Richard Worley (d. February 17, 1719) was an English pirate who was active in the Caribbean Sea and the east coast of the American colonies during the early 18th century. Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori Year 1719 ( MDCCXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering For the region see Caribbean. The Caribbean Sea (kəˈrɪbiən or /ˌkærɨˈbiːən/ is a tropical Sea in the Western Hemisphere The East Coast of the United States, also known as the "Eastern Seaboard" or "Atlantic Seaboard" refers to the easternmost coastal states in the central and northern The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris (1783 recognized the He is credited as one of the earliest pirates to fly the first version of the skull and crossbones pirate flag. A skull and crossbones is a Symbol consisting of a human Skull and two bones crossed together under the skull

The Worley Flag, more commonly known as the "Jolly Roger"

Early career

Little of Worley's early life is known. He is first recorded leaving New York with a small boat and a crew of eight men hoping to make their fortune in the so-called Golden Age of Piracy. The City of New York The Golden Age of Piracy is the common designation given the period roughly spanning from the 1650s to the 1720s However, their first prize resulted in the capture of household goods from a ship in the Delaware River (which technically was burglary as, according to maritime law, it did not take place in the open water). The Delaware River is a river on the Atlantic coast of the United States. International waterways Several international treaties have established freedom of navigation on semi-enclosed seas

Their second prize brought better luck as, upon capturing a sloop bound for Philadelphia, Worley also gained four additional crew members. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə As they made their way to the Bahamas, however, King George I issued a royal proclamation for the capture and execution of pirates who chose not to accept a royal pardon from the British government. The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an independent sovereign English -speaking country consisting of two thousand Cays and George I (George Louis German Georg Ludwig; 28 May 1660 &ndash 11 June 1727 For the first year of his life George was the only heir to his father's and three childless Although the 24-gun warship HMS Phoenix was sent out after Worley, he and his crew were able to evade capture.

Sailing the Spanish Main

After six weeks off the Bahamas, during which time he captured a brigantine and a sloop as well as additional guns and crew members, he began flying his official colors of a flag with the skull and crossbones. In Sailing, a brigantine is a vessel with two masts only the forward of which is Square rigged Originally the brigantine was a small ship carrying both oars and For the military definition of sloop see Sloop-of-war. For the open learning project see SLOOP Project. A skull and crossbones is a Symbol consisting of a human Skull and two bones crossed together under the skull It was during this time that the crew agreed upon a set of articles, which included a vow to fight to the death rather than surrender to authorities.

Capture and execution

Worley soon prepared to make his return to the colonies, where others such as Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet were enjoying success off Virginia and the Carolinas. Edward Teach (tɛtʃ c 1680 – November 22, 1718) better known as Blackbeard, was a notorious English Pirate in the Caribbean Stede Bonnet (c 1688 – December 10 1718 was an early 18th-century Barbadian pirate, sometimes called "the gentleman pirate" because he was a moderately The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state The Carolinas is a term used in the United States to refer collectively to the states of North and South Carolina. However, after pulling into port to refit his fleet, the governor of Virginia was informed of their presence and sent between two and four warships against him.

As they reached the mouth of Jamestown harbor, Worley encountered the warships and moved against them, mistaking the ships for merchant vessels. Jamestown, located on Jamestown Island in the Virginia Colony, