Category Archives: Uncategorized

On Saturday, March 9, 1723, a young fisherman named Philip Ashton — captured by pirates nine months before — was standing on the deck of a schooner when he saw a longboat approaching with seven of the pirates aboard. The … Continue reading →

In a world where huge container ships, aircraft carriers, and cruise ships often exceed 1,000 feet in length, it’s hard to even comprehend battling a stormy ocean and massive waves in wooden vessels that were barely 50 feet long. Yet … Continue reading →

A new archaeological discovery, even when not a long-lost mythical city, always rekindles our sense of wonder. The latest discovery: in its October issue, National Geographic follows a team of researchers who’ve uncovered the ruins of a buried city in … Continue reading →

I went searching the other day in the quiet Chilmark Cemetery on Martha’s Vineyard to track down the headstone of a long-time island resident, William Homes. The lettering on many of the headstones dating back to the early 1700s is … Continue reading →

What surprised me the most, perhaps, while researching my book on Philip Ashton was discovering just how common young captives were aboard pirate ships during the early 1700s. Ashton’s story stands out because of its spectacular details — a young … Continue reading →

This month marks the 333rd anniversary of the birth of John Barnard, an adventurous New Englander whose curiosity about the world broke the mold of the traditional Puritan minister. Barnard spent hours talking with sea captains who arrived in colonial … Continue reading →

Late in the day on July 19, 1723, the bodies of 26 executed men were brought by boat from Newport, Rhode Island over to a narrow strip of land called Goat Island, barely 1,500 feet from the town’s shoreline. Hanged … Continue reading →

On the quiet Tuesday afternoon that follows Labor Day weekend, my son and I took a walk in the Chilmark Cemetery on Martha’s Vineyard in search of the headstone of Benjamin Skiffe, a prominent figure in early Tisbury and Chilmark … Continue reading →

Two hundred and ninety one years ago today — on August 29, 1723 — a young fisherman on his first voyage at sea was captured by a small pirate crew off the coast of present-day Canada. That fisherman was John … Continue reading →

The Charles W. Morgan, the “last wooden whaleship in the world,” spent the weekend in Boston, tied up in Charlestown in the shadow of the USS Constitution. The beautifully-restored Morgan set sail from Mystic Seaport this summer for the first … Continue reading →

Because Edward Low and generations of pirates before and after him spent so much time near Roatan, many modern treasure hunters have searched the island and cays for buried treasure. But the one treasure hunter who may have actually uncovered … Continue reading →

On Friday, June 15, 1722, a five-man crew of Marblehead fishermen anchored their schooner for the evening in a quiet harbor along the coast of Nova Scotia. Shortly before sunset, four men from another vessel that was also resting in … Continue reading →

As the historic Charles W. Morgan sets sail this month — for the first time in 93 years — its voyage along the coast commemorates thousands of New Englanders, from all walks of life, who went to sea in search … Continue reading →

Nearly 300 years ago today, on April 26, 1717, the pirate ship Whydah, under the command of Samuel Bellamy, approached Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Whydah was originally a slaving ship, captured by Bellamy in the Caribbean in February, with more … Continue reading →

Philip Ashton’s nine months of captivity aboard a pirate ship came to an abrupt end 291 years ago this month, as the pirates got ready to set sail away from the secluded and uninhabited island of Roatan, Honduras. On Saturday, … Continue reading →

As the Somali pirates drew close to the Maersk Alabama in the film Captain Phillips — nominated for Oscars in six categories Sunday night — the ship’s captain, Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks), radios the UK Maritime Operations Center for help. … Continue reading →

One of the more surprising repercussions of Atlantic piracy during the 17th and 18th centuries was the tendency of Puritan leaders to drag sensational stories about pirates and their captives — and sometimes the pirates themselves — into the pulpit. … Continue reading →

The year that forever altered Philip Ashton’s life started with a blaze of destruction in Boston Harbor. The first week of January 1722 was bitterly cold in Boston, and just after noon on Monday, January 1, a huge fire tore … Continue reading →