“Avast, ye rogues! This week we’ve got Blackbeard swipin’ wine, Stede Bonnet in chains, a rock star with pirate blood, and even a brand-new museum o’ treasure. Add Jamaica’s Pirates Week and free plunder from me own book, and ye’ve got a chest fit to burst. Dive in before the tide turns!”

⚓ This Week in Pirate History

Sept 29, 1717 – Blackbeard Plunders The Betty

When Blackbeard stopped the merchant vessel The Betty, he didn’t strip her bare of all goods. Instead, the fearsome pirate helped himself to just one thing: the wine. Perhaps it was celebration stock for his crew, or maybe the man simply had a taste for the finer spoils. Whatever the reason, the story shows that piracy could be as peculiar as it was terrifying.

Oct 5, 1718 – Stede Bonnet Arrives in Charles Town as a Prisoner

Known as the “Gentleman Pirate,” Stede Bonnet began as a wealthy planter who turned to piracy for adventure. But his fortune changed when he was captured in 1718. On October 5th, he was marched into Charles Town in chains — his once-grand experiment in piracy reduced to disgrace. Bonnet’s capture marked the end of one of piracy’s strangest careers.

🗺️ Legends & Lore

Roxy Music Meets the Jolly Roger: Phil Manzanera’s Pirate Bloodline

Not every rock star finds a pirate in their family tree — but Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera did. Through ancestry research, he uncovered his descent from Moses Cohen Henriques, a 17th-century Jewish pirate who raided Spanish treasure fleets and later helped establish a Jewish community in Jamaica.

Henriques became a legend not only for his daring strikes on Spanish gold but also for the way he blended heritage, piracy, and resilience. For Manzanera, the discovery ties modern music to an ancient swashbuckling past — proof that pirate blood still flows in surprising places.

📰 Pirate News

Savannah Opens Pirates & Treasure Museum

Savannah, Georgia — already steeped in colonial lore — has opened the Savannah Pirates & Treasure Museum, a new attraction celebrating the Golden Age of Piracy.

Visitors will see authentic artifacts, glittering treasure displays, and interactive exhibits that connect Savannah’s history to the seafaring rogues who once haunted the southeastern coast. From Blackbeard’s raids to smuggling tales, the museum anchors Savannah as a fresh port of call for pirate enthusiasts.

💰 Plunder Pick of the Week

This week’s treasure comes from the Captain himself!

Pirates of the Wild West — Book One of the Pirate Time Travel series — be FREE on Kindle for a limited time. Join Blackbeard and his crew as they’re swept from the Caribbean into the untamed Wild West, where gunfights and train heists replace cutlasses and cannon smoke.

⚓ And the big news? Book Two, Pirates of World War II, has just launched! Nazi U-boats, time-twisting relics, and pirates caught in the crossfire of history’s deadliest war — the saga sails on.

👉 Claim yer free Kindle copy of Pirates of the Wild West here before the tide carries it away, then hoist anchor into the brand-new sequel.

🎪 Festival Forecast

Kingston Pirates Week — Jamaica (Oct 29–Nov 2, 2025)

In England’s wickedest port of the New World — Port Royal — Jamaica is hosting its first Kingston Pirates Week. This week-long celebration promises treasure hunts, costumed invasions, live music, and plenty of rum.

Highlights include:

• Riddims & Rum Fête (Oct 30) with dance, drink, and pirate finery.

• Pirates Beach Clean-Up (Nov 1) — where good deeds meet buccaneer fun.

• Port Royal Pirates & Seafood Festival (Nov 2) — a feast by the sea with bands, contests, and fresh seafood.

▶️ More info: Jamaica Pirates Week

☠️ Captain’s Log

“From Blackbeard’s taste for wine to Bonnet’s chains, from pirate ancestors in rock music to new museums and festivals — Episode 24 reminds us that piracy never truly dies. It shifts, resurfaces, and even sneaks into family trees. And with my own tale now spread across two books, I invite ye to sail alongside. Fair winds, mates — until next tide.”

Fair winds,
– Captain Blackquill

🗣️ Share the Spoils, Matey!

Know a landlubber who’d love tales of treasure, ghost ships, and real pirate history? Don’t keep the gold to yerself—send ‘em our way!

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Fair winds and full inboxes!

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▶️ YouTube: The Pirate Republic

🎖️ Thanks for Embarkin’ on the Voyage

We set sail every Friday, storm or shine. Keep yer spyglass pointed at the horizon...
and may yer week be full o’ plunder, parlay, and just the right amount o’ mutiny.

Share this letter with yer crewmates, an if ye find treasure or tales worth tell’n, send them to [email protected].

 Disclosure: Some links in this newsletter are affiliate links, which means we may earn doubloons (aka a small commission) if you make a purchase—at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting The Pirate Republic, ya savvy sea dog!