Charles Vane | |
|---|---|
 An early-18th century engraving of Vane | |
| Born | c. 1680 |
| Died | 29 March 1721(1721-03-29) (aged 40–41) |
| Piratical career | |
| Type | Pirate |
| Allegiance | None |
| Years active | 1716–1721 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Base of operations | West Indies |
| Commands |
|
Charles Vane (c. 1680 – 29 March 1721) was an English pirate who operated in theBahamas during the end of theGolden Age of Piracy.
Vane was likely born in theKingdom of England around 1680. One of his first pirate ventures was under the leadership ofHenry Jennings, during Jennings' attack on the salvage camp for the wrecked Spanish1715 Treasure Fleet off the coast ofFlorida. By 1717, Vane was commanding his own vessels and was one of the leaders of theRepublic of Pirates inNassau. In 1718, Vane was captured but agreed to stop his criminal actions and declared his intention to accept aKing's Pardon; however, just months later he and his men, includingEdward England andJack Rackham, returned to piracy. Unlike some other notable pirate captains of the age likeBenjamin Hornigold andSamuel Bellamy, Vane was known for his cruelty, and in court documents is said to have beaten and interrogated sailors from ships he captured. In February 1719, Vane was caught in a storm in theBay Islands and was marooned on an uncharted island. Upon being discovered by a passing British ship, he was arrested and brought toPort Royal where he was eventually tried and hanged in March 1721.
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Little is known of Vane's early life. He lived in Port Royal before becoming a pirate, but he was most likely not born there.[1]
Vane worked withHenry Jennings during Jennings' attack on the salvage camp for the wrecked Spanish1715 Treasure Fleet. Vane first operated as an independent captain in the summer of 1717. By the winter of that year, he was one of the leaders of the pirates operating out ofNassau.[2]
When word reached the pirates thatKing George I of Great Britain had extended anoffer of pardon to all pirates who wished to surrender, Vane led the pirates who opposed taking the pardon, which included many withJacobite leanings.[3] On 23 February 1718, Captain Vincent Pearse arrived at Nassau inHMS Phoenix, in an attempt to get the pirates on the island to surrender.[4] Vane was captured along with his sloop, theLark.Benjamin Hornigold,Thomas Nichols, and others urged Pearse to release Vane as a show of good faith, which he did. Vane afterwards declared to Pearse that he intended to take the King's pardon.[5] But on 21 March, Vane and his men (includingEdward England andCalico Jack Rackham) turned pirate again, capturing a Jamaican sloop.[6] Vane sailed back to Nassau and harassed Pearse repeatedly, trading their sloop for theLark. Vane left Nassau on 4 April. Four days later Pearse left with HMSPhoenix, and Nassau was again controlled by the pirates.[7]
After leaving Nassau, Vane raided ships around the Bahamas. He gained a reputation for cruelty. He and his crew would often beat or torture captured sailors to force them to surrender their valuables. Around this time Vane's crew renamed theLark, calling it theRanger.[8]
Vane cruised again in May and June, capturing, among other ships, a 20-gun French ship that became Vane's new flagship.[9]
Vane was back at Nassau on 22 July 1718 whenWoodes Rogers reached Nassau to take office as the new governor. Rogers' ships trapped Vane in the harbour. Vane's ship was too large to pass one of the harbour's two entrances, and the other was blocked by Rogers' fleet. That night, Vane turned the French ship into afireship, setting it on fire and sailing it towards Rogers' ships. The fireship failed to damage any of Rogers' fleet except one, but the ships were forced to pull away, unblocking the channel. Vane commandeered a small 24-gun sloop, theKatherine, and escaped out the smaller entrance as Rogers' ships returned.[10]
Vane took ships off the Bahamas in July, working withCharles Yeats, the original captain of theKatherine. A brigantine that Vane captured became his new flagship.[11] In August he sailed to Charleston and took eight ships there. After seizing a slave ship, he put the slaves aboard Yeats' ship. Yeats sailed off with the slaves and surrendered to the governor of South Carolina in exchange for a pardon. The merchants of Charleston outfitted two sloops to hunt Vane, under the command ofWilliam Rhett. Rhett failed to find Vane, but his shipslocated and captured the pirateStede Bonnet.[12]
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In August, Vanecareened his ship nearAbaco, where his accompliceNicholas Woodall smuggled him supplies and ammunition. Hornigold had turned pirate-hunter along with his associateJohn Cockram and followed Vane, who escaped. Hornigold and Cockram instead captured Woodall, who was imprisoned by Rogers.[13]
Vane returned to Nassau in September to marry, threatening to retake the city. In October, Vane sailed toOcracoke Inlet and met withBlackbeard, perhaps attempting to convince Blackbeard to join forces with him. The two crews celebrated for several days but split up afterwards.[14]
In October, Vane raidedEleuthera, carrying away liquor and livestock.[15] On 23 November, Vane spotted a largefrigate but when he hoisted the Jolly Roger the frigate replied by raising aFrench naval ensign and opening fire. Vane's brigantine and sloop were outgunned and he ordered a retreat.[16] Vane's crew saw this as an act of cowardice. He was voted out of command in favour of Calico Jack Rackham. Vane and 16 others who supported him, including his first mateRobert Deal,[17] were put on the sloop.[18]
Vane sailed to theBay Islands, capturing sloops along the way, one of which Deal took command of.[17] In February 1719, Vane and Deal were caught in a hurricane and separated. Vane was wrecked on an uninhabited island.[19] When English ships arrived to collect water near the island, Vane tried to join one of the crews under a false name. He was recognized by an old acquaintance and arrested.[20]
Vane was taken toSpanish Town, Jamaica and held in prison for some time. On 22 March 1721, he was tried for piracy and found guilty. Vane learned that Deal had been tried, convicted, and hanged sometime earlier.[17] Vane was sentenced to death, and on 29 March he was hanged at Gallows Point in Port Royal. His corpse was hung in chains atGun Cay.[21]
W. Morgan Sheppard portrayed Vane in the 1999 family filmTreasure of Pirate's Point.[22]
Vane appears as a side character and minor antagonist in the 2013 video gameAssassin's Creed IV: Black Flag,[23] in which he was voiced byRalph Ineson.[24]
Zach McGowan portrayed Charles Vane in theStarz television seriesBlack Sails (2014–2017).[25]
Tom Padley plays Vane in six episodes of the 2021NetflixdocuseriesThe Lost Pirate Kingdom.
