Stede Bonnet: Gentleman Pirate
Stede Bonnet was born in 1688 to a family of wealthy English landowners on the island of Barbados. His father died when Stede was only six years old, and he inherited the family estates. He married a local girl, Mary Allamby, in 1709. They had four children, of which three survived to adulthood. Bonnet served as a major in the Barbados militia, but it is doubtful that he had much training or experience. Sometime in early 1717, Bonnet decided to abandon his life on Barbados completely and turn to a life of piracy. Why he did is unknown for certain, but Captain Charles Johnson, a contemporary, claimed that Bonnet found “some discomforts in a married state” and that his “disorder of mind” was well known to the citizens of Barbados.
Bonnet's luck ran out on September 27, 1718. A patrol of pirate bounty hunters under the command of Colonel William Rhett (who was actually looking for Charles Vane) spotted Bonnet in the Cape Fear River inlet with two of his prizes. Bonnet tried to fight his way out, but Rhett managed to corner the pirates and capture them after a five-hour battle. Bonnet and his crew were sent to Charleston, where they were put on trial for piracy. They were all found guilty. 22 pirates were hanged on November 8, 1718, and more were hanged on November 13. Bonnet appealed to the governor for clemency and there was some discussion of sending him to England, but in the end he, too, was hanged on December 10, 1718.
The Revenge:
Bonnet purchased a seaworthy ten-gun sloop, named her the Revenge, and set sail. He apparently implied to local authorities that he was planning on serving as a privateer or even a pirate-hunter while he equipped his vessel. He hired a crew of 70 men, making it clear to them that they would be pirates, and found himself some skilled officers to run the ship, as he himself had no knowledge of sailing or pirating. He had a comfortable cabin, which he filled with his favorite books. His crew thought him eccentric and had little respect for him.
The Cache:
The cache is a small treasure chest as the base of a telephone pole just off the side walk, about 18 feet south of GZ. Be mindful of the foliage, and be stealthy, there is a lot of traffic in this area.