The books and websites which confidently depict a whole range of pirate flags, each associated with a different pirate captain are without number. For so long have the same flags been reproduced by so many sources that there is now no doubt as to their authenticity, they have truly entered Pirate Mythtory to the extent that even a number of well respected pirate scholars have fallen down and printed them. Some of the oft-printed flags have a decent amount of evidence to support them, but a large number come originally from one undated, unsourced manuscript held in the National Maritime Museum. The manuscript shows a number of pirate flags, stating to whom each belonged, but there is no evidence as to how old the manuscript is, where it came from originally, who drew it, what their evidence was and whether or not they knew anything about pirates or whether they were working from their imagination. In short, the authenticity of a number of flags is extremely suspect, and there is a certain amount of evidence (based principally on the interpretation of the manuscript itself) which gives great doubt to its provenance.

I have found around 20 pirate flags in books and on the internet, many of which are, I believe, fictional. From original sources I have managed now to collect over 100 genuine pirate flags, which I will be collating into a separate Pirate Flags website in the near future. On this page you will find those flags which can be found on the net and in books with a description of whether they are fact or fiction, together with pictures of the genuine flags flown by the pirates in question.

I must express my gratitude to Corsair2k3 for his generosity of time and research which has been an enormous help to this page.

Source: Flags 1 and 2: None yet found. According to most secondary sources the earliest bona fide record of a skull and crossbones type pirate flag comes from 1700 (see Emmanuel Wynne), and this flag of Avery's clearly predates that by 6 years. This flag alone makes me extremely doubtful of the authenticity of the much quoted National Maritime Museum manuscript, for the profile skull, earring and bandanna are devices not seen on any authenticated pirate (or other) flag of the period. Indeed a study of period depictions of pirates will reveal that earrings and bandannas did not really become associated with pirates until the paintings of Howard Pyle in the 1880s and later.

Flag 3: A description of 3 can be found in a ballad which is believed to be more or less contemporary with Avery: "Four chivileges of gold in a bloody field - Environed with green, now this is my shield". It is possible, even likely, that the ballad is inaccurate and that Henry Avery's use of such a flag was a figment of the balladeer's imagination, however, it must be noted that the coat of arms of the Baronet Every includes four chevronels (2 blue, 2 red) on a gold erminois field, so it is not impossible by any means.

Flag 4: Flag 4 is shown in an engraving which illustrated the 1725 edition of Johnson's General History. There is no reason to suppose that it was actually ever flown by Avery, but it does come from a near contemporary source so is included here for comparison.

Source: Flag 1: 1 is the flag usually depicted as Blackbeard's, but there is no period source to support this and the horns on the skeleton render it stylistically unlikely.

Flag 2: Blackbeard's flag is described in at least one Colonial Office document as a "Death's Head".

Flag 3: In an engraving of 1734 Blackbeard is depicted standing in front of a ship flying flag 3 from the bowsprit.

Flag 4: This pennant is shown flying from the main mast of Blackbeard's ship in the same engraving as 3.

Source: Flag 1: No satisfactory source has yet been found for Flag 1, which is almost certainly a later invention

Flag 2: Bonnet's flag was described in the Boston Newsletter in June 1718 as a "Death's Head"

Flag 3: An illustration of Bonnet from the 1725 edition of Johnson's General History shows this flag.

 Period of operation: 1718-1719

Source: None yet found. The earliest reference I have yet found is a picture in the 1923 edition of Francis B.C. Bradlee's Piracy in the West Indies and its Suppression. In that work the flag is dated to 1704, considerably predating Condent. Although no sources are given this does show that any popular attribution of this flag to Condent occurred after 1923.

A number of pirates are known to have flown pennants bearing typical devices such as this one, so there is no reason why Condent shouldn't have flown such a flag as this, but equally no reason why it should be considered specific to him.

Source: Flag 1: None yet found. A 1727 description of Dulaien's flag has, I believe, been confused with pictures of Kennedy's flag already in circulation - itself an erroneous depiction. The description includes the French word "figure", which has been taken to mean a human figure, but in this case actually means "device" or "depiction".

Flag 2: The letter of 1727 describes Dulaien's flag as "black...[with] white markings...[and for] devices heads cut off with a cutlass, the rest bones and sandglasses." The phrase "a head cut off" possibly means a skull, but there is no indication of the layout or number of the items listed.

