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Bartholomew Roberts
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Bartholomew Roberts

Welsh pirate
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Also known as: Black Barty
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Article History
Quick Facts
Byname:
Black Barty
Born:
1682?, near Haverfordwest, Wales
Died:
Feb. 10, 1722, at sea off the Guinea coast
Also Known As:
Black Barty
See all related content

Bartholomew Roberts (born 1682?, near Haverfordwest, Wales—died Feb. 10, 1722, at sea off the Guinea coast) was a pirate captain of a succession of ships—the “Royal Rover,” “Fortune,” “Royal Fortune,” and “Good Fortune”—who burned and plundered ships from the coasts of West Africa to the coasts of Brazil and the Caribbean and as far north as Newfoundland. His conquests are said to have included more than 400 vessels and, in terms of sheer numbers, are rivalled only by the feats of Sir Henry Morgan.

Roberts took to piracy late, after the age of 37, but he quickly rose to captaincy. He even designed a flag for himself, portraying a giant figure of himself standing, sword in hand, astride two skulls labelled A.B.H. (“a Barbadian’s head”) and A.M.H. (“a Martinican’s head”). He was finally felled by grapeshot in battle with a pursuing British warship off the Guinea coast of Africa.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.