Pirate Captain Bartholomew Roberts Last update 12th January 2002

Roberts, Bartholomew - Welsh pirate d1722, also known as Black Bart

Ships Sailed (Flag) (refer Ships Articles)

• Royal Fortune - His flagship, 42 guns, a former French warship
• Sea King - Escort, 30 gun brigantine
• Ranger - a small French ship
• unnamed ship - 16 gun store ship
• all 4 together as his fleet at the height of his power were crewed by 508 men

 

Ships captured (some 400 in total)

• A

 

Crewmen

• Barrow, James
• Brattler, Nicholas - pressed from the Cornwall Galley at Calabar because he was a fiddler. He was aquitted at trial as he could he was only forcibly employed as a musician.
• White, James - musician pressed into service. He was aquitted at trial as he could prove he was only forcibly employed as a musician.

  Rangers listed crew at the pirates trial

  Name	Came From	Ship From	Captured When	Age	Sentence
  James Skrym	Somersetshire	Sloop Greyhound	Oct 1720	44	*
  Richard hardy	Wales	Former pirate with Howell Davis	1718	25	*
  William Main		Brigantine under Capt Peet	June 1720	28	*
  Henry Dennis	Biddiford	Former pirate with Howell Davis	1718		*
  Val. Ashplant	Minories	Former pirate with Howell Davis	1719	32	*
  Robert Birdson	Cornwall	Former pirate with Howell Davis	1719	30	*
  Richard Harris	Devonshire	Phoenix under Capt Richards	June 1720	45	*
  David Littlejohn	Bristol	Phoenix under Capt Richards	June 1720		*
  Thomas How	Barnstable, Devon	Newfoundland	June 1720		*
  Herman Hunkins		Sloop Success	June 1720		/
  Hugh Harris	Corf Castle, Devonshire	Willing Mind	July 1720		*
  William Mackintosh	Canterbury		July 1720	21	*
  Thomas Willis		Richard of Biddiford	July 1720
  John Walden	Whitby	Mary & Martha	July 1720	24	/
  James Greenham	Marshfield, Gloucester	Little York, under Master Phillips	July 1720		*
  John Jaynson	nigh Lancaster	Love of Lancaster	July 1720	22	*
  Christopher Lang		Brigantine Thomas	Sept 1720		/
  John Mitchel	Shadwell, London	Galley Norman	Oct 1720		*
  T Withstandenot		Galley Norman	Oct 1720
  Peter la Fever		Jeremiah and Anne	April 1720
  William Shurin	Wapping, London	Jeremiah and Anne	April 1720		*
  William Watts	Ireland	Sierraleon	July 1721	23	*
  William Davis		Sierraleon	July 1721		*
  James Barrow		Snow Martha under Capt Lady	July 1721		/
  Joshua Lee	Liverpool	Snow Martha under Capt Lady	July 1721		*
  Robert Hartley	Liverpool	Robinson of Liverpool under Capt Kanning	Aug 1721
  James Crane		Robinson of Liverpool under Capt Kanning	Aug 1721		/
  George Smithson	Wales	Galley Stanwich under Capt Tarleton	Aug 1721	25
  Roger pye		Galley Stanwich under Capt Tarleton	Aug 1721
  Robert Fletcher		Galley Stanwich under Capt Tarleton	Aug 1721		/
  Robert Hartley		Galley Stanwich under Capt Tarleton	Aug 1721		*
  Andrew Rance		A Dutch ship	Aug 1721		/
  Cuthbert Goss	Plymouth	Galley Mercy of Bristol	Oct 1721	21	*
  Thomas Giles	Minehead	Galley Mercy of Bristol	Oct 1721	26	*
  Israel Hynde	Aberdeen	Galley Mercy of Bristol	Oct 1721	30	*
  William Church		Gertruycht of Holland	Jan 1722
  Phillip Haak		Flushingham of Holland	Jan 1722
  William Smith		Elizabeth under Capt Sharp	Jan 1722
  Adam Comry		Elizabeth under Capt Sharp	Jan 1722
  William Graves		King Solomon under Capt Trahern	Jan 1722
  Peter de Vine	Stepney	King Solomon under Capt Trahern	Jan 1722	42	*
  John Johnson		King Solomon under Capt Trahern	Jan 1722
  John Stodgill		King Solomon under Capt Trahern	Jan 1722
  Henry Dawson		Sloop Whydah	Jan 1722
  William Glass		Sloop Whydah	Jan 1722
  Josiah Robinson		Tarlton under Capt Tarlton	Jan 1722
  John Arnaught		Tarlton under Capt Tarlton	Jan 1722
  John Davis		Tarlton under Capt Tarlton	Jan 1722
  Henry Graves		Tarlton under Capt Tarlton	Jan 1722		/
  Thomas Howard		Tarlton under Capt Tarlton	Jan 1722
  John Rimer		Tarlton under Capt Tarlton	Jan 1722		/
  Thomas Clephen		Tarlton under Capt Tarlton	Jan 1722
  William Guineys		Porcupine under Capt Fletcher	Jan 1722
  James Cosins			Jan 1722		/
  Thomas Stretton		Onslow under Capt Gee	Jan 1722
  William Petty	Deptford	Onslow under Capt Gee	Jan 1722	30	*
  Michael Lemmon		Onslow under Capt Gee	Jan 1722
  William Wood	York	Onslow under Capt Gee	Jan 1722	27	*
  Edward Watts	Dunmore	Onslow under Capt Gee	Jan 1722	22	*
  John Horn	St James, London	Onslow under Capt Gee	Jan 1722		*
  Pierre Ravon		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722
  John Dugan		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722
  James Ardeon		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722
  Ettrion Gilliot		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722
  Ren. Marraud		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722
  John Gittin		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722
  Joseph Richardeau		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722
  John Lavogue		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722
  John Duplaissey		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722
  Peter Grossey		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722
  Rene Frogier		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722
  Lewis Arnaut		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722
  Rence Thoby		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722
  Meth Roulac		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722
  John Gumar		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722
  John Paquete		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722
  Allan Pigan		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722
  Pierce Shillot		French Ship at Whydah Rd	Feb 1722