Flag 3: Along with the black flag the letter also describes a plain red flag and plain red pennant

Source: Flag 1: The records of the East India Company ships Cassandra and Greenwich report England as "flying a black flag with a skull and crossed bones at the main" in 1720. Some websites and books claim that England is the only pirate known to have flown the famous skull and cross bones, but in fact records show that it was also flown by a number of other pirates including John Taylor, Sam Bellamy and John Martel.

Flag 2: The same source mentions that England also flew an "English flag" from his ensign staff. This could mean a St. George's cross, but an engraving of 1734 shows flag 2 flying from England's ship. Flag 2 is the same as a pre-1707 Royal Navy White Ensign, so could easily be considered an "English flag".

Period of operation: 1719-1721

Source: None yet found. I believe this flag to be erroneous for the following reason.

I believe the confusion has arisen because of a description found in a letter written by J. Evans to Charles Johnson which describes the flags flown by a Captain Kennedy as a " black Ensign [with] the Figure of a Man, with a Sword in his Hand, and an Hour-Glass before him, with a Death's Head and Bones." This description would clearly fit the flag depicted were it not for the curious use of the word "before". However, I am completely unconvinced that the Captain Kennedy mentioned in the Evans-Johnson letter was the Walter Kennedy who later served as Roberts' lieutenant before becoming a captain himself.

Source: Flag 2 is the one usually associated with Low

Flag 1: According to Johnson's General History when Spriggs parted company from Low he adopted the same flag " viz, a white skeleton in the middle of it, with a dart in one hand striking a bleeding heart and in the other an hour glass".

Flag 2: The flag usually given as Low's is described in Johnson's General History as "a black Flag, with the Figure of Death in red". An unsourced quotation in H.G. Carr's "Pirate Flags" (MM. Vol 29 [1943] pp 131-134) suggests that this flag was perhaps a new flag in July 1723.

Flag 3: The 1726 work The Four Years Voyages of Captain George Roberts is considered by some to be a fictional account, possibly written by Daniel Defoe. Others consider it to be a primary source description of Roberts' time spent as a captive of Low. In it a flag described as a yellow man with a trumpet on a green field is used to call the pirates together for consultation. The use of flags, often combined with a cannon shot was the most usual way of signalling between ships in the Golden Age of piracy.

Period of operation: probably fictional

Source: The flag of the doubtful Captain Misson is well described in Johnson's General History, "I therefore advise a white Ensign, with liberty painted in the Fly, and if you like the Motto, a Deo a Libertate, for God and Liberty, as an Emblem of our Uprightness and Resolution." The complete lack of evidence supporting Misson's story does not prevent him and his flag appearing on a number of websites. His flag is often depicted wit just the motto, but the description clearly includes a device as well. Some sources have speculated that "liberty painted in the fly" should be an allegorical figure of Liberty, such as is seen on the flags of a number of US States, but I believe that in the late 17th century a liberty cap (which had been used as "a liberty" in heraldry for centuries) would be more likely

Period of operation: circa 1722

Source: None yet found. Christopher Moody appears to have been a member of Roberts' crew, and was hanged at Cape Corso castle. It would make more sense if this flag were labelled William Moody. The flag itself is featured in a late 18th century French source (with the variation of a wreath around the skull), and is identified as a pirate flag, but is not associated with Moody or anyone else. Referring again to the illustration in Piracy in the West Indies and its Suppression (1923), this flag (without the wreath) is dated to 1746. Still no sources are given but again this shows that any popular attribution of this flag to Moody post-dates 1923.

Period of operation: 1703-1704

 Source: The flag of John Quelch is the earliest for which I have yet found a verifiable source. At Quelch's trial in 1704 his flag is described as "an anatomy with an hourglass in one hand, and a dart in the heart with three drops of blood proceeding from it in the other." Importantly, as with many other pirate flags, no colour scheme is specified. I have drawn it in black and white here to follow convention, but there is no evidence that this is correct.

Period of operation: July 1718-November 1720

Source: None yet found except the dubious NMM manuscript. Rackham's flag, one of the most popularly depicted, must be considered fictional.

