A Look Back...

As Charles Dickens writes in his novel A Tale of Two Cities "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."

We had fewer bookings this year as a company, but the quality of shows was better than it has ever been.  We have broaden our fan base to include Iowa and Kentucky while maintaining our fans at home in Illinois and Missouri.  We focused on making our shows sharper and better, because we know we are not perfect and the end result is that we at least had a show every month this year!  We are year round and we are not turning back!!!

Here is a photo journal of some of our adventures in 2012...

Young Master Dylan kicking off the New Year in Pirate Fashion!

We brought in the new year by celebrating with our seamstress and her family.  Dylan's Grandma has started her own costume business with the help of Dylan's Mum.  They are the ones responsible for Bonney Black and Angelique LeFleur's pirate coats.  Check them out at Sew What? Just About Anything!

We broke new ground by getting into schools this year!  We even made it into a school on an Airbase to perform!!! (You should have seen us at security).

Captain Powder Keg O'Brien noticing the sign that says "KEEP OFF!"

Captain Powder Keg checking out a potential ship.

We now regularly book our 3 lady pirate show much to the chagrin of those that we leave behind.  Sometimes, a hat helps...

Captain Fia saying "Happy Sails!" to Mum Captain Moira and trying to put on a brave face.

Angelique journeyed back to a place of her childhood when Swords and Roses performed in Burlington, IA.   Angelique is standing next to the end of Snake Alley-the crookedest street in the US.  She managed to maneuver her "ship" through the street without losing Maricella.

 Angelique feeling victorious over having maneuvered the great Snake Alley

(Maricella was unavailable for comment)

 "Hello, London!  Get me away from my crazy French Captain!"

When Angelique is not busy frightening her First Mates or her Captains she takes time to corrupt the next generation of Swords and Roses.

 Angelique working with Young Master Aaron in the background while Pirate Apprentice Sarah strikes a pose.  She has step 1 of being a pirate perfected...looking good.

At the end of July, Swords and Roses found themselves Bristol bound.  Bristol Renaissance Faire bound. Alas, it was only for a visit but we are coming back for that ship!

There she be, the mighty Dreadnought

 "The ship is Ours!"

 Maricella trying to take on more booty than she can handle.

 Riding Elsie the Elephant, which was smooth riding

Cross one more thing off the bucket list!

 We ran into Bounding Main! (one of our favorite pirate singing groups.)

Angelique bought them out of their CDs that day.

Angelique had to be pulled off the Dreadnought, since Swords and Roses was booked for Chicago Ridgefest the next day.

In 90 degree weather, we fought for the crowds entertainment.  It did not seem like work since the temperature had been in the 100's for several days.  We met some amazing and talented performers.  Angelique got to cross off two things on her bucket list that day; she met Laura Ernst. and she zip lined for the first time.

 Performers for the kids row: Babaloo, Troy Roark, Laura Ernst, Maricella and Angelique

Maricella on the silks

Angelique on the silks?

 Preparing for the zip line

 Walking up the ladder to the tune Stairway to Heaven (I wish I was making this up)

 Final instruction

Now this is flying!

Later that week, we performed for The Muny as part of the Green Show for Pirates! (Gilbert and Sullivan Plunder'd).  Local fans came to cheer us on!

One of our Number One fans Meaghan brought her friend, Rachel, to meet the silliest pirates off stage. Notice the burgundy and blue motif and Meaghan's shirt that she converted to a purse.

In September, Moira and Angelique helped Young Master Maddox celebrate his 4th birthday with a private pirate party.  Perfect idea for a lad, who was born near Talk Like A Pirate Day!

October found Captains Angelique LeFleur and Gabriella Bashby in the same performance area with     Chris Camp-The Whip Guy.  Another check off the bucket list for Angelique since she had a chance to meet the guy, who impersonates Indiana Jones for a living!

November, we welcomed a new First Mate to the ranks of Swords and Roses with the birth of Eliana Mei-Zhen to Captain Belle LeFleur.  Aunt Angelique stopped fighting Morgan Chelsey long enough to tell her sister congratulations and then proceeded to get beaten twice by the Irish/English lass.

So that is just a glimpse of what our 2012 looked like.  We will expand this edition if I acquire pictures from the other events we performed at this year.  We conquered fears, we shed some tears and now we raise our mugs high.  To you, dear fans, thank you for your continued support!  Please spread the word about us and we hope to see you in 2013 for Swords and Roses presents In Search of Buried Treasure coming to a venue near you.

Look sharp, step lively...

Now bring me that horizon!

Who was Charlotte de Berry?

When I had decided to become a lady pirate, I remember that Charlotte de Berry actually had more name recognition than the likes of Anne Bonney, Mary Read or (reverent pause) Grace O'Malley.  Now that I have been a professional pirate for 12 years, I seldom hear the name Charlotte de Berry in pirate circles.  What made me return to researching this Charlotte's story was when I encountered her name and a brief account in John Mathews' book Pirates Most Wanted.   Charlotte's story eclipse's Anne Bonney and Mary Read's in Mathews' book, which made me want to find out more about her.  Here is a snapshot of what Mathews tells...

Charlotte was born in England in 1636.  When she was 18, Charlotte fell in love with a sailor and in order to stay by his side she dressed as a man and signed on to the ship he was sailing.  Charlotte fought by her true love's side for 6 battles.  An officer, who discovered her secret and who took a shine to her, had her true love accused of mutiny and sentenced him to death by flogging.  When the ship returned to port, Charlotte bought 2 pistols and waited for the officer to walk into a dark alley on one of his frequent routes.  She shot the officer dead and then robbed his pockets of his money.

This account of Charlotte's life is in agreement with other storytellers, but the rest of her life is a little muddy.  According to History of the Pirates by Edward Lloyd, Charlotte remained at that port town working at the local tavern.  One day, a Captain of a merchant ship took a fancy to Charlotte, abducted her and forced her to marry her.  This captain treated Charlotte quite roughly.  Apparently the captain mistreated his crew too, for when they were on their way to Africa Charlotte convinced the crew to mutiny.  According to Lloyd, Charlotte cut off her husband's head and the crew named her captain.  Charlotte sailed under the name of Captain Rudolph.

My research hit a snag, when I discovered via Wikipedia that Edward Lloyd published penny dreadfuls, which were cheap adventure stories published in the 1800's.  Could it be that Charlotte's story is just a story to thrill young readers?  The same way The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi thrilled young readers of our time (myself included)?

I am apparently not the only lady pirate stumped by the mystique of Charlotte's story for in researching Charlotte de Berry aka Captain Rudolph, I have encountered 3 other lady pirate bloggers in addition to myself and we all have the same question...Who was Charlotte de Berry?

National Tartan Day and Captain Kidd

We just honored the Irish last month but not too many people know that April 6th is for the Scottish.  On behalf of the Scottish pirates...

Happy National Tartan Day!

  In 1998, National Tartan Day (April 6th) was officially recognized by the US Senate when they passed Senate Resolution 155.  The House would pass a companion resolution in March 9, 2005 (House Resolution 41).  April 6th was chosen as the day to celebrate National Tartan Day because it commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, which declared Scotland's sovereignty over English territorial claims.  This document would influence the American Declaration of Independence.

In honor of this Scottish day of celebration, we would like to honor a Scottish pirate.  No not our own Moira Stewart or even her beautiful daughter Fia, but the infamous Captain William Kidd.

 That name should ring a bell.  Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island is based on the legend that Captain Kidd buried treasure on an island.  In Stevenson's story Billy Bones' has the map that will lead to Kidd's treasure.  Here is what I dug up on the legendary Captain William Kidd.

Born in 1645, in Greenock Scotland William Kidd did not hit the merchant scene until in his late 40s.  Kidd gained popularity with the English monarchy for raiding French ships.  King William III was so impressed with Kidd that he gave him a letter of marque, commissioned Kidd to capture pirates and helped finance Kidd's new ship the Adventure Galley.  Once a ship was captured, any treasure from the vessel was to be divided by the crew with a percentage retained for the English crown.

Kidd did not sail with good fortune.  Early in his quest to find pirates, Kidd was forced to replenish his crew in New York after a British navel officer pressed ganged a portion of Kidd's crew as punishment for not firing the customary salute.  Kidd should have just settled and stayed in the United States, but in September of 1696 he set sail for the Cape of Good Hope in search of pirates.  Kidd would fail to find pirates and would lose a third of his crew to cholera in the process.

Frustrated, Kidd turned pirate himself and attacked a convoy that was under the protection of the British East India Company.  Kidd's attack was unsuccessful which let to an unhappy crew of pirates that started to entertain the idea of mutiny.  This attack would also not make Kidd popular back in England.

January 30, 1698, Kidd's luck would change as he took a 400-ton Armenian ship called the Quedah Merchant.  Kidd wanted to return the goods once he found out that the ship was captained by an Englishman, but his crew threatened mutiny if Kidd acted on his feelings of regret.  In their eyes the Englishman was commanding an Armenian ship protected by the French-it was fair game.  Kidd renamed the claimed ship the Adventure Prize and set sail for Madagascar.

April 1, 1698, Kidd reached Madagascar and met Robert Culliford, who had more fire power than Kidd.  Culliford and Kidd made a truce allowing Kidd to keep the treasure and the ships.  What Kidd had not planned on was the disgust of his men at him.  All but 13 men deserted Kidd to sail on with Culliford.  Kidd and his crew of 13 set sail for New York in the Adventure Prize but not before they had set fire to the leaky, worm-eaten Adventure Galley on the coast of Madagascar.

Before he reached New York, Kidd discovered that he was wanted for piracy.  He deposited some of his treasure on Gardiners Island and exchanged the Adventure Prize for a sloop.  Kidd sought out Bellomont, who was an investor.  Bellomont was in Boston, Massachusetts at the time and was afraid that he would be arrested for piracy if caught in the presence of Captain Kidd.  Bellomont lured Kidd to Boston and then had him arrested on July 6, 1699.

Kidd was in solitary confinement in Stone Prison for over a year before he was sent to England's Newgate Prison.  While awaiting trial, Kidd wrote several letters to King William asking for clemency.  Kidd was tried and found guilty of the murder of his gunner, William Moore, and five counts of piracy.  Kidd was not even lucky at the point of death for he was hung "twice" at Execution dock.  The first attempt at the execution, the rope broke.  Once dead, Kidd's body was then placed in a gibbett that hung over the River Thames as a warning to all who thought of turning pirate.

Information on National Tartan Day can be found at http://www.tartanday.org/history.htm

Reference material on Captain Kidd can be found at http://scottish-ancestry.org/scottish-pirates.htm and http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/William_Kidd

The Irish Pirate Queen

As we near the month of March, we start to think of St. Patrick's Day and all things Irish.  I would like to take a moment to raise a frosty mug (of root beer) in honor of one of Ireland's native daughters.  Grace "Granuaile" O'Malley.

This lady pirate has inspired numerous ballads like Molly and the Tinker's "Grania" and even a Broadway musical about her life entitled The Pirate Queen.  I am still waiting on the motion picture and the ladies of Swords and Roses are willing to be a part of this picture should a casting director/producer be reading this right now.

All jesting aside, here is a small tribute to Captain Grace O'Malley the Irish Pirate Queen.

Born in 1530, in Connaught, Ireland to O'Malley clan chieftain Owen "Black Oak" O'Malley, Grace grew up in Belcare fortress.  The clan's motto was Terra marique potens (Powerful by land and by sea).   The O'Malley's were a success at fishing and piracy and Black Oak taught his daughter about both trades.  Grace sailed with Black Oak and observed his leadership skills which would prove useful in the not so distant future when she was married to another clan chief.

At age 16, Grace married Donal O'Flaherty and moved into his clan's castle at Bunowen near present day Connemara.  Donal was nicknamed Donal of the Battles, which was appropriate since he was constantly battling neighboring clans.  Donal's battles were affecting the family income, so Grace took matters in her own hand and started pirating along the coast near the O'Flaherty clan's castle.

Around 1564, Donal was killed in one of his battles leaving Grace a widow with three children to raise.  The nearby Joyce clan decided to attack the O'Flaherty castle.  Grace defended the castle so artfully that clans nearby renamed the castle Hen's Castle, which is what it is still known as today.

 In spite of the fact that Grace defended the castle, the clan followed tradition and made one of Donal's cousins chieftain.  Grace and her children returned to Black Oak's clan and lands.  Out of loyalty, many of Donal's men rejected tradition and followed Grace to her father's land.  When Black Oak died, Grace took over his lands and his fleet even though the clan would not officially recognize her as Chieftain.  Grace did not let the lack of a title bother her.  She continued her pirating with at least 3 galleys and a few small ships.

One of our favorite stories about Grace in our Swords and Roses circle is the one I am about to relate to you...
          When Grace was in her thirties, she gave birth to her fourth child, Theobald, on board her ship.  The next day, Grace's ship was attacked by Algerian pirates.  When her crew was close to losing the ship, the acting captain came below decks to inform Grace of the bad news.  Grace got up from her bed rest, handed the tiny Theobald to the captain, and went up on deck to "motivate" her crew as only a mother can.  Her crew rallied and defeated the Algerians.  Grace cursed her crew with "May you be seven times worse off this day twelve months, who cannot do without me for one day!"

Tiny Theobald would grow up to be known as Toby of the Ships and become a pirate like his mother.  Unfortunately, Toby would cross the English monarchy too many times and actually be caught and imprisoned by Governor Richard Bingham in the name of  Queen Elizabeth.  The summer of 1593, at the age of 63 Grace sailed to England to meet with the Queen.  Grace was granted audience to Elizabeth's court.

                                                  Two Queens meet for the first time

Grace explained to Queen Elizabeth the cruelty that she and her people had endured from Lord Richard Bingham.  Elizabeth explained her disgust at having her ships liberated of their goods.  The two came to an agreement.  Grace would get a little compensation for the remaining time she had on this earth and the release of her son.  Elizabeth would get Grace's sword and fire directed at the Queen's enemies for the remainder of Grace's life.  The Governor Richard Bingham was arrested a little while later on unrelated charges saving the Grace's people from his tyranny.

Records indicate that Grace pirated until 1601 and that she died of natural causes sometime around 1603.

Happy Sailing, Captain Grace!


For more information, check out...Booty:Girl Pirates on the High Seas by Sara Lorimer