Edward Teach, a.k.a. Blackbeard (1680-1718)
Little is known about Blackbeard prior to his pirate career, but my sister believes that we are illegitimate descendants of Blackbeard on my father’s side of the family. I doubt we’ll ever be able to prove whether we are in fact descendants of Blackbeard, but it’s an interesting fact to consider, and an equally fascinating blog entry.
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Blackbeard’s Pirate career began in the Caribbean in 1717 when Benjamin Hornigold rewarded him with a ship they had hijacked. Renaming the ship Queen Anne’s Revenge, Blackbeard outfitted her for piracy with 300 men and 40 cannons. Blackbeard then commenced to sailing the Caribbean and the Atlantic along the coastal waters of American colonies, torturing merchant ship crewmen and passengers, stealing valuable cargo, and leaving only destruction in his wake.
In battle, Blackbeard was a savage butcher with almost inhuman strength. He intimidated foes by wrapping slow-burning lighted coils in his long black hair and beard. Wearing two gun belts across his chest and carrying six pistols into battle, he was a formidable opponent. Feared by everyone sailing the seas, he was without conscience. He showed no mercy in his thievery, and often murdered those unfortunate enough to cross his path.
Blackbeard was also a ladies man. It is believed that he may have had as many as 14 wives. He treated women kindly, fell in love easily, and treated each as if it were his first love. Only his last marriage, to a 16-year-old young lady (thought to be Mary Ormond), is believed to have been legitimate. His previous marriages were conducted on board his ship so often that they were almost commonplace to the crew.
Blackbeard's reign of terror ensued for eighteen months before North Carolina residents and shipping merchants prevailed upon Governor Spotswood of Virginia for help. Acting with the utmost secrecy, Governor Spotswood arranged for ships and men to battle Blackbeard, and strike a blow against piracy for all time.
Royal Navy Lieutenant Robert Maynard was chosen to battle Blackbeard. Cautiously heading down the coast, he hoped to catch the pirate off-guard. But when Maynard entered Ocracoke Inlet, Blackbeard was already there preparing his new ship (Adventure) for battle.
On November 22, 1718, the heated confrontation took place. Maynard's two ships, Jane and Ranger, were both fired upon by Blackbeard. The Ranger was badly damaged and several of Maynard's crew died instantly. When the Jane was hit, Maynard instructed his crewmen to go below and the entire ship took on the illusion of death. In the smoke and fire of the battle, Blackbeard was fooled into leading a charge aboard Maynard's vessel. Maynard and his men surprised the pirates and finally took the upper hand in this battle for the first time.
In the end, Blackbeard had succumbed to twenty-five stab wounds and five bullet wounds before finally perishing. His head was hung on the Rangers bowsprit as a trophy, his body thrown overboard. But had Blackbeard given up yet? Legend holds that Blackbeard’s beheaded body swam several laps around the Ranger before finally sinking from sight in the channel now known as Teach’s Hole.
Those of you that know me best already know that I share Blackbeards steadfast determination, and that I’ve, on occasion, been tempted to spit on my hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats. But whether or not I actually share enough blood with Blackbeard to justify these pirate tendencies is likely remain another unsolved mystery.
My family says we are direct lineage to Blackbeard also... does your sister have any information on your family tree. I am desperately trying to figure out my own family history
I have a friend from NC named Tony Teachy who is a dark haired ladies man. Says he is descended from Blackbeard and I'd say his claim is valid.
I am related to blackbeard through his last wife Mary Ormond. Blackbeard is suppose to be my great great great great grandfather.
I have proof of being a direct decendent of black beard black beards safe haven was in bath NC were he had several wifes one wich was a rosenthal kidnipped daughter of the phillip rosenthal 8th wich searved the east india trading company. black beard also had 1 family named tech. when black beard died the rosenthal changed her name to rose and the tech to keech so that the royle army would not find them my rose family then married into the keechs and made the rose family the rose then became leaders in bath NC as the governors Seat at that time also being married to the rose of scottland were the rose family castle still remains King phillip rosenthal 3rd wasphillip rosenthals family the rose and keech and rosethals surnames r one of the best records keep in the history of scottland. there is a few missing documents around 1603 when king of england burnt the rose church to the ground but most about 90 precent of the rose name is intact
Thanks for an interesting and entertaining article ! I really enjoyd it....
On a more serious note, I'd like to comment on a couple of things:
A lot of people claim descendancy form Blackbeard. From what I can glean, this hangs largely on being able to trace some family connection back to colonial NC, rather than any verifiable link to the pirate. These assertions are just based on family legend; likely told as children's entertainment.
Almost nothing is known "for certain" about Blackbeard. A lot of the "facts" (about him and other pirates) stem from a mysterious Captain Charles Johnson in his book "A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most Notorious Pyrates". Nothing is known of Johnson, and there is speculation that he was in fact Daniel Defoe. If so, a lot of pirate history is total fiction...
But it makes for good storytelling !
I'm a decsendant of Jack Sparrow :D
How old was black beard when he died? How old were the two women on black beards ship?
Mary Ormond? How does anyone prove this? She disappeared in history so if someone has a birth record of a child of hers (and a record of her death, how when) please post it. Due to the sad story of her being "gifted" by Blackbeard to the crew, can this story be disproved- I would also wonder how they could trace themselves to Blackbeard when it could be any one of the crew after that. I would highly doubt any Mary Ormond lineage claim.
A few years ago someone did a family lineage on my grandmother and supposedly found that we are decendants of both Blackbeard and Leif Erikson. Not sure whether either claim is true or if someone was just trying to make an interesting family tree so that she would tell people about it and give that person more business.
I have a family history done by a relative in New Bern, NC. Our family was recorded as to being in that area from 1715 - 1779, when Blackbeard was reportly in that area. The history doesn't show before that date. His name was John Thach.
He was married to a Sarah Stadin in 1774, he had a previous bride in 1736 but there is no mention of her name. My family has passed down the story for generation that we were decendants of Blackbeard
Here is an interesting note, check out the "Barbados Records" 1637-1800 Marriages (vol 1) and will (vol 3) by Joanne McCree Sanders these list records of the Thach/Thatch families. The significant point is that Blackbeard may have directly or indirectly orginated from Barbados.
hi im related to blackbeard i was just woundering if there is any web site that will say the watters are turle realted to blackbeard
Maybe we are all relatives; my father also claimed kinship with Blackbeard. I am a Day from the decendents from Cedar Island, N.C. I am looking for any information on the wives of Blackbeard. Any help or correspondance will be appreciated.
My family is as well said to be relatives of Blackbeard. My grandfathers name was Frederick Teachman, changed from Teach to avoid persecution. And i think that it is said that Blackbeard was his great grandfather, i just wish there was a way to be sure, but when i was little i did see a book that my dad used to say mentioned my sisters and I specifically as descendents..once again, i wish i could know for sure or if that was my dad's interpretation.
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