The Pirates' Code
Anyone who has watched Disney's "Pirates of
the Caribbean" knows all about the Pirate Code, laid down by the pirates
Morgan and Bartholomew. I think the idea of a single code for pirate is
probably the most modern piece of Pirate Mythtory to be featured on this site,
and I don't think it extends back any further than the release of the excellent
POTC.
Sir Henry Morgan
The first question is who was Bartholomew? Assuming
"Morgan" to have been Sir Henry Morgan, "Bartholomew" was
probably Bartolomeo Portugues, or "Bartholomew the Portuguese", a
contemporary of Morgan who was plagued by bad luck.
Bartolomeo Portugues
The second question of course is "Did they
write a code together?" The answer is no, they did not, but the era of
buccaneering in the late 17th century did see the beginning of pirate codes.
Pirate codes did exist, but there was no one single code which all pirates
recognised and subscribed to.
In Morgan's time codes, or articles, were simple
contracts setting out the compensation each buccaneer would receive for
injuries, and the rewards each could expect for performing certain valiant
actions. By the time of the Golden Age of piracy in the early 18th century
these buccaneer codes of compensation had developed into ship-board articles,
regulating the way crews were to operate and the way profit was to be divided.
However, each pirate ship had their own set of articles, which only applied to
that one particular crew - there was still no single set of rules which all
pirates adhered to. We must think in terms of a pirate's code, not
the pirate code.
From Alexander Exquemeling's "Buccaneers of
America" we learn a little about the articles of Henry Morgan:
"Lastly they stipulate in writing what
recompense or reward each one ought to have, that is either wounded or maimed
in his body, suffering the loss of any limb, by that voyage. Thus they order
for the loss of a right arm six hundred pieces of eight, or six slaves ; for
the loss of a left arm five hundred pieces of eight, or five slaves ; for a
right leg five hundred pieces of eight, or five slaves ; for the left leg four
hundred pieces of eight, or four slaves ; for an eye one hundred pieces of
eight, or one slave ; for a finger of the hand the same reward as for the eye.
All which sums of money, as I have said before, are taken out of the capital
sum"
At the time of the Golden Age of Piracy Johnson's
General History gives us three set of articles from different ships, a
comparison of these three entirely dispels the myth of a single pirate code:
The Articles of John Philips:
1. Every man shall obey civil Command;
the Captain shall have one full share and a half in all Prizes; the Master,
Carpenter, Boatswain and Gunner shall have one Share and quarter.
2. If any man shall offer to run away, or keep any Secret from the Company, he
shall be marroon'd with one Bottle of Powder, one Bottle of Water, one small
Arm and shot.
3. If any Many shall steel any Thing in the Company, or game, to the Value of a
Piece of Eight, he shall be marroon'd or shot.
If at any Time we should meet another Marrooner (that is Pyrate) that Man that
shall sign his Articles without the Consent of our Company, shall suffer such
Punishment as the Captain and Company shall think fit.
4. That Man that shall strike another whilst these Articles are in force, shall
receive Mose's Law (that is 40 stripes lacking one) on the bare Back.
5. That Man that shall snap his Arms, or smoak Tobacco in the Hold, without a
cap to his Pipe, or carry a Candle lighted without a Lanthorn, shall suffer the
same Punishment as in the former Article.
6. That Man that shall not keep his Arms clean, fit for an Engagement, or
neglect his Business, shall be cut off from his Share, and suffer such other
Punishment as the Captain and the Company shall think fit.
7. If any Man shall lose a Joint in time of an Engagement he shall have 400
pieces of Eight; if a limb 800.
8. If at any time you meet with a prudent Woman, that Man that offers to meddle
with her, without her Consent, shall suffer present Death.
The Articles of Edward Low:
1. The Captain is to have two full Shares; the Master is to have one Share
and one Half; The Doctor, Mate, Gunner and Boatswain, one Share and one
Quarter.
2. He that shall be found guilty of taking up any Unlawfull Weapon on Board the
Privateer or any other prize by us taken, so as to Strike or Abuse one another
in any regard, shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and the Majoirty of the
Company shall see fit.
3. He that shall be found Guilty of Cowardice in the time of Ingagements, shall
suffer what Punishment the Captain and the Majority of the Company shall think
fit.
