Table Of ContentThe Pirate Encyclopedia
The Pirate Encyclopedia
The Pirate’s Way
By
Arne Zuidhoek
LEIDEN | BOSTON
Copy-editor: Tim Page.
This book is a revised and updated edition of the A–Z PIRATE ENCYCLOPEDIA, Deprived of God &
Country (Uitgeverij Julius de Goede, 2016–2019).
Cover illustration: El Arbi Reis, c.1785. Drawing by Arne Zuidhoek.
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available online at https://catalog.loc.gov
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022018191
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isbn 978-90-04-51567-3 (e-book)
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Contents
List of Illustrations vii
Foreword viii
Jaap R. Bruijn
Preface ix
Introduction 1
1 What is Piracy? 1
2 Freedom 2
3 Piracy around the World 3
4 Lady Pirates 3
5 Literature 4
6 Modern Piracy 5
7 Structure of the Encyclopedia 6
8 The Image of the Pirate 7
A 9
B 57
C 135
D 213
E 267
F 285
G 315
H 359
I, J 415
K 449
L 471
M 509
N 569
O 583
P, Q 597
vi Contents
R 645
S 689
T 759
U 789
V 795
W 811
X, Y, Z 855
Bibliography 867
Illustrations
Drawings by Arne Zuidhoek.
A El Arbí Reis (c.1793) 9
B Eustatius Buskes (d.1217) 57
C Claes Compaen (1587–1660) 135
D Sir Francis Drake (c.1543–96) 213
E Balthasar von Esens, 1559 267
F Svein Forkbeard, tenth century 285
G Laurens de Graaf (c.1650–1704) 315
H Anonymous sailors of W. Hughes’s company 359
I Jan Jansz (c.1575–1650) 415
K George King, 1691 449
L Samuel Leigh, 1685 471
M Madame Ching aka Cheng I Sao (1785–1844) 509
N Neelke 569
O Odysseus/Ulysses, BC 583
P Alí Pisseling (c.1590–1645) 597
R Dieuwertje van Roptema, seventeenth century 645
S St. Cyr Barbazon, 1832 689
T Torghud aka Dragut (d.1565) 759
U Anonymous, 1912 789
V Juan Venturate, 1597 795
W Wigbolden (d.1400) 811
X Xebec, Le Réquin, 1750 855
Foreword
What can a lifelong fascination result in? Yes, an impos- at San Francisco in 1975 at the instigation of the late
ing publication on pirates. No fewer than some seven John S. Bromley (1913–85), professor at the University of
thousand often despised people who have swarmed over Southampton. The number of studies of privateering con-
the world seas have been brought together in an ency- tinues to grow today, yet the history of piracy has remained
clopedia, from Homer’s Achilles to Jamal al-Badawi from a matter of secondary importance in maritime historical
Yemen in our own days. This almost unbelievable number research, with only an occasional publication. There was,
of names has been brought together by one man: Arne however, one man who welcomed every piece of evidence
Zuidhoek (b.1941). It began with the familiar card-tray related to piratical activities. That was Zuidhoek in the
with entries on seventeenth-century Caribbean pirates, Netherlands. Each new name in those infrequent publica-
which became too small for all the names, resulting from tions was added by him to his vastly expanding collection
the author’s widening interests in piracy in other parts of of pirates. Information on exploits still unknown to him
the world and in other periods. The boundless computer was also registered.
replaced the card-tray. Stories about legendary pirates and their robber-
The man enraptured by pirates, Zuidhoek, is not an ies have been familiar in the Western world since the
average author. First of all, he is a visual artist of water col- publication of Histoire de Barbarie et de ses corsairs
ors, paintings, and pen-and-ink drawings, mostly related by Pierre Dan (d.1649), a French friar, in 1637, and De
to the maritime world of the distant past as well as more Americaensche Zeeroovers by the mysterious Alexander
recent times. It is not only sailing vessels that capture his Exquemelin (c.1645–1707) in 1678. Those books were soon
interest but also steamships and of course heads of sturdy translated and later reprinted. More were to follow. The
sailors. Next, Zuidhoek has always had a keen interest current volume’s remarkably long bibliography is undeni-
in history, in particular in the maritime past of the Low able evidence of that. Philip Gosse (1870–1959) was the
Countries. And above all, Zuidhoek was a seaman in his first to compose an encyclopedia of pirates, The Pirates’
youth, serving in the Dutch merchant marine and navy. Who’s Who, which was published in 1924 and reprinted
He acquired practical experience and knowledge of han- in 1968. More recent is Jan Rogoziński, Pirates! An A–Z
dling and commanding sailing ships when, together with Encyclopedia (1996).
