A hearty, pioneering lot of settlers first tamed the North Carolina coast in the 1700s. Settling in crude little frontier towns like Bath, founded in 1705, they fought with Native Americans, the ravages of disease and all the other problems associated with establishing a frontier settlement in the great wilderness. Despite the odds, they persevered and hacked a living out of the land that was to prove a fertile ground for farming, fishing and the shipping of raw materials to ports further north. While most of us think of a frontier populated by farmers, frontiersman and natives, the North Carolina coast was home to another group of individuals who were just as familiar a sight to these early frontiersmen: the pirates.

Carolina Pirates

We don’t often think of pirates and pioneers in the same setting, but the North Carolina coast was in fact a haven for pirates. Preying on the rich shipping to the north and south, the Carolina coast was a place to hide. The coastal area provided many a secluded safe harbor, fresh water and timber for repairs, and it was rich in fish and game. It became a perfect place to hide out in and stage raids from.

Another factor in making the North Carolina coast attractive to pirates was the fact that the authorities tended to turn a blind eye to the activities of the pirates—so much so that, in 1718, the governor of Virginia staged a mini invasion to rid his neighbor to the south of the “scourge” of pirates. The citizens of the Carolina coast tended to embrace the pirates, also; they brought in much-needed goods from abroad and spent their money in the rough frontier towns where currency was hard to come by. For a short period, the infamous pirate Blackbeard made his home in the frontier town of Bath.

My research has shown that the real pirates looked nothing like what you see in Hollywood movies and at places like Renaissance festivals. The secret to being a successful pirate was the ability to blend in. Pirates looked like everybody else did at the time; they passed themselves off as regular sailors. Piracy was punishable by death, and if you were a pirate, you kept it hidden until the right moment, your true identity known only to the men of your ship. So, with this bit of information, I began a journey to recreate a historic pirate.

A Pirate’s Weapons

The real difference between pirates and honest seamen was the fact that the pirate had to have his own weapons. Most surviving pirate articles call for the crew to have and maintain weapons ready for action. A few years ago, I traded for a doglock musket custom made by Steve Woodman of Lebanon, Maine, who said this about it:

“This is a copy of an English doglock musket of the 1680s. These were used by the British military as well as American militia men. In the 17th century, British military officers asked the British gunsmith guilds to build firearms for the army, and this is what they got. Then, in 1706, they bought 10,000 Dutch military muskets, which were much better. By about 1720, the British military started designing military guns and telling the gun-makers to copy them. That’s when these old-style muskets finally went out of use.

“This style gun was not just a military-style weapon but was also commonly used by anyone who wanted one. It was called a commercial utility musket and was so well made that it was perfect for military use. Although made for 30 years or more, this one can be dated by the buttstock. The rounded butt without a buttplate and the lack of grooves in the sides of the butt show it to represent a 1680’s model. By the 1690s, the butt was flattened, and a buttplate was added. Grooves were also added to the sides of the buttstock. I copied this piece from pictures I have in some of my old gun books.”

The Fightin’ Cutlass

Next came a proper cutlass. The cutlass or short sword was probably the most common weapon available. Every pirate had a sword of some fashion or another. Since flintlocks failed sometimes at sea, swords proved ever reliable and available. Sailors and pirates alike kept them short for close-quarters battle below decks or to prevent the lines and rigging from hanging them up on deck.

The standard cutlass of the day looked fairly different from what we see in Hollywood films: The typical cutlass shown in most pirate movies is more from the 1750s, not the Golden Age of Piracy. So, I searched around various vendors to find a good period cutlass. A cutlass, sometimes referred to as a cuttoe, often had a fairly wide but very short blade of about 18 to 20 inches in length. I eventually found a massive D-guard Bowie with an 18-inch blade that fit the bill. Then I needed a baldric to hold the blades, so I found a French Marine baldric from around 1700 and figured it would do the trick to outfit me properly.

Now I added a piece that fit into the Golden Age of Piracy, including a supply of edged weapons, leaving only a pirate impression lacking.

Looking The Part

Of course, I don’t have a ship, which is the main mode of conveyance with pirates. So, I had to do some creative thinking—I settled on a shore party. Men often went ashore in search of fresh water, game, timber for repairs, firewood and other supplies. So, by pretending to be part of a shore party, I could explain away not having a ship.

But I still needed one for reference, so, with a bit more creative thinking, I invented one. I named it the Wasp, as I liked the sound of it, and I imagined it as a fast rigged sloop with about 12 guns and a crew of about 50 or so. These ships were small and swift, and many plied the waters of the Caribbean and the shores of the Americas during the Golden Age. So, with my fictional ship to reference, I could represent a member of the crew and reference the ship by name.

Next, I needed a target date to build my impression around. I settled on the year 1715, because in that year, piracy was at its peak. I also voted myself a position of rank within the structure of the Wasp: I decided to portray the quartermaster of the ship. On pirate ships, the quartermaster was generally second in command. He had charge of all the stores and was responsible for handing out the shares to the men after they had taken a prize. The quartermaster was not an officer; he generally came from the rank and file and represented the crew amongst the officers, but it was a position of trust and leadership, and I felt like it would be fun.

Pirate Garb

Now, I needed the clothing to truly build the impression. Few vendors supply ready-made clothing for this era; however, there are patterns. I found a 1700 frock-coat-and-vest pattern from Reconstructing History and contracted with my sister, who is a better tailor than I am, to make them for me. What’s unique about the coat and vest is that the fashion was to have pockets very low on the hem line, only about 5 or 6 inches above the bottom edge of the coat. Next were the buttons—there are scads of them. They went all the way down the front of the coat to the hem, as was the fashion of the period. Also, the sleeve length is shorter than later in the century. It was customary for the last 6 inches or so of the shirt sleeve to show beyond the big, dog-eared cuffs.

I already had a pair of center-fly knee breeches and a pair of trousers. Trousers remain a particularly “nautical” article of clothing during this period, worn almost exclusively by sailors. I also already had period shirts and stockings, and I acquired a pair of shoes. Period shoes are different for the late 17th/early 18th century. The buckles are very small, and the latchets are narrow. The toe box is generally square, and the tongue is long and extends up past the buckle. I opted for a pair of round-toed shoes.

Questions on the Look

The British Admiralty Slops Contracts of 1706 called for round-toed shoes for seamen. I got a pair of straight-lasted, round-toed shoes, trimmed the latchets and then punched holes in them for laces—a common practice at the time. Then I topped off the outfit with a tricorne hat and a neckerchief made of blue-checked linen. I get no shortage of questions whenever I take this impression out in public.

The masses have been influenced by the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, so people have a lot of questions concerning the way that I’m dressed and why I’m not wearing beads in my hair. The movies have brought pirates to the forefront of people’s consciousness but have failed to show what real pirates looked like. With my portrayal, I am often able to dispel the myths that have been built up over the years about the appearance of a pirate and how they lived and worked in real life. All in all, it’s a fun impression to do—one that engages the public like no other, and in the end, that is what living history is all about: engaging the public and planting the seeds of truth about an era that is long past and but not forgotten.

Learn more on Carolina Pirates at the North Carolina Maritime Museums Hatteras.