Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "battle-of-cape-lopez"

Captain Ogle's Cup: A Pirate Adventure by Robert Blyth

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


At the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England, there is an intriguing artifact made from a coconut shell. On the exterior, three engravings are visible in panels formed by the silver mount affixed to a vertical stem with a circular base. Visitors may simply see this as uncommon and unique; after all, it’s not made from the usual crystal or glass. One artwork portrays a warship, similar to one involved in a battle with pirates in 1722. Delving deeper into the cup’s history, we discover a connection to an infamous pirate of the golden age and the nearly forgotten pirate hunter who brought about his demise.

Within the pages of this latest addition to the Royal Museums Greenwich Spotlight series, readers learn about Bartholomew Roberts and Chaloner Ogle. Their lives are intertwined but they never meet face to face. Both men are of the sea. Roberts begins life as John Roberts, and is born in Wales in 1682. He serves as third mate on a slave ship when pirates attack the vessel in 1719. The capture of a rich prize – earning £2 per month as third mate versus almost £100 for a single day’s pirating – helps to persuade him to join the pirates. He changes his name to Bartholomew, and after his captain is slain in an ambush, his fellow mates elect Roberts to command their ship. It is the start of a prosperous, but short, career.

Ogle, born a year or two earlier than Roberts, joins the Royal Navy in 1697. Twenty-two years later, he is captain of HMS Swallow, a warship of 50 guns. Posted to West African waters in 1721, he begins hunting for pirates who prey on ships involved in the slave trade. He eventually tracks down the pirates. The encounter forever changes the lives of both captains and signals the decline of the most prolific period in pirate history.

This book tells both men’s stories and recounts the Battle of Cape Lopez in February 1722. It includes numerous illustrations and suggested titles for further reading. Aside from being a reminder of this fight, the cup and this book serve as a reminder of the men, the time, and the role global trade has in bringing them together. They also shine a light on Ogle for a change, instead of the pirate who plundered more than 400 vessels in three years.


(Review originally published at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/adult-hist...)



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