Jeremy R. Moss
Before my second son was born, I would spend weekend mornings with my oldest son, who was only one at the time, so that my then-pregnant wife could rest. On many of these early mornings we would find ourselves at the local library or coffee shop. On one particular morning, we ended up my favorite local coffee shop in Virginia Beach, Three Ships.
Three Ships was the perfect place for a new father to take his young son. Rustic, but vibrant, Three Ships serves delicious coffee and biscuits and the maritime decor always captivated my young son. We would look at all the pictures on the wall, and I would describe the tall ships, whalers, and schooners.
On this particular visit, though, I picked a small book of local ghost stories. Flipping through its pages, I was particularly enchanted by stories of Blackbeard the pirate who shared a rich history with Virginia Beach (some of which is discussed in this book). I was immediately hooked, and searched for more and more stories of Blackbeard and his compatriots.
On one hand, I was surprised by the small number of scholarly, historical works about pirates. I expected hundreds would have been written over the three-hundred years since piracy’s Golden Age. Instead, I found only dozens. Nonetheless, I consumed every book and article I could find.
As I read about Blackbeard, I continued to come across references to a lesser-known compatriot, Major Stede Bonnet. Of all the notorious and well-known pirates who ravaged the coastal waters of early America and the Caribbean, Bonnet stood out as the least likely among them to be called to the life of a “sea wolf,” a “beast of prey,” or “enemy of mankind.”
Three Ships was the perfect place for a new father to take his young son. Rustic, but vibrant, Three Ships serves delicious coffee and biscuits and the maritime decor always captivated my young son. We would look at all the pictures on the wall, and I would describe the tall ships, whalers, and schooners.
On this particular visit, though, I picked a small book of local ghost stories. Flipping through its pages, I was particularly enchanted by stories of Blackbeard the pirate who shared a rich history with Virginia Beach (some of which is discussed in this book). I was immediately hooked, and searched for more and more stories of Blackbeard and his compatriots.
On one hand, I was surprised by the small number of scholarly, historical works about pirates. I expected hundreds would have been written over the three-hundred years since piracy’s Golden Age. Instead, I found only dozens. Nonetheless, I consumed every book and article I could find.
As I read about Blackbeard, I continued to come across references to a lesser-known compatriot, Major Stede Bonnet. Of all the notorious and well-known pirates who ravaged the coastal waters of early America and the Caribbean, Bonnet stood out as the least likely among them to be called to the life of a “sea wolf,” a “beast of prey,” or “enemy of mankind.”
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