Peter Sullivan, Sophomore
Charleston, South Carolina Stede Bonnet, a former plantation owner turned pirate, was hanged there on December 10, 1718, after being found guilty of piracy and other crimes. Bonnet, who had no previous experiences as either a criminal or a seaman, gained notoriety as a pirate captain during the early 18th century, often operating alongside other famous pirates such as Blackbeard.
Stede Bonnet was born into a wealthy English family in 1688. He lived a very comfortable life as a planter and a family man. However, he soon fell into debt. This, coupled with marital problems as well as the death of his son, led him to a midlife crisis of sorts. He purchased a ship, the Revenge, and amassed a crew of much more experienced pirates than him.
Bonnet proved to be an incompetent and reckless pirate, often disobeying his far more experienced crew. In 1717, he met fellow pirate Edward “Blackbeard” Teach, and formed an alliance with him. That same year, the pair captured a French trade ship and plundered the booty. However, Blackbeard’s ambitions were far greater than Bonnet’s own, and Stede became resentful that Blackbeard had gained almost full control of the Revenge’s crew. Bonnet convinced some of his crew to mutiny against Blackbeard, but the revolt failed and Bonnet was forced to flee.
A year later, in 1718, Bonnet and his remaining crew were captured by the Royal Navy near the mouth of Cape Fear. He was tried for piracy and hung.
Though his career as a pirate came to an end, Stede Bonnet will always be remembered as an interesting, if not incompetent, criminal of the sea. And, possibly the victim of the world’s weirdest mid-life crisis.