  Royal Fortune's listed crew at the pirates trial

  Name		Ship From	Captured	Age	Sentence
  Michael Maer	Ghent	Rover	1717	41	*
  Christopher Moody		Former pirate under Howell Davis	1718	28	*
  Marcus Johnson	Smyrna	Dutch ship	1718	21	*
  James Phillips	Antegoa	Pirate sloop Revenge	1717	35	*
  David Sympson	North Berwick	Former pirate with Howell Davis		36	*
  Thomas Sutton	Berwick	Former pirate with Howell Davis		23	*
  Hag. Jacobson	Bristol	Dutch ship	1719	30	*
  W Williams	nigh Plymouth	Sudbury under Capt Thomas Newfoundland	June 1720	40	*
  William Fernon	Somersetshire	Sudbury under Capt Thomas Newfoundland	June 1720	22	*
  W Williams	Holland	Sudbury under Capt Thomas Newfoundland	June 1720	30	*
  Roger Scot	Bristol	Sudbury under Capt Thomas Newfoundland	June 1720		*
  Thomas Owen	Bristol	York of Bristol	May 1720		*
  William Taylor	Bristol	York of Bristol	May 1720		*
  Joseph Nositer		Expedition of Topsham	May 1720	26	*
  John Parker	Winfred in Dorsetshire	Willing Mind of Pool	July 1720	22	*
  Robert Crow	Isle of Man	Sloop Happy Return	July 1720	44	*
  George Smith		Mary and Martha	July 1720		*
  James Clements	Bristol	Sloop Success	July 1720	20	*
  John Walden		Blessing of Lymington	July 1720		*
  Joseph Mansfield	Bristol	from Martinique	July 1720	30	*
  James Harris		Pink Richard	July 1720		/
  John Philips	Jersey	fishing boat	July 1720	28	*
  Harry Glasby		Samuel under Capt Cary	July 1720
  Hugh Menzies		Samuel under Capt Cary	July 1720
  William Magnus	Mine Head		July 1720	35	*
  Joseph Moor	Meer in Wiltshire	Sloop May Flower	Feb 1720	19	*
  John du Frock		Galley Lloyd under Capt Hyngston	May 1721		/
  William Champnies		Galley Lloyd under Capt Hyngston	May 1721
  George Danson		Galley Lloyd under Capt Hyngston	May 1721
  Isaac Russel		Galley Lloyd under Capt Hyngston	May 1721		/
  Robert Lilbourn		Jeremiah and Anne under Capt Turner	April 1721
  Robert Johnson	Whydah	Jeremiah and Anne under Capt Turner	April 1721	32	*
  William Darling		Jeremiah and Anne under Capt Turner	April 1721
  William Mead		Jeremiah and Anne under Capt Turner	April 1721		/
  Thomas Diggles		Snow Christopher	April 1721
  Benjamin Jeffreys	Topsham	Galley Norman	April 1721	21	*
  John Francia		sloop at St Nicholas	April 1721
  Daniel Harding	Croomsbury in Somersetshire	a Dutch ship	April 1721	26	*
  John Coleman	Wales	Sloop Adventure	April 1721	24	*
  Charles Bunce	Devonshire	a Dutch galley	April 1721	26	*
  R (Thomas) Armstrong	London	a Dutch galley	April 1721	34	*
  Abraham Harper	Bristol	Onslow under Capt Gee	May 1721	23	*
  Peter Lesly	Exeter	Onslow under Capt Gee	May 1721	21	*
  John Jessup	Plymouth	Onslow under Capt Gee	May 1721	20	*
  Thomas Watkins		Onslow under Capt Gee	May 1721
  Phillip Bill	St Thomas	Onslow under Capt Gee	May 1721	27	*
  Jo. Stephenson	Orkneys	Onslow under Capt Gee	May 1721	40	*
  James Cromby	Wapping, London	Onslow under Capt Gee	May 1721		*
  Thomas Garrat		Onslow under Capt Gee	May 1721
