Bartholomew Roberts, born John Roberts in 1682 in Pembrokeshire, Wales, was a Welsh pirate who operated in the Atlantic during the Golden Age of Piracy.

A nice lad, according to his doting mother, he shunned life as a shepherd and began his maritime career as a third mate on a slave ship but was captured by pirates in 1719.

It seems the poacher ensnared the poacher. From being a trader in the human flesh of the Dark Continent he was coopted to being a looter of seaborne gold, treasure, ingots, jewellery and whatever else caught his glad eye.

After being forced to join the crew, Roberts quickly adapted to the pirate lifestyle and was elected captain after the previous captain’s death.

When asked, ‘Where are your buccaneers,’ he is said to have retorted. ‘Under my bucking ears.’

Known as ‘Black Bart’ for his dark hair and complexion, Roberts became the most successful pirate of his era, capturing over 400 ships in his three-year career.

His dark exploits spanned from the Caribbean to Brazil and Newfoundland. He was known for his flamboyant style, often wearing fine clothing and jewellery, and for his strict code of conduct, which included a ban on gambling and women aboard his ships.

Roberts’ most famous exploit was the capture of the Portuguese treasure ship Sagrada Familia in 1721, which earned him and his crew a fortune in gold and jewels.

However, his luck ran out in 1722 when his ship was ambushed by the British Navy off the coast of Africa. Roberts was killed in the battle, and his death marked the beginning of the end for the Golden Age of Piracy. You can share this story on social media:

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