of piracy to the governor. Damn, so, I just want to say a
little history on this, about nine months, prior to this on,
September 5th, 17:17 King George.

(11:56):
The first of Great Britain, claim that any pirate, who
surrendered on or before September 5th. 17:18 would have
the king's Grace Just Paulding of full, such his of their peer
to see, or piracies by him, or them committed before January
5th. 1718, basically, they all get a pardon.

(12:19):
They, as long as they turn themselves in, no matter what
they had done, they get pardoned.
It was his way to say like there's so much piracy going on,
I just want to get rid of it andif you're lucky, you know,
you're just, it doesn't matter. Better.
So you get a big commission saying your reprieved of all
your sins, so, no matter what, no matter who was looking for
you. So Bonnet made his way to Bath

(12:42):
town in North Carolina to the governor Thomas Eden for his
pardon, Steve was granted a full, Piercy, pardon, and then
went back to top so Inlet thinking of ways to legally make
money because now it's time. Oh, I can't do life of piracy
anymore. I've been reprieved.
I got to make some money. So as he arrived and Topsail, he

(13:02):
Had found the perfect way to make legal money.
He would be a privateer in the war against Spain, which is what
a lot of people didn't this time.
So he had a boat already pretty easy.
So basically just became a British pirate.
Yes, literally. Yeah.
So he became a British pirate much easier because now you're
sanctioned by the country. So you're not running from

(13:22):
everybody all the time, you're not running from the Bro Poe as
they were called. So as he came upon the Revenge,
he found that Blackbeard was Dawn had taken all the gold
silver and valuables in, especially all of the guns, and
sailed away. Blackbeard took 17 other
Sailors, as well as one of the higher ranking, men, David

(13:45):
Harriet, with the guise of giving up the life of a pirate
and settling on the shores of Virginia or North Carolina.
But since it's Black Beard, he maroon David Harriet.
And 16 other Sailors with revisions to last only a few
days. And said, peace.
I'm out. I'm going to go back to being a
pirate again. So, all these people thinking.

(14:07):
Yeah. Pretty much.
So, all these people thinking that, like, now we can put the
days of piracy behind us. They're stuck on an island.
That's pretty cool though. If you're gonna be stuck
somewhere. Yeah, but it's a small island
that doesn't have any food. You only have Provisions to last
certain amount of time and you have 13 other people with you
still could be worse. Could be worse.

(14:28):
You could die after seven days of not having food, which is
what would happen if they didn'tget caught yet?
They have they watch Castaway? Yes, they did way back then.
Actually they lived Castaways. Please stole volleyballs.
Yeah. They did still have a projector
and they would show movies on the sales, but the sales were

(14:49):
for. Mmm.
Duh. Yeah, that's actually a good
idea. I mean, it wasn't my idea.
It was their idea, true? Yeah, Pirates are.
The initial true Selena Pirates were the initial movie theaters
hardships, in their efficacy saline is a pirate.

(15:10):
So after the third day, they were rescued by the enigmatic
and Furious, Stede Bonnet. Hi.
I'm so he basically told the sailors that he was on his way
to st. Thomas to Privateer against the
Vanish. So the rescued crew agreed to

(15:31):
sail the st. Thomas.
Wait, yeah, they agreed. Yeah, well I don't know how much
they had a say in it because he could probably could have left
them. I mean, he could have said, I'll
drop you off at the nearest place thinking about just
staying on the island. Actually.
Yeah, well he said he couldn't pay them.
So the only thing that they could do was basically just come

(15:52):
along with him, he was basicallyproviding a ride, you know.
As he sailed for a few days word, reach Bonnet, that
Blackbeard was on Ocracoke Island which was one of the main
stays that he had four days later Steed, pulled up on that
island guns a-blazing because hebought some guns before he left.

(16:16):
But of course, Blackbeard being smart was gone.
Instead of continuing on his journey to st.
Thomas, which he had told everybody, he was doing, which
he had been commissioned to do, which everybody said to do
Bonnet said, you know what, sounds like a better idea.
Let's go back up to Virginia where we were before.

(16:37):
They Came Upon a small ship withsome provisions and stocked up
on pork and bread. I will say though Bonnie did not
want to be accused of being a pirate anymore so you know,
because he basically been reprieve from it, he got his
pardon so he said No, what I did, take all this stuff from
you, but I'm going to leave you with a couple casts of rice and
an old cable, like a cable and cable TV.

(17:01):
No, it could be, no, he a cable just a long cable that they use
to take ships. You know, how they throw them?
They throw to pull ships, where they like expensive.
No. But this is the idea that he
left them with, basically nothing with cast of rice after
stealing all their food, but he's a banana It could be seen

(17:22):
time but he could make the argument.
He's basically trying to be a lawyer in it.
He could make the argument that I traded them this and they said
it was okay. So as to not be labeled a pirate
anymore customer and two days after they traded with the small
ship, they found another ship this time full of liquor and
spirits. And you know, they have to keep

(17:44):
them Pirates going with liquor and Spirits otherwise T.
Yeah, pretty much. Otherwise they're just going to
mutineer the Which happens so much, that's why they kept
Liquor on the board on board. Yeah now at this time for the
real pirating to begin. After all the only good Pirates
are drunk Pirates Bonnet who at this time was now going by the

(18:05):
Alias of Captain Thomas. Because again, he's trying not
to get caught for pirating. He sent a few men to command the
Sloop. They had just captured.
So basically they took the ship,they took another ship and he's
really pirating but instead of steering it with the Ang those
people, he sent to that ship, took it and left, they new

(18:27):
Bonnet, they all were Shipmates a bonnet.
And they just went, you know, it's better than being with
Bonnet. Not a bonnet, they left and they
just never saw them. They never saw the ship again.
So yeah, it's pretty much gone which is funny because that's
how most people were with Bonnet, is they just knew that
he was terrible. They liked Edward thatch, but

(18:48):
they had just seen what Blackbeard did to them.
So there Man, fuck that guy. And then they're also like
Bonnet sucks because we keep losing with him and we keep
getting, you know, getting whipped and sent home.
So honestly, if I were Bonnet, I'd be like well it's time to go
on home but honestly with our friends Steed, he decided just

(19:11):
to carry on like he always does.This did push him a bit over the
edge now as all his restraints were gone and he went full bore
back in the piracy. So he He just didn't care about
giving them anything anymore. He's like screw it.
I'm going to be a full pirate real quick.
Did he even go after the Spanishat any point?