  George Ogle		Onslow under Capt Gee	May 1721		/
  Roger Gorsuch		Snow Martha	Aug 1721
  John Watson		Snow Martha	Aug 1721
  William Child		Galley Mercy at Calabar	Oct 1721
  John Griffin	Blackwell, Middlesex	Galley Mercy at Calabar	Oct 1721		*
  Peter Scudamore	Wales	Galley Mercy at Calabar	Oct 1721	35	*
  Christopher Granger		Galley Cornwall at Calabar	Oct 1721
  Nicholas Brattle		Galley Cornwall at Calabar	Oct 1721
  James White		Galley Cornwall at Calabar	Oct 1721
  Thomas David		Galley Cornwall at Calabar	Oct 1721
  Thomas Sever		Galley Cornwall at Calabar	Oct 1721
  Robert Bevins		Galley Cornwall at Calabar	Oct 1721		*
  T. Oughterlaney		Galley Cornwall at Calabar	Oct 1721		*
  David Rice	Bristol	Galley Cornwall at Calabar	Oct 1721		*
  Robert Haws	Yarmouth	Joceline under Capt Loane	Oct 1721	31	*
  Hugh Riddle		Boat Diligence	Jan 1722
  Stephen Thomas		Boat Diligence	Jan 1722
  John Line	Lombard St, London	King Solomon	Jan 1722		*
  Samuel Fletcher	East Smithfield, London	King Solomon	Jan 1722		*
  William Philips	Lower Shadwell	King Solomon	Jan 1722	29	*
  Jacob Johnson		King Solomon	Jan 1722
  John King	Shadwell, London	King Solomon	Jan 1722		*
  Benjamin Par		Robinson under Capt Kanning	Jan 1722
  William May		Elizabeth under Capt Sharp	Jan 1722
  Edward Thornden		Elizabeth under Capt Sharp	Jan 1722
  George Wilson		Tarlton under Capt Tarlton at Cape la Hou	Jan 1722		*
  Edward tarlton		Tarlton under Capt Tarlton at Cape la Hou	Jan 1722
  Robert Hays	Liverpool	Tarlton under Capt Tarlton at Cape la Hou	Jan 1722	20	*
  Thomas Roberts		Charlton under Capt Allwright	Feb 1722
  John Richards		Charlton under Capt Allwright	Feb 1722
  John Cane		Charlton under Capt Allwright	Feb 1722
  Richard Wood		Porcupine under Capt Fletcher	Feb 1722
  Richard Scot		Porcupine under Capt Fletcher	Feb 1722
  William Davison	Wales	Porcupine under Capt Fletcher	Feb 1722	23
  Sam Morwell		Porcupine under Capt Fletcher	Feb 1722
  Edward Evans		Porcupine under Capt Fletcher	Feb 1722
  John Jessup	Wisbich, Cambridgeshire	surrendered at Princes	Feb 1722		*

  Average age of crewmen 28.44 years

  Died by

• Grapeshot in a running battle with HMS Swallow

 

History

Bartholomew started life as an honest sailor, the second mate aboard the Princess from London, under Capt Plumb. The Princess left England in November 1719 for Guinea, arriving in February 1720 at Anamaboe. While taking on a cargo of slaves, they were captured by the Pirate Howell Davis. It appears he was forcibly taken, and word is he would have tried to escape if the opportunity had presented itself. He had been with them 6 weeks when Howell Davis was killed in a battle, and he had so impressed his fellow sailors he was voted the new leader. His motto went: He was personally against piracy, but if forced into it, better to be captain than just a sailor. He would prove to be ione of the best pirate captains of his time.