Pirates & Privateers Presentation

Pirates & Privateers Presentation

Friday mornings, 10:00 a.m., June through September

WEATHER PERMITTING

Fort Phoenix, south end of Fort St., Fairhaven, MA

Tour begins at Fort flagpole.

Free.

Is there really pirate treasure buried by Captain Kidd on Sconticut Neck? Why might you become a privateer instead of joining the Navy? What’s the deal with the parrot on the shoulder?

Hear tales of pirates, Revolutionary War era privateers, and historical Fort Phoenix, presented by Greybeard, an 18th century gunner from the privateer sloop Broome, Caleb the Powder Monkey, a lad who knows how to load and fire a cannon, and the ship's cook and surgeon who is a real cut-up!

Learn which pirate lore is really just myth based on fiction and what stories are true. (On Cape Cod, many people thought the tale of “Black Sam” Bellamy’s wrecked ship full of treasure was just a legend until the ship was discovered in 1984 just 500 feet off the shore of Wellfleet.) Find out the difference between pirates and “legal” privateers. Do you know when you “talk like a pirate” you’re just copying an actor from a 1950s Disney movie? Would you like to know more about treasure maps and walking the plank?

The pirate lore is enhanced by true stories of privateering in and around Buzzards Bay during the American Revolution. During the war, privateers vessels such as the Broome, Sally, Black Snake, Friendship, and Hornet, manned with local sailors, aided the rebellion against the Crown by capturing enemy ships in far greater numbers than the Continental Navy did. One of the most celebrated actions was the first naval battle of the Revolutionary War in May 1775, led by captains Nathaniel Pope and Daniel Egery. Eventually the local wharves were full of vessels captured by privateers. Such actions eventually provoked the British raid on our harbor in September of 1778.

This fun family-friendly presentation includes a demonstration firing of a black powder swivel gun, a demonstration of early medical practices and more. While being fun and informative for adults, it is also appropriate for children.

There is no charge for the Pirates and Privateers presentations.

Disabled accessible. Produced by Christopher J. Richard under the auspices of the Fairhaven Office of Community Development, Discover Fairhaven, Massachusetts.

For more information, email GreybeardBoggs@gmail.com.

You may visit Greybeard & Companie's Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/GreybeardCompanie/