4. If any Gold, Jewels, Silver, &c. be found on Board of any Prize or
Prizes to the value of a Piece of Eight, & the finder do not deliver it to
the Quarter Master in the space of 24 hours he shall suffer what Punishment the
Captain and the Majority of the Company shall think fit.
5. He that is found Guilty of Gaming, or Defrauding one another to the value of
a Ryal of Plate, shall suffer what Punishment the Captain and the Majority of
the Company shall think fit.
6. He that shall have the Misfortune to loose a Limb in time of Engagement,
shall have the Sum of Six hundred pieces of Eight, and remain aboard as long as
he shall think fit.
7. Good Quarters to be given when Craved.
8. He that sees a Sail first, shall have the best Pistol or Small Arm aboard of
her.
9. He that shall be guilty of Drunkenness in time of Engagement shall suffer
what Punishment the Captain and Majority of the Company shall think fit.
10. No Snaping of Guns in the Hould.
The Articles of Bartholomew
Roberts: (it is possible that an
examination of these articles gave the Disney writers the idea for a code laid
down by Morgan and Bartholomew, but Captain Roberts was not a contemporary of
Morgan's)
I. Every man has a vote in affairs of moment;
has equal title to the fresh provisions, or strong liquors, at any time seized,
and may use them at pleasure, unless a scarcity (no uncommon thing among them)
makes it necessary, for the good of all, to vote a retrenchment.
II. Every man to be called fairly in turn, by list, on board of prizes because,
(over and above their proper share) they were on these occasions allowed a
shift of clothes: but if they defrauded the company to the value of a dollar in
plate, jewels, or money, marooning was their punishment. [this was a barbarous
custom of putting the offender on shore, on some desolate or uninhabited cape
or island, with a gun, a few shot, a bottle of water, and a bottle ofpowder, to
subsist with or starve] If the robbery was only betwixt one another, they
contented themeselves with slitting the ears and nose of him that was guilty,
and set him on shore, not in an uninhabited place, but somewhere, where he was
sure to encounter hardships.
III. No person to game at cards or dice for money.
IV. The lights and candles to be put out at eight o'clock at night: if any of
the crew, after that hour still remained inclined for drinking, they were to do
it on the open deck; [which Roberts believed would give a check to their debauches,
for he was a sober man himself, but found at length , that all his endeavours
to put an end to this debauch proved ineffectual.]
V. To keep their piece, pistols, and cutlass clean and fit for service. [In
this they were extravagantly nice, endeavoring to outdo one another in the
beauty and richness of their arms, giving sometimes at an auction (at the mast)
thirty or forty pounds a pair for pistols. These were slung in time of service,
with different coloured ribbands over their shoulders in a way particular to
these fellows, in which they took great delight.
VI. No boy or woman to be allowed amongst them. If any man were to be found
seducing any of the latter sex, and carried her to sea, disguised, he was to
suffer death; [so that when any fell into their hands, as it chanced in the
Onslow, they put a sentinen immediatelyover her to prevent ill consequences
from so dangerous an instrument of division and quarrel; but then here lies the
roguery; they contend who shall be sentinel, which happens generally to one of
the greatest bullies, who, to secure the lady's virtue, will let none lie with
her but himself.]
VII. To desert the ship or their quarters in battle, was punished with death or
marooning.
VIII. No striking one another on board, but every man's quarrels to be ended on
shore, at sword and pistol. [The quarter-master of the ship, when the parties
will not come to any reconciliation, accompanies them on shore with what
assistance he thinks proper, and turns the disputant back to back, at so many
paces distance; at the word of command, they turn and fire immediately, (or
else the piece is knocked out of their hands). If both miss, they come to their
cutlasses, and then he is declaired the victor who draws the first blood.]
IX. No man to talk of breaking up their way of living, till each had shared one
thousand pounds. If in order to this, any man should lose a limb, or become a
cripple in their service, he was to have eighthundred dollars, out of the
public stock, and for lesser hurts, proportionately.
X. The captain and quartermaster to recieve two shares of a prize: the master,
boatswain, and gunner, one share and a half, and other officers one and
quarter.
XI. The musicians to have rest on the Sabbath Day, but the other six days and
nights, none without special favour.