(19:31):
No, he just gave up on this and got pissed even though he
literally never tried. Yes, that makes sense.
Yeah, that fits with his character though, as I was
writing this like this is in reading about him.
This is his character. Yeah.
Like he just gives up. He's just like, yeah, I've tried
for a It or not, even tried. And I guess it's really hard.

(19:53):
You literally haven't done anything.
I can't stand this pretty much. He's basically a child.
He is a child though. Like he, like his whole life
because he was babied, you know.He was first his parents died
when he was young. So obviously, he had a widow
come over, who had just lost herhusband to raise him, and she's
just babied him because he, oh, you don't have any parents.

(20:16):
All you poor thing. I don't have anything else
because my husband's gone, so I'm gonna just like, you're
going to be my constant attention and get everything for
him. Plus, he was an aristocrat.
So everything he needed was given to him by his slave, his
slave. She had or his servants
depending on if he had at the time of indentured, servants and
slaves, which he had both. So he literally was babied in
every time he doesn't get his way.

(20:39):
He's just like I quit. So though the only thing he
didn't quit was pirating is the one thing he was like it didn't
matter. He just kept doing even this is
a fun game. Yeah, he saw his fun game and
since he could technically he owned the ship, he can
technically just keep pirating. So he could just kick people off
and get new people. But that's also like kind of

(21:00):
like there's a silliness here where it's like, yes he owned
the ship. But it's a ship full of pirates.
Like, what point was there? Just like Yar?
The honor code, we can't take itfrom him.
Yeah. What like, why didn't they just
take his fucking shit because hepaid them pirate.
Well, yeah, but he paid them. Yeah.
You know, any other shit times where like he paid the people

(21:23):
that is took the shit anyways and left.
Yeah, yeah. Well, I'm just saying lost
opportunities. They really just like there was
something in their honor code where there are care but he
owned it, we get take that todayif there's nothing that pirates,
do not know it. Especially the ones on his ship.
It's the honor code, it's true. Yeah you right?
Yeah, yeah. So because of him being just

(21:43):
pissed and angry, he made sure, everyone at all times was armed
and ready to go. If fighting should occur, he was
trying to learn lessons basically because he wasn't
prepared for most of the other ship losses he had which were,
you know, he had if you look at it as like a football team, he
had way more wins than losses. Like he only lost at this time.
I think he lost too. So he had my way more wins and

(22:07):
losses. He, I think he had at least 17
wins with it. Was the Manowar, The Man O'War.
And then there was the presidencies, massive ass
friendship. Was that with him?
No, he won their that. Okay.
Yeah, he won the lung Concorde and those Blackbeard
Protestants. He's the presidency.
So we lost twice so like it's not bad odds.

(22:28):
Yeah, you know, he just lost that and stupidly and so like he
lost bit. I think that's the point.
He lost big. Instead of losing like small
ships like he could, he was instead of losing.
Okay, I can save most of my ship, he lost a lot of people in
each of the battle, but he lost 30.
And one of them which is when hehad 100 people in a ship.

(22:48):
So he lost 30 people. That's a lot of people and he
got knocked out himself. So stupidly going through this,
he just decided, man, I'm just going to keep doing this and he
just that's how he was. He just was stupid to me.
Like I just think he just lost stupid, but it also sounds like
he's having fun I guess so. Yeah, it's not the real

(23:09):
blessing. Yeah, as long as you're a pirate
and having fun, there's nothing that matters.
Yeah. It's like those guys that get
like a midlife crisis and they buy like a motorcycle and then
I'm Blake a motorcycle jacket and then a bandana and then,

(23:30):
yeah, yeah, that's what it reminds me of.
But they're like, actually in Finance or something like that.
Yeah, yeah. Putting to Spotify that is 30%
of our listeners. So, we need to thank you for
listening. Thank you so much for listening.
Thank you for being so predictable, pretty much.

(23:51):
Yeah, and they would probably agree.
So at this time throughout the summer months of 1718 it was
bonnets comeback story. Yeah.
He's got his Boat back. He's got his boat back.
He's got some of his Crews. He lost a Sloop, in a few people
but you know, they weren't yet it happens.

(24:12):
Yeah, I'm sure Blackbeard lost alot more like honestly, I'm sure
he's had people double-cross himall the time.
I mean, like, just starting to. Yeah, but the stories didn't get
out there. Blackbeard made his story bigger
than the stories that were people against him.
So he was smart. He knew the he knew how to
manipulate people. Yeah.
And bond it didn't he just was aAristocrat, he knew how to run a

(24:36):
business and that's why he kept a crew.
It's because he knew how to run the business, but he couldn't
run a ship. I mean, no pirate is perfect.
No. I mean no one can be like
Captain Jack Sparrow true. But he lost a bunch of ships but
you've heard of him. But you have heard him, that's
the worst. Damn pirate I've ever seen.

