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4 Comments

  • Kathryn Myers

    Hello Dr. Goodall! I was at your Pints and Professors talk last night. I did not get the change to ask you the question I wanted to do to time. First let me say, great lecture. It was fascinating and as someone who just recently moved to the east coast, the locational relevance was particularly intriguing. I wonder, on a broader scale of your research, if you have come across any information regarding the interpersonal relationships of pirates in their day to day lives. Many have asserted notions on their sexuality. Presumably based on the “women are bad luck” on a ship notion. Additionally, I have also heard through protrans rhetoric that many were and identified as transgendered. Curious to know your thoughts and if you have found any interesting facts in regards to this. And secondly I would love to know YOUR favorite tidbit or fact about pirates you have come across through your studies. Thank you so much for your time.

    • Jamie Goodall

      Thank you so much for attending my talk! I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed the lecture. In terms of interpersonal relationships, there are a few books related to the subject such as Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos’s The Pirate Next Door: The Untold Story of Eighteenth Century Pirates’ Wives, Families and Communities (2017). There’s also B.R. Burg’s book Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition (1984) or Hans Turley’s book expanding that discussion Rum, Sodomy and the Lash: Piracy, Sexuality, and Masculine Identity (1999). I, personally, haven’t delved too much into the research of day-to-day activities, but in my work on piracy in the mid-Atlantic, I talk a bit about the marriage of Governor William Markham’s daughter to James Brown, an alleged pirate and member of the infamous Captain Henry Avery’s crew. As far as identifying as transgender, that wasn’t a term that existed at that time (not coined until the 1960s), so someone who existed outside of the binary or were gender non-conforming wouldn’t have referred to themselves that way. But these two articles do a nice job of giving context and providing some explanation of examining gender non-conforming historical figures:
      “What is Trans History? From Activist and Academic Roots, a Field Takes Shape” by Kritika Agarwal for the American Historical Association (1 May 2018): https://www.historians.org/research-and-publications/perspectives-on-history/may-2018/what-is-trans-history-from-activist-and-academic-roots-a-field-takes-shape
      “How historians are documenting the lives of transgender people” by Erin Blakemore for National Geographic (24 June 2022) : https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/how-historians-are-documenting-lives-of-transgender-people

      I don’t know that I have a favorite fact or anything about pirates from my research, but one of the most amusing aspects of my dissertation research was coming across documents referencing the names “Elizabeth Swan” and “William Turner.” By that point, 4 of the 5 “Pirates of the Caribbean” Films had been released, so seeing those names in historical records related to maritime activities made me giggle.

      Thanks again for coming out and for asking great questions!

      Jamie

  • Ken Levy

    Dr Goodall:

    I am a budding author writing a novel in the genre of mystery/historical fiction. Part of my story involves a small ship (single masted cutter) of the Revolutionary war which is used by the British navy for clandestine missions. It sails under a disguise as a merchantman. The prototype I am using for the ship is that documented in the book “The Naval Cutter Alert: 1777” by Peter Goodwin (part of Conway Maritime Press’ Anatomy of the Ship Series). These cutters were used in coastal Britain for customs enforcement, much as Coast Guard cutters are used today. They were also used for merchantmen for smuggling and general trading activities. My novel involves the discovery in contemporary times of a buried ship (along the Delaware River), its excavation and the mystery of its identity and mission.

    I am a long time amateur maritime history buff and have done extensive research for my story. There is one thing I have not been able to establish, though. Would a merchantmen, which my ship is sailing in the guise of, sail with a complement of guns (cannons) for self protection? My projection is the ship would sail as “meekly” as possible, playing possum if boarded by Patriots, either of the Continental Navy or the various state militias (like the Pennsylvania Navy). From Goodwin’s book, I know the naval version of theses cutters were traditionally equipped with 10 guns. I have found no information as to whether a civilian, merchantman version would also be so equipped.

    I know your book on Pirates of the Chesapeake address the issues of privateers and pirates, where the ships were definitely provisioned for fighting. From your research, have you come across any references on how a true merchant ship of the period would be equipped? Thanks for any assistance you might provide.

    PS: I saw a blurb about your book on Amazon and am currently waiting on it with baited from my library’s interlibrary loan facility. I’m looking forward to reading it.

    • Jamie Goodall

      Hi Ken,

      Based on my research and the understanding of the era, it does appear that many merchantmen were equipped with guns, although how many really varied from ship to ship. Violet Barbour has a great article in the 1930 (yes, quite dated lol) issue of The Economic History Review titled “Dutch and English Merchant Shipping in the Seventeenth Century.” Your might also check out Phillip Reid’s book The Merchant Ship in the British Atlantic, 1600–1800: Continuity and Innovation in a Key Technology.

      Best,

      Jamie

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