Source: Flags 1 and 2 are the ones most commonly associated with Roberts.

Flag 1: I have not yet found a satisfactory source for this flag, despite its common presence. There is some debate as to whether Roberts and the skeleton are toasting one another or supporting an hourglass together, ie. whether the symbolism means "Roberts welcomes death" or "Between Roberts and death your time is running out". Given Roberts' teetotal habits I suspect the latter. An illustration from the 1725 edition of Johnson's General History shows half a flag which may be this one, but any definite attribution is speculative. A later 18th century re-working of the engraving described in Flags 5, 6 and 8 also shows this flag (instead of Flag 5), but it is out of period and I have not yet found any reason given for the change.

Flag 2: Described in Johnson's General History "The Jack had a Man pourtray'd in it, with a flaming Sword in his Hand, and standing on two Skulls, subscribed A B H and A M H i. e. a Barbadian's and a Martinican's Head".

Flag 3: Described in Johnson's General History "The Flag had a Death in it, with an Hour-Glass in one Hand, and cross Bones in the other, a Dart by it, and underneath a Heart dropping three Drops of Blood."

Flag 4: Described in Johnson's General History "it had the figure of a skeleton in it, and a man portrayed with a flaming sword in his hand, intimating a defiance of death itself."

Flag 5: Only really a variation on flag 1, shown in the illustration of Roberts which accompanied the first edition of Johnson's General History. Quite possibly the addition of the St George's canton was a result either of the artist's imagination or of his misunderstanding the description given in the text. However, Thomas Cocklyn, a contemporary of Davis and Roberts is known to have flown a St. George's cross, and Thomas Anstis who served for a time under Roberts later flew a Union Flag (of sorts), so it is not inconceivable, or even unlikely, that one or more of Roberts' many flags displayed a St. George canton.

Flag 6: This flag may be fanciful, but it seems clear that Roberts was a man with a taste for flags. This flag is shown in the same illustration as 5 and is similar to that shown on the frontispiece of the first Dutch edition (see Captain Johnson).

Flag 7: Yet another of Roberts' flags was described in the Boston Gazette, 22nd August 1720 as "a Black Flag with Death's head and a cutlass in it".

Flag 8: This flag is also shown in the same illustration as 5. The colour is speculative since the illustration is in black and white, but a second source may shed some light on the question. The log book of HMS Swallow describes the flags Roberts was flying in his final battle, one of which was "an English ensign jack". At that time an "English ensign" when flown at sea was probably a naval flag, i.e. a plain flag with a national flag in the canton. English naval ensigns were red, white or blue, and we can see in the original engraving that Roberts' is not white (unlike England's - see Edward England), therefore it was probably red or blue. I have chosen red entirely arbitrarily.

Flag 9: Johnson's General History describes Roberts as flying a "black silk...pendant".

Period of operation: 1692-1695

Source: None yet found. Tew's flag, if accurate would be the earliest known pirate flag bearing a white device on a black background, and must date from at least 5, possibly 8 years before the earliest currently proven pirate ensign of this type. However, this flag, unlike Avery's, is entirely consistent with what would be expected of a man like Tew in the early 1690s. Black flags had been flown by privateers and pirates since at least 1585 when Drake attacked Cartagena under plain black flags, though they were not commonly associated with pirates particularly until considerably later. The arm and sword device was also well known and had been used throughout the 17th century (see for example Edmund Cook on "flags page 2"). So, if Tew had a black flag at all the one depicted above would not be at all unlikely, but there is no source evidence as yet that he did have a black flag.

Source: Flag 1: None yet found, probably fictional.

Flags 2 and 3: In Johnson's General History Worley's flag is described as "a black Ensign, with a white Death's Head in the Middle of it". It could well be that Johnson is the original and more accurate and the bones behind the skull were added later by a fanciful artist. Worley's flag has also been described (right) as a "Black Flagg with a Humane Skelleton on it"

Period of operation: Circa 1700

Source: Following an engagement with ships of the Royal Navy around 1700 the flag of the French pirate Wynne was described as "a sable ensign with cross-bones, a death's head, and an hour-glass."

These three flags can be found on a number of websites, not attributed to any pirate and not supplied with any source. They look as though they might be period flags, not too anachronistic, but they were in fact created by Microprose.