(24:57):
What you have heard of me so it also wasn't the good.
So like he started pirating our pillaging boats and put it Also
wasn't the goods that he was taken from ships.
He started getting random Sailors on these ships to join
them because is actually random sales or joining him now, which
is, which is different from before where they just didn't
want to be part of his stuff andbecause they started hearing of

(25:19):
them, one of these Sailors was named Robert Tucker, who would
eventually become the quartermaster of the Revenge.
So as of now, it did seem for the most part bonnets pirating
was more out of necessity to fitthis ship for the journey to st.
Thomas. Till he was still saying I could
do, it's at a necessity even though he took another ship.

(25:41):
But he decided instead of going down the st.
Thomas, I'm just gonna go up north to Pennsylvania.
I'm gonna go up to. Yeah, in Thomas.
So yeah, but still, you can go up and go down around but
Captain Butler. Yep.
But the problem was, is that he was supposed to go to st.
Thomas. But which is South.

(26:03):
He decides. I'm going to go to Pennsylvania
which now it's like okay, you'redefinitely not going to attack
the Spanish, like I've seen You're retrofitting your ship.
I can see but you're in Virginia.
Okay, that's where some good stuff is but now you're going
even farther north. So like that.
You're not doing that. I'm totally just that bad at
captaining. I really thought that was so I

(26:25):
thought it was South. Yeah, make he did.
Try to argue some stuff later, that was really dumb, but one
thing that he did, do he treatedthe boat, see pillage with
common courtesy and decency. So he was, I mean, still a
gentleman and an aristocrat, so he wasn't going to Are murdering
people like Blackbeard would do because he didn't care.
My gear was like, whatever, but Steve was still like, okay.

(26:47):
Like here's some, here's some stuff.
You still have your boat. I'm going to give you more
stuff. I'm still going to give stuff to
you, but Blackbeard didn't care.So, on July 29th, 1718 banach
took a big Sloop loaded with Provisions.
That was bound for where else Barbados banach, took

(27:07):
everything, and then took the ship like the days.
With Blackbeard bonded wanted tobuild his own Armada and is
strength in numbers, limited Bloodshed, because he did find
that out. A lot of people just surrendered
if they had three or four ships instead of trying to fighting
them. So Bonnet installed the
quartermaster Robert Tucker who had just taken as the captain of
the newly captured Sloop. Robert Tucker was a man who was

(27:32):
not to be trifled with unlike Bonnet.
Stories would say that he loved his Cutlass and would poke and
prod the prisoners and goes to As the sticking them with his
sword when he stall fit. So he just be like sitting there
when they're in the prisoner. The prisoners hatch and just
start stabbing him. Oh, cool.
He started cutting people's armsfor no reason.

(27:53):
And so on, it obviously wasn't gonna say he couldn't do this
because he was sometimes scared.That, that guy was going to take
his job. My poke him, my poke him to, and
take his job there later on in some of the, the court cases.
A lot of people did say that Robert Tucker was the one who

(28:14):
ran everything and sank they said steed was just a bystander,
but we'll talk about that later once we get to the trial.
Hmm, well, two days later on. July twenty.
Thirty first 17, 18. They took another big ship.
This one was called The Francis.It was captained by a man named
captain, man wearing Yeah, that's his name.

(28:40):
It's a terrible name. But man, wearing what?
Man, wearing what? Ha, ha ha, ha, ha, ha ha.
This was a much sneakier way to take a ship as the Revenge sent
out a canoe in the dead of a night to this ship.
Not having any flag up to notify.
Captain man, wearing of any danger.

(29:03):
One of his crew asked the canoe who they were and who the ships
were the Pirates answered. They were Captain Thomas
Richards, from st. Thomas and Captain Reed from
Philadelphia. So the other ship was a schooner
from North Carolina. The pirate said, the crew member
now a little more at ease. Let his guard down and let the

(29:25):
canoe on board. But as he did, he saw the
heavily armed men and whispered to himself.
We are taken. They had no, they had no arms on
board, right? So like, they didn't have any
guns, they didn't have any cannons, so they kind of just
were screwed. And instead of being able to
have the time to get away, They literally had three had six

(29:48):
pirates on board, and we're like, well, he just thinks to
himself. I just think that he whispers to
himself as funny. He's just like, we're taking in
pretty much like shit. Yeah.
Pretty much like, shit. We got screwed and I didn't do
my job. Yeah, so they took the captain
man wearing back to the Revenge,which now had changed names to

(30:12):
the Royal James. So the Revenge was now the Royal
James. That is cool.
Yeah it's a cool one. It was more like a band which
just like his Alias, it was changed.
So he could not go against the pardon that he had just gotten
not too long ago. Luncheon, yeah, Bonnet.
And his Pirates, plundered the ship taking whatever they wanted
from the passengers and the sailors.

(30:33):
So this is they were taking stuff from the passengers pot
Pockets, anything that they wanted, they marooned a few of
the passengers and took the shipto continue building the Armada.
So due to the damage, the ships hadn't Nerd.
They decided to head to the CapeFear, River Basin there.
They found some small sloops in pillage, them for wood and
supplies that worked on the ships for about two months,

(30:55):
making sure the ships were seaworthy.
During that time news started tospread of pirates in the River
basin. There.
They wear tan tan tan. So a colonel hearing of the
news. He met with the council in
Charlestown and fearing. Another pirate blockade.

(31:16):
They give Colonel William. Rhett a commission and full
power over two sloops to go after the Pirates.
So, the ships were named the Henry and the Sea Nymph that
Colonel redhead command Over theSea Nymph, the Sea Nymph, that's
awesome. Pretty dumb.
I was really hoping the Colonel's last name would be

(31:36):
Sanders because Jesus Christ, that would have that, it would
have made way more sense. Yeah.
So upon exiting, the harbor of Charlestown, Colonel William
Rhett meta ship that had been plundered by pirate, Captain
named vain. Captain vane and he was also a
famous pirate as well. So shit.
Mmm. He searched for him, William

(32:00):
rat, search for Captain vane, but couldn't find a trace until
he ran into a few pirate. Prisoners, who said they headed
north to Kareem their ship? So basically vane was not a
threat anymore, he lost his shipafter had been hurt too much and
went on his way. So, Rhett got back to the main
mission. Again, finding the Pirates in

(32:22):
the Cape Fear River Basin. He sailed into the River Basin
and saw the three sloops of bonnets arm As both ships, got
closer, the Sea Nymph in the Henry, they both ran, aground,
which seems to happen a lot in these days.
A lot of people, especially in Cape Fear, river basins, where
can't really tell where, all thewater lines are and where, if

(32:42):
there's like a little sand bar somewhere.
So it happens a good bit, unableto get themselves.
Free Rhett said, let's just waituntil morning and then we'll
deal with them, but bonnets all the ships grounded.
And so, he sent out a small reconnaissance party and like, a
little canoe to scout them out. The scouts saw that both ships,
were heavily armed and ready to go after Pirates which they were

(33:06):
retreated back to the sloops andnotified Bonnet of what they
saw. Bonnet being ready for anything,
decided to get his men prepared for battle, old Bonnet, of
course, the next morning, Bonniegot the Royal James under sail,
in built up, considerable speed,hoping to escape into the Open
Sea and be able to trap them. But the two ships under him,

(33:30):
forced him closer to the shore because they got them out before
Bonnet was able to get out to sea.
So the two ships forced him intoShore.
They all got grounded, again, did he really just lose a fight
with ships? That weren't even shipping.

(33:51):
Like, yep, these ships we're literally stuck on land.
Yep. Right before he lost.
Yep. Right before he got out to see
do anything. Yeah.
Right before he got out to see the ship's got ungrounded and
forced him into. Yep.
Yep. He couldn't pop shots out of?

(34:14):
Yep. So he was really bad.
I want to strangle them. Yeah.
So bad. What's so?
Funny is the Royal James and theHenry were within pistol shot
from each other. Either, they were grounded
within pistol shot. So for five hours, the Henry,
and the world. James open fire at each other

(34:36):
yelling at each other and jeering at each other.
But the Sea Nymph was kind of grounded a little farther away
so they couldn't help the battlethat much Last Ship fight on
land. Yep.
So the Henry would like they basically spent most of their
time firing each other and trying to get their ships back
out you know back up to see because the first one out to sea
is going to win. Basically.

(34:57):
So The Henry was already. The first one at Sea?
Yeah. They just got screwed.
They screw themselves of it. Sorry.
Yeah. Can't get past this.
He's just been like at a slight angle where their cannons
couldn't have reached a minimum.Haha.
I just like, kept shooting all night.
He would have fucked him up. Yes.
So easy but he's not black beard.
But anyone, yeah. Anyone with common sense?

(35:20):
Yeah, but, you know, you have toknow water to as well.
I think this is a hard thing to understand for, for, for us is
like, we don't know water. So like we don't know.
When's we don't know how a lot of that works and comes in
Tandem and river basins, and things like that.
So A person who doesn't know this.
See would get stuck a person like Blackbeard's all of the

(35:41):
ships involved. Hundred-percent.
Yep. 100% Colonel Rhett though. Did know this.
See he just Got Korean stuck anyways because he didn't know
the area, Blackbeard knew the area he knew where to go not to
get stuck and had a circle shipsand where to go so that he
wouldn't get stuck. And basically two ships in
between him and escaped, he would always be able to want to

(36:03):
be able to escape. He still lost two ships on land.
I'm just saying he might not Blackbeard but yeah yeah Bonnet
did goddamn it yet enraged he sucks.
Yeah so the Henry because the first ship to get out too To a
sea. So they sailed deeper waters and
repaired before they made another run at the Royal James.
But instead of gunfire, they, ofcourse were met with Swords a

(36:30):
white flag of surrender, far. He gave up Steve Van.
It was tired of the war and afraid to be wounded again in
battle. So he surrendered in all 19
people died, and 24 were woundedon both sides. 19 people, 19.

(36:51):
People were killed in 24 wounded.
There's a lot of people for three ships.
Yeah. Because he didn't even have that
many, like he didn't have He didn't have over 120 people.
He did have three sloops, but hedidn't have that many people.
Yes, stupid. So fucking stupid.
I'm so mad about him. He's now captured, right?
They head to Charlestown and Charlestown didn't have a formal

(37:13):
jail yet even though was a colony, I didn't have a formal
jail. So all the crew were contained
in the watch house and Stede Bonnet was holed up at the
marshals house. They split them up.
Basically stayed was rich as well, so they were just like
you're the leader to. So we're going to hold you in a
different place. So, Made a little easier so they
didn't scheme basically to take out because they didn't have a
jail. I'm pretty sure it just

(37:33):
protected him from being killed by all of his pissed off crew
that too and it's funny we'll find out later so things that
were looking really Bleak at this point for the gentleman
pirate Stede Bonnet, a man who had left his home for greener
pastures in a more interesting life.
Well like very predictably to ofthe pirate crew.

(37:54):
Leaders had agreed to testify against bonnet.
I would, at that point to, I'm No snitch, but like that guy's a
fucking moron, and he is a menace to society.
Both evil society and good Society.
He's a menace to everyone. Yeah.
So even the guy that was rescuedby him from certain death on the

(38:15):
island after Black Beard or Moonhim, marooned him David,
Harriet, and Ignatius pail. He was a yeah, Ignatius, Bell.
He was a captain or a one of theHands-On Blackbeard.
Chip. So it makes more sense.
But David Harriet, who got maroon by Blackbeard, and then
saved by by Bonnet decided, theywere going to testify against,

(38:36):
oh, yeah. So mean, yeah, it's pretty.
Pretty sad. But on it again, they haven't
because he got caught. I know feel like, okay, I get
that. They were like, oh, he's an
idiot. But he was nice to them, but it
was nice to them. That's this crappy thing, but
they're pirates in. A lot of ways is like, they're
trying to survive because parts of this time got hanged Yeah, so

(39:00):
that's true. Yep.
And he literally just lost a fight to a ship that was stuck
on the ground two ships that were ran aground, that he could
have won like that's or escaped pretty bad or escapes like
again. Like yeah Heat.
This is like his first, he's a year in.
Yeah, he's been going for a while.

(39:21):
He was also, I really want to point out here.
Literally, just like he didn't even have to try, he was trained
by the best pirate in world history.
Like literally Blackbeard's, like taking you under my wing,
your and like, fucking like, showed in the ropes, like he had
the top of the top in pirates inpirate history, be like this is

(39:44):
how we run shit and then he's like, no sorry, I wasn't paying
attention. What were you doing?
Hmm, pretty much like he was in his quarters reading a book
about how to pirate and Said of watching the guy and how to see
Captain. Instead of watching the guy, let
him learn firsthand. That's just kind of how he was.
He just wasn't meant to be a seacaptain, he wasn't meant to be a

(40:05):
pirate. We're aimed guns, or no, walk
never wear anything. He was meant to be an aristocrat
in Barbados having slaves. That was like, he's he he was
born into that and he, that's what he should have done, you
know, as sad as that sounds and horrible as that is, that's what
he was. He was meant to be, he's born

(40:26):
with it, maybe it's pirating. Well, sometimes people just want
to try new things and you wantedto try to be a pirate.
Yeah, you can try new things, you don't have to involve a
bunch of other people and that is true because their lives in
the situation whatever, like I don't want to fight anymore and

(40:47):
you want to look razor, white flag and all your whole crew is
like, well, fuck guess, I'll just die.
Yeah, we have to think about To like he again, like like Selena
saying like he has all these people under his command in a
way and also under his care. Yeah.
It's you know, just like an airplane pilot like an airplane
pilot has all those people underhis care or her care you know

(41:10):
their care. So basically he's the one
leading them. He has to make the big
decisions. He has to make them smart right
decisions and he's just not making them.
Who would you would you rather? This is a two-parter.
Who would you rather have as your airplane pilot Blackbeard
or Stede Bonnet? Yeah, that's the real question

(41:31):
here because if they fuck up everyone dies?
Yeah. You know what I'm saying?
Also I'm really excited for air piracy because this is
eventually going to happen. Oh yeah, definitely it did
happen on September 9 911. Air piracy like it was like he

(41:53):
was playing games. Pull up?
No, that's hijacking but I'm saying like a plane pulls up
next to another plane in the skyand they have this like battle
back and forth and then they board each other Jack each other
shit. Jump off like are pirates.
I think that happened in sci-fi and go for it when beIN took his
ship when paying took his his airplane and then just blew up
their plane and took the guy that kind of happened, somebody.

(42:16):
But I mean on it. Yeah, I want but it does
fictional though. Yeah. so, Black.
Beer Guy. Like he's been a pirate for a
long time. Yeah.
Since he was like 12. I think exactly this guy started
when he was like older, you knowso I mean let's give him a
break, you know? Like it was like a year, you

(42:38):
know, everyone starts when they're young like literally
when they're babies he lost to aship that was on, man.
I know. But it was like his first year.
I have honestly, I probably would have done the same.
Thing? Because I don't know anything
for Stede Bonnet. Yeah, we're being really harsh

(43:06):
in this guy. That's 28 that just started.
That doesn't know anything, and then we're praising.
This other guy that's been doingit since he was 12.
It's hard. Not to think this is literally a
coin flip though. It's hard.
Not to compare them because theyliterally hung out with each
other and spend so much time to go.
Other like yeah this stuff. I mean he's going to look bad

(43:27):
compared to Black Beard. Like pretty much no matter what.
Yeah. I mean, but like I did have time
to learn from but the thing is to, it's like, you can look on
it and another way of like moralcompass is like, Blackbeard had
none. Yeah.
Blackbeard pretty much marooned,everybody.
Yeah, and then room, but Marine five them, but, but Steed was
always the gentleman. Like, he was born to be.

(43:47):
He was a gentleman like, he never killed him.
He never, you know, did horriblethings.
He didn't poker Pro. And he was more on some things,
you know, like he had his strength, he didn't need, I
would say that he didn't need tobe the captain of the ship but
he could have been part of the leadership of the ship.
Yeah. Because he had his his, you
know, like he could have been the one that built the business

(44:09):
he could. Okay.
So let's look at like this, he could have been the in the mob
if this if the Pirates were mob and he could have been the guy
that built the businesses, making them understand that the
mob had to you had to have the businesses to Survive and not
just the illegal parts of their given.
Like, the, the assistive right hand, he was a slave owning

(44:32):
asshole who completely abandonedhis family and got a lot of
people killed through his complete lack of admitting to
his own incompetencies. Yes, I think that's the best way
to describe him. So if we lest we forget we have
all the piracy that he is that guy just saying not.

(44:52):
Exactly. Bull intellectual Beginnings.
Like yeah. Like know he was a douche from
the get-go and like I don't knowabout Blackbeard I'm assuming.
Blackbeard didn't start off Richknow like it came out
scrappiest. Fuck out of the hood and was
like this is the shit is what I'm doing.
Is one of them be good at. I got respect for that.
This other dudes like this life on the plantation is so hard.

(45:15):
Yeah, he abandoned his family. That's found this beautiful
woman who just wants to take care of me.
Goodbye. Yep, with, with three kids and
and the three kids probably hit his kid in that closet.
That's what I think happened. But Bonnet would carry on.
Like, he always did and hatched a plan to escape.

(45:37):
Of course, he did so on October 24th, three weeks after he was
captured and imprisoned, Bonnet,and Harriet slip past bribe
centuries. So, they gave money to a bunch
of centuries. Basically, look, the other way
they were dressed in women's clothes.
Drip big huge dresses and that'show they got out of the town.

(45:59):
They escaped via drag, they escaped be a drag.
Yeah, they escaped via drag. Also I have a strange feeling
they literally didn't need to dothat part because they just paid
folks who weren't making that much money.
A shit ton of money and everybody's like yeah you can
you can just go and there's likeno I need to put on my corset.

(46:20):
That's the funny thing. Is that they they paid Add
people to get by them and they still did it.
They still they like you're saying they didn't need to do
it, so it just made it even it just kind of made it like a
funny. Show the, you know, like it made
it like a show. Almost this is the equivalent
the financial equivalent of living of losing a pirate battle

(46:41):
on land. Yep.
Yeah and he just he keeps going so that's pretty cool.
Goddamn it citizens were freaking pissed.
They found this out to like everybody in the town was pissed
because a they knew that Bonnet was part of the original
blockade of Charleston Charleston.

(47:03):
And then they knew that he was part of the second part of it
where he was out there taking ships that were on their way to
Charlestown. So everybody was just so mad and
so someone, hi, they knew that someone high up in the council
helped them escape to. That was the rumor.
They knew that somebody that hadbeen paid or that because he Was
a huge land and in person that they're going to get some money

(47:26):
on the back end. Hmm.
So because of this, the governorwas like I'm gonna head this
off. I know what's happening, I know
people are pissed. I'm going to head this off and
I'm gonna offer a huge reward, so you offered a seven hundred
dollar reward if anyone brought him, Stede Bonnet bats, it 700
it's a lot of money back then that much now it's 250k 250,000,

(47:47):
quarter million going to bring like a like that's a lot to
bring a person to Justice or even it is Also, Steve bonnets
can really be that hard. You just need to get chased by
him and break your own leg and somehow you'll win speaking of
how easy it was to catch him. So Steve was helped Escape by

(48:10):
local fishermen who was also bribed he provided canoe and got
them up River to Sullivan track.Yeah, it's a Sullivan's Island.
So yeah, pretty much. So they're in Sullivan's Island.
Look. They don't need to sleep in
Dragon knew I quite like it now actually, this is my new life.
Oh, that's cool Pirates. They got held up there a bit

(48:33):
waiting on the Sloop that the fisherman a promise to bring
right? The it took they did actually
get held up on the way to Sullivan's Island to because the
weather was bad. So that's probably what else to
stop the fisherman ship from getting theirs at the weather so
Raymond. Yeah, I think a little bit of
bad luck. So Steve Bonnet decided that he

(48:56):
was going to write a letter to the fishermen saying, what
pissed off like why didn't you bring me the ship?
You didn't bring it to so-and-soplace.
The letter never reached the fishermen because centuries
caught the people that were delivering the letter to the guy
and use the letter to get. They gave it to the governor and

(49:19):
then he gave it to Kono Rhett and Colonel Rhett.
Who found him in the first place.
Found him again, he put the return address on the letter.
Didn't he put where he was on the letter?
Damn it, not select group idli thinking like and this is why it
makes me. So this is so stupid.
It is because not thinking that it was going to get captured.

(49:39):
Because the people he sent to give it were just people that
were in like clothes that were in rags, because they were also
with him. So, like they were easily
spotted by the centuries that were out looking for him.
And so, not more than good at being bad.
He was, he was as he escaped for, he's gone for two weeks,

(50:00):
take. So it does take a while to
capture somebody and find out exactly where they are.
But after two weeks, he was returned to Charleston.
Stone. Yes, sir.
It's time for that trial. Now.
So, as the trial started, they had 33 crew members, who were
set to stand trial for piracy. They decided to try to, you

(50:21):
know, try Stede Bonnet on his own in the other 33 members by
themselves. The Steed got his own trial, and
the 33 members got their trial altogether.
Just kind of crappy honestly. Yeah, so trials.
Yeah. Well, it's only two Because the
33 members tried together, got tried together and then Steve

(50:41):
got Tried by himself. Hmm.
Thirty One of the crew members pleaded not guilty and to
pleaded guilty. So, you know, what a there is,
like, we're kind of done with this.
So 29 were found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging
because that's what the, that's what they were hang and for
actually were acquitted. I don't know how the for got

(51:05):
acquitted or why they got acquitted.
Maybe they were just picked up randomly, or they said that they
got in they became prisoners andhad to do it.
But for them acquitted. So for them.
Lived, they all made the argument that they were marooned
by Blackbeard. So that was their defense in
that. They got stuck with Steed and
that's why there were pirates, so, and that they're rescued by

(51:28):
Bonnet. So they could do legal work in
privateering and st. Thomas, and were duped But now
is the time for the main event the trial of Stede Bonnet.
Yep. On November 10 17 18 he was
arraigned and of course like he always would think he would do.
He pleaded not guilty? He only had two charges against

(51:49):
him. Two big main charges.
Please tell me he represented himself.
Yeah, please fucking tell me. So at this time it's that's a
funny thing. You say that at this time, you
were not allowed Odd to have legal counsel as a defense, if
it was for anything, other than being a traitor that was the

(52:13):
law. So you had to represent
yourself. If, if you weren't on trial for
being a traitor, take it as a win.
Yeah, so technically, yeah, he had to defend himself.
So, did the crew members, that'swhy they all said that, they
said the same thing. They're like, that's our
defense. It's fine.
Oh yeah. So pleaded.
Not guilty. And the first thing that he got
one of his too. Charges was pillaging the

(52:34):
Francis which he did. And the second was stealing and
pillaging the fortune. So those were the two big ships.
So they kind of like swept everything else he did under the
rug. Because these were the two that
they actually had Witnesses for.It's just like, cases nowadays.
They, they only will go after the cases.
I think they can win. And they'll kind of, like, the
pile, a bunch of cases against him, but knowing that, they
could win one or two. Most of this part was about

(52:57):
lawyer speak and it was pretty much all the transcript of the
whole trial because they kept legal transcripts.
Like Normal. So like the book basically the
book that you're referencing here like it basically just went
like it just went straight roll transcript.
Old-school 1700 speech risk. Yeah yes yeah so I do want to I

(53:17):
only have one part that I thought kind of showed his
defense right he like had a he had a defense and most of us
just back and forth between him and a witness but didn't use he
didn't know he didn't actually pretty much yeah pretty much so
So Stede Bonnet said, this basically was his one defense,

(53:38):
may it please your honors and the rest of the gentleman
though. I must confess myself a sinner
and the greatest of Sinners yet.I am not guilty of what I am
charged with. Of course, that's what he says.
As for what the Bots Wayne says relating to several vessels.

(54:01):
I am altogether, free, the Bots.Wayne was one of the guys on the
other ship that helped him capture the ship.
So he was almost like the quartermaster in similar kind of
things. It's one to explain that because
that's kind of a boating pirating word, you know, he's
full, I never gave my consent toany such actions for I often

(54:22):
told them If they did not leave off committing such robberies, I
would leave the Snoop and desired them to put me on the
shore. And as for taking Captain men,
wearing men wearing, who I assure your honors, it was
contrary to my inclination and when I wait, what?

(54:45):
Hold up. It was contrary to my
inclination. Yeah, basically he said he
didn't want that to happen but I'd like didn't like it though.
Yeah. Like literally that's what he's
saying. That's what he's that's his
defense and when I cleared my vessel at North Carolina it was
for st. Thomas and I had no other end or

(55:07):
design in view but to go there for a commission.
So, basically, saying what he did is not, he saying what he
actually did wasn't what he meant to do.
Thank you. So it was like, I was leaving
North cackalacky. I was heading towards st.
Thomas, at least, I thought I was.

(55:28):
And then everybody else, I'll start getting rowdy and doing
all this crazy shit. And I was like, look fellas, I
ain't into that. And like, if y'all are going to
get into that, just leave me on the Beach, Margarita, and hand.
And they all were like, mmm, jabjab, step step.
And I was like, Let's keep going.
Wait how did we end up in the north?
Yeah. Oh no we ended up here.

(55:50):
Where's Captain ever? Worst case is almost believable.
Yeah, I know what's funny is like he could he plays it is
believable because he's that be that bad.
Yeah. But when we came to see and I
saw vessel the quartermaster Robert Tucker, who in the, the
pokee the pokee guy, and that the Cutlass who actually in the,

(56:12):
in the trial, some of the other People said that Robert Tucker
was the actual leader of the thing and that he, that Bonnet
was not guilty. It was one of bonnets character
Witnesses basically. Is, he brought one of the guys
up saying, like, no Bonnet really wasn't the captain, he
kind of was there on the ratana for a ride just like he was on
blackboard ship ship. Yeah.

(56:33):
So that's how he played it very being a landowner sokrat.
He knew how to game the system? Yeah.
You know he's basically trying not to go to the chair and
pledis Insanity. Yeah.
Is like whole goal, but he's pleading stupidity in this one.
He's not bleeding and steady, just stupidity.
But when we came to see and saw a vessel the quartermaster and

(56:54):
some of the rest held a consultation to take it, I
opposed it and told them again. I would leave this Loop and let
them go where they pleased that was his whole defense.
All right, was literally, I was gonna but I didn't, he just said
that. I didn't want to do it.

(57:16):
But they did it. Like literally he's just
claiming stupidity, it's ignorance.
He's claiming ignorance about them.
Wanting to do it saying that he opposed it but he still did it.
I really like the picture and based off of his history, I feel
like this is accurate. He had the entire court paid off
by this point and is still fucking up this bad.

(57:38):
He's pretty bad, so, they did just like, just don't say
anything. It's okay, I got you, boo.
Yeah, there was some No, no, letme screwed up more.
So he, there was some more questioning along the line of,
but you guys took Captain, you took the captain man?
A ring. Whoo, man, wearing you took that

(57:59):
Captain and like basically almost tortured him because
that's what they Tucker was doing.
His answer to that was I was asleep.
No joke. He said I was asleep while that
happens and everyone's yeah, at them at that moment, the the

(58:20):
jury the judges will just lookedat each other and we're just
like they just nodded their heads and it's just like, really
like that's your defense. You were asleep.
So after he made that argument the jury deliberated and found
him guilty on the first charge of taking the Francis.

