Blackbeard

Edward Teach (c. 1680 – 22 November 1718), aka Blackbeard is the most famous semi-legendary pirate. Blackbeard is believed to have been born in Bristol, England. Blackbeard went to sea when he was very young. He served on an English ship in the War of the Spanish Succession, privateering in the Spanish West Indies and along the Spanish Main. At the war's end in 1713, Blackbeard turned to piracy. Blackbeard became well-known in the pirate world, and found himself as the unifier of the two fractions of the Pirate Republic. He was elected as the Magistrate of the Pirate Republic, and served as its final ruler from 1716 through 1718. Blackbeard sailed with other notable pirates, including Black Caesar.

Blackbeard, during his own lifetime, became a walking legend. Numerous legends have developed around Blackbeard; both during and after his death. The people of the Caribbean and the Southern United States still feature Blackbeard prevalently in their folklore.

Blackbeard's Treasure
While the Spanish were busy obtaining all the gold and silver they could extract from Mexico and South America, Blackbeard and his mates waited patiently, then pounced on the treasure-laden ships as they sailed back to Spain.

Blackbeard developed a fearsome reputation as a cruel and vicious opportunist. His reign of terror centered around the West Indies and the Atlantic coast of North America, with headquarters in both the Bahamas and North Carolina. His end came in November 1718, when British Lieutenant Robert Maynard decapitated the pirate and hung his head from the bowsprit of his ship as a grisly trophy.

Blackbeard's sunken ship, Queen Anne's Revenge, is believed to have been discovered near Beaufort, North Carolina, in 1996, but the loot wasn't onboard. Possible locations for the hidden stash include the Caribbean Islands, Virginia's Chesapeake Bay, and the caves of the Cayman Islands.

Treasure on the Ocean Floor
Legend has it that Blackbeard’s treasure chest lies on the ocean floor off the coast of Maryland, protected by a curse that prevents anyone from bringing it to the surface. Literature suggests that it was lost in the Bermuda Triangle, yet, according to the legend, all those who have tried to find it have never returned. Some say that Blackbeard won’t rest until his treasure is found, yet others believe his ghost guards the booty, ensuring it will remain forever hidden.

Blackbeard's Ghost
Blackbeard's reign on the high seas came to an end on November 22, 1718. Virginia Governor Alexander Spotswood sent a ship commanded by John Maynard down to the North Carolina coast to track down and kill Blackbeard. Maynard surprised Blackbeard and a skeleton crew anchored at Ocracoke Inlet. In the ferocious battle that followed, Blackbeard was shot five times and stabbed no less than twenty. The pirate crew was all killed or captured.

Blackbeard's head was chopped off and hung from the bowsprit of Maynard's ship. The pirate's headless body was thrown overboard. Legend has it that the headless body swam around Maynard's ship three times before sinking below the waters.

Ever since then, it's been said that Blackbeard's ghost haunts the spot known as Teach's Hole. Many people have reported seeing a strange light moving beneath the water in the cove. This ghostly light is thought by some to be Blackbeard's spirit, swimming through the waters, searching for his missing head. Others claim that on stormy nights you can hear Blackbeard’s voice calling out in the wind.