some friends, he bought a schooner and sailed it with pay- And in front of you, there is now Zuidhoek’s The Pirate
ing guests on trips in the Mediterranean during the 1970s. Encyclopedia. There is a previous issue of this encyclo-
Zuidhoek’s writing career started in 1974 and has pedia from 2015–16, in four volumes. The present one,
resulted in a great number of books and booklets, in in one massive edition, has more names, and also next
which text and drawings are creatively and attractively to each name the relevant references. These references
combined. He has written on pirates in the Dutch Golden offer opportunities for further research. Comparative
Age to ships of the Nedlloyd or Amsterdam Sailortown. and quantitative studies on the phenomenon of piracy
But above all else he has concentrated on pirates, not pri- based on such a large number of names are now possible.
vateers. In particular, he has been interested in people on One can discover women pirates, even in the respectable
the fringes of society. Privateers did not long belong to Netherlands. Robbery at sea offers engaging and interest-
that category. They were officially permitted to attack and ing stories. Zuidhoek has done a great job. Maritime his-
seize vessels and cargoes of their own country’s enemy. tory is the beneficiary.
Their government issued privateering letters to them to
be used in wartime only. Ships and cargoes taken by priva- Jaap R. Bruijn
teers were examined in special prize courts to be declared Professor Emeritus of Maritime History,
lawful or unlawful prizes. Leiden University
Privateering has been studied on a vast scale since October 23, 2018
the international conference on privateering and piracy
Preface
“The xebec is the pirate ship par excellence”, Dick Dreux Nomen est omen.
said. From then on, the activities of pirates became foremost
He was discussing the Mediterranean searovers: in my artwork, studies, and writing. The connection with
their rites, their politics, weaponry, vessels. Dick Dreux Dick Dreux was priceless. Many or most pirates, he opin-
(1913–78) knew about that. A best-selling novelist in the ionated, are victims rather than aggressors. Merchants,
Netherlands, his books focused on ages gone-by, and I princes, scientists, regents, and cardinals lead the world.
had the honor to illustrate some of them. His words on Nothing wrong with that. It is, however, not good when
the xebec’s superb lines evoked a life-long respect for these people reach their old age in comfort while their
this sleek piece of naval architecture in me, and for the subjects must slave and die for them and have to burn
Barbary corsairs who created and sailed it. their beddings in January to keep themselves warm to see
In 1971, settled in a modest Spanish fishermen’s town the day of May. Admirals took prizes in the name of some
called Jávea, classically spelled Xàbia, I bought a seventy- prince or nation, but their men seldom enjoyed a fair share
foot schooner with friends, and we sailed into and out of in the profits. Laurens “Lorencillo” de Graaf, leader of the
pirate nests along the coasts from Morocco to Algeria to “Grande Flibuste”, took the rich seaport Veracruz (1683)
please our passengers, at the same time frequenting the and shared the spoils with his men who had come in their
museums and Bibliotheques National to learn from the thousands to serve him.2 This last act was, of course, sheer
shipping affairs of the earlier Barbary States. In Sousse, piracy, but also a kind of protest. Against what, against
Tunisia, I met with a Parisienne and followed her to whom? Dick Dreux knew. He served for years in the mer-
Paris, where, in the Musée de la Marine, conservator Jean chant service, stood up for the rights of men and women
Boudriot caught me sketching the xebec Indiscret. In the in the Spanish Civil War, and fought against tyranny in the
next few weeks, Mr. Boudriot entertained me with all I Second World War.
wanted to know about the Majorcan-built French “che- This work is dedicated to Dick Dreux.
becs”. Back in Jávea, I learned that Xàbia originally meant –
and in Africa and some parts of Spain still means – a “net”,
closely connected with “jabeque”, the Spanish word for
xebec.1
1 B. Glanvill Corney in Mariner’s Mirror 7 (1911): 175: A smaller type 2 L.C.B. de Graaf aka Lorençillo also took Campeche in 1685 as a
of jabeque known as jábeca or jábega is mentioned as being in use first step in establishing a republic, with Mérida a trade center. His
among the Balearic Islands for fishing purposes. design stranded in the jungle of Yucatán.