(58:44):
So obviously, he was found guilty because he just couldn't
make up a good story. So after they found him guilty
for the first charge, they took a break for a day, right?
They're going to the second charge and they actually tried
tried him twice. You don't get to get tried once
for both charges. Yeah, yeah.
So, His thing was like, okay, I was found guilty, so it came the

(59:07):
second day for taking the fortune, which is second charge
was well, what? Why even do a second day if he
already found that found guilty because they're gonna kill him.
Anyways, after letting the Fate sink in, he decided just to
plead guilty. He was the second day, he was
just like, all right, well, I'vealready found guilty.

(59:27):
I'm already probably going to bekilled.
I'm just gonna plead guilty and maybe they'll actually give me
some, like, let me go or they'lljust put me in jail forever.
You know, do yesterday? That's yesterday's incident.
She didn't want to go into thoseagain.
So it basically would have just been the same charges asking the
same. Another captain of like, okay,
he, he did take the ship and he would just say the same thing.

(59:50):
We're Bound for st. Thomas, even though we were in
Philadelphia, Adelphia sewing upfrom from North Carolina but I
was asleep. Most of that trip.
I really didn't understand wherewe were going because I don't
know North from South which is very believable for this guy.
I read a few books, I read a couple of them kind of woke up

(01:00:13):
and we were in Philadelphia, andI was on another ship and we
just taken it and I maybe hit upmy friend.
Benji. Yeah, let me hit my friend
Benji. So he the trial was adjourned,
basically, because he said, I'm Guilty, I don't want to go
through this whole charade again.
And so again, they wait, anotherday.
The next day which was November 13th, 1718, that was the

(01:00:33):
sentencing. The judge gave the sentence,
thus the sentence that the law hath appointed to pass upon you
for your offenses and which thiscourt death.
Therefore award is that you the said Stede Bonnet shall go from
hence to the place from whence you.

(01:00:54):
You came. Do you want him back?
If this send him home, just go home, he really gave him the
rich boy treatment and from thence, to the place of
execution, where you shall be hanged, by the neck, until you
are dead in front of your wife, that you abandon, and your kids,

(01:01:15):
and the god of infinite mercy, be merciful to your soul.
Basically, what they said you'regoing back to jail and then
we're going to hang you. Yeah, we're not sending you
home. We're sending you back.
That's what you came. Literally came from that day.
Yeah, well not from that's the idea behind it.
Give it more poetic credit than yeah.
I know. That's the just sending him

(01:01:37):
home. God damn it.
Honestly. There wouldn't have been a more
humiliating thing for him. If he got sent home for being
captured, for piracy piracy. Yeah.
And then got hanged in front of his family.
Yeah, so, he's still got off easy.
He'd got off a little easy. So This isn't Bonnet though, you

(01:01:58):
know, he's Rich. Yeah.
How can you get away with this? How can he get out of this?
Yeah. So Bonnet pleaded and begged
everyone he could to avoid goingto The Gallows.
He was like, I'll be your servant, I'll do whatever you
need. He sent a letter to the
governor. He even tried to send a message
to the king, but the governor was like, no, you're gonna die,

(01:02:22):
you're gonna get hung. I don't care what you do.
You can send anything doesn't matter.
So every letter he sent at the end of it, he would sign it as
your most miserable and Afflicted servant, Stede Bonnet
or Steed. He didn't always red Bonnet but
he wrote, he wrote wrote that, at the end of every letter, he

(01:02:43):
sent to these people, his prettytruly scared of going to The
Gallows. He was honestly afraid to die.
That was one of the things he isreally scared of.
But like any Rich, you know, orphan kid or any rich kid that
like gets his way all the time. Yeah, he's scared of being the
one thing, he can't, he can't pay off.
Accountability accountability isthe big thing.
The man who captured him, Colonel Rhett.

(01:03:05):
He said he even offered to take Bonnet to the king himself to
plead for Mercy, because he feltso bad because he was so
miserable in pleaded so much. He was just like, he's such a
little bitch. I feel bad for him.
Maybe he can get off to be a serving and just like just live
his life shittily. And so, even the guy die than

(01:03:26):
live, like, No, no, he doesn't want accountability, like you
said. He's so scared.
Yeah, it was really sad. Thank you, more accountable.
If he had to live like a slave for the rest of his life, he
would find a way, find a way to get out of it.
That's how he feel. Like, at least he was alive, you
know, he'd find a way that's howit's rather die.

(01:03:46):
Like, how embarrassing? Yeah, true.
So, the governor said, nope, your Fates sealed bud and
Finally, after a month of waiting and sending letters on
December 10th, 1718, he climbed the steps to The Gallows Pole.

(01:04:07):
So him he held a withered bouquet of flowers.
So cringe and he was hung until he died and less than a year and
a half of sailing. The Open Seas Bonnet.

(01:04:28):
Had gone from a landowning gentleman, Aristocrat to one of
the most notorious worse Pirates, of all time but Sailing
with one of the most notorious Pirates, Blackbeard and
commandeering at least 25 ships.So he stole at least 25 at by
the end of his life and he wouldgo on to inspire the song.

(01:04:48):
Come Sail Away. No way.
Fuckin serious are, you know, okay, but it would be funnier if
you did such an idiot. Thank you for listening and
we'll see you next week as we leave the high seas.
He's Yar matey. Thank you so much for listening

(01:05:18):
to the black cat report in our episode on Stede Bonnet.
What a terrible, terrible piratefrom hero to zero and less than
a year. Please remember to, like review
and follow wherever you get yourpodcasts, also follow us on
Instagram for all, the latest up-to-date news on the report

(01:05:39):
will see you next week as we leave the high seas.
Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.