Welsh pirate (c. 1682 to 1722). After serving in the
War of Spanish Succession, he was a
mate aboard a
trading sloop and became a master
mariner, with
expertise in
shiphandling,
navigation, and
naval tactics. In 1719, he was the
third mate aboard the
Princess, an
English slave ship, which was seized by a
pirate vessel called the
Royal Rover. Roberts was
pressed into
service and was
elected
captain of the pirate ship just
six weeks later when the previous captain was killed in an
ambush.
Roberts and his
crew raided several ships and islands on the west coast of
Africa before sailing for
Brazil -- Roberts
guided the ship 2,300 miles in only
28 days, which was very
impressive for the time. Off Brazil, they
sailed into a 42-ship
Portuguese convoy,
looted the best prize, and escaped before the
escorting
warships could react.
In only three years, Roberts took over 400
prizes,
plagued shipping from
Brazil to
Newfoundland and from the
Caribbean to
Africa.
Royal Navy and
privateer fleets sent to
capture him often
sailed away rather than face him. He even fought a brief
war with
tribesmen of the
Calabar River which was still
remembered in
oral histories of the
tribe in the 20th century. He
inspired
absolute loyalty in all the men under his
command. He had a
reputation for
ferocity and
viciousness and was known to
sailors worldwide as
Black Bart or
the Great Pirate Roberts; however, he was not a
savage, like some other pirates of the period -- he always dressed like a
gentleman, drank
tea, never drank
liquor, and
discouraged his crew from
drinking.
Roberts'
luck finally ran out after he traveled to
Africa again and was
surprised by the
Royal Navy at
Cape Lopez. The Navy's first
salvo tore his
throat out, and his crew quickly
surrendered.
Research from GURPS Who's Who, compiled by Phil Masters, "Bartholomew Roberts" by Peter V. Dell'Orto, pp. 84-85.