Stede Bonnet
Stede Bonnet was a Barbadian planter born in 1688, who transitioned from a privileged life to a notorious career as a pirate. After marrying Mary Allamby and raising a family while managing a sugarcane plantation, Bonnet became captivated by the tales of privateers frequenting Bridgetown's taverns. In 1717, he purchased a ship named the Revenge and began his pirating activities, which included plundering vessels along the Atlantic Coast. Bonnet's piracy caught the attention of the infamous Blackbeard, who eventually seized control of his ship.
Despite initially returning to piracy under a new name and ship, Bonnet's career was short-lived. He was captured by Colonel William Rhett in 1718, leading to a trial in Charleston where he was found guilty of piracy and sentenced to death. Bonnet's execution on December 10, 1718, elicited mixed feelings from the public, as many lamented his abandonment of his family for a life of crime, while he remains a figure of historical fascination. His story has been romanticized in popular culture, contributing to the enduring legacy of piracy in the Caribbean. The impacts of his actions on colonial trade and local communities are still recognized through modern historical markers.
Subject Terms
Stede Bonnet
Barbadian pirate
- Born: 1688
- Birthplace: Barbados, British West Indies
- Died: December 10, 1718
- Place of death: White Point, South Carolina
Major offenses: Robbery and murder
Active: 1717-1718
Locale: The Caribbean and the Atlantic Coast
Sentence: Death by hanging
Early Life
Stede Bonnet (steed BON-eht), the son of Edward and Sarah Bonnet, was born on Barbados in 1688, prior to his christening being registered on July 29, 1688. His grandfather, Thomas Bonnet, had immigrated to Barbados, establishing a plantation. When Bonnet was approximately six years old, his father died. Guardians guided the estate of Bonnet and his two younger sisters while they matured.
In 1709, Bonnet married Mary Allamby. They resided on his sugarcane plantation near Bridgetown, the island’s capital, and had three sons and one daughter. Bonnet became a major in the island’s militia. He enjoyed a privileged, leisurely life. At taverns, Bonnet listened to privateers who docked at Bridgetown’s harbor. He admired them, yearning to experience sea adventures like they described.
Criminal Career
In spring, 1717, Bonnet bought a ship, the Revenge, and decided to become a pirate. He secured his crew in taverns, requiring them to sign an agreement that he devised. Bonnet told people he planned to pursue trading when he left Barbados that summer. Once his pirating career commenced, his crew plundered and occasionally burned vessels along the Atlantic Coast. In September, 1717, a Spanish ship fired at the Revenge, wounding Bonnet. While Bonnet arranged for repairs in the Bahamas, he encountered Edward Teach (also known as Blackbeard). Considering Bonnet inept, Teach seized the Revenge several months later, forcing Bonnet aboard his vessel. In June, 1718, when Teach received a royal pardon, Bonnet regained the Revenge. Bonnet also secured a pardon and approval for privateering against Spanish vessels near the Virgin Islands.
Rescuing some of Teach’s abandoned crew, Bonnet decided to resume piracy again, calling himself Captain Thomas and his ship the Royal James. On July 29, 1718, Bonnet captured the Fortune in Delaware Bay. Two days later, he seized the Francis. In August, Bonnet ordered his crew to sail up the Cape Fear River to careen his ship, remove barnacles, and fix leaks.
Enraged by piracy, South Carolina governor Robert Johnson approved Colonel William Rhett’s request to pursue Bonnet. Rhett and his forces sighted Bonnet’s ship by September 26, 1718. River sandbars trapped Bonnet’s and Rhett’s vessels while they fought, creating vulnerable targets. After the tide freed Rhett’s ships, Bonnet surrendered.
Legal Action and Outcome
Rhett delivered Bonnet to authorities in Charleston on October 3. Officials confined Bonnet in the provost marshal’s home, but he escaped on October 24. While Bonnet was a fugitive, his crew’s trial began on October 28. A grand jury indicted them for two counts of piracy involving the Francis and Fortune. The trial concluded on November 5, with most of Bonnet’s men receiving death sentences.
Rhett caught Bonnet on nearby Sullivan’s Island, returning him to Charleston by November 6. Officials hanged twenty-two crew members two days later. Bonnet’s trial began on November 10. Bonnet denied accusations that he seized the Francis, claiming he had been sleeping. Nonetheless, the court found him guilty. The next day, Bonnet pleaded guilty to piracy involving the Fortune. On November 12, Judge Nicholas Trott sentenced him to death for piracy and eighteen colonial casualties occurring during his initial capture.
Many locals, including Rhett, unsuccessfully attempted to secure clemency for Bonnet, who also wrote letters to the governor pleading for compassion. Officials hanged a stunned, silent Bonnet on December 10 and buried him in the marsh four days after his death.
Impact
Stede Bonnet posed a hazard to commercial and economic stability for colonial and international trade. Officials worried about disruptions and the loss of income from stolen and ruined goods. Although most friends expressed sadness that Bonnet deserted his family for selfish indulgences, many Barbadians ostracized Bonnet’s wife and children. Writers often romanticized Bonnet’s piracy, suggesting that he was the first pirate to make victims walk the plank. Several modern historical markers remind people of Bonnet’s crimes.
Bibliography
Butler, Lindley S. Pirates, Privateers, and Rebel Raiders of the Carolina Coast. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2000. Chapter devoted to Bonnet provides one of the most accurate depictions of him based on primary records.
Pendered, Norman. Stede Bonnet: Gentleman Pirate. Manteo, N.C.: Times Printing, 1977. Includes details of Bonnet’s family history and life in Barbados, which are unavailable in other accounts.
Seitz, Don C. Under the Black Flag: Exploits of the Most Notorious Pirates. Mineola, N.Y.: Dover, 2002. Section chronicling Bonnet compares his crimes to those of pirates active in the southern colonies and how their actions affected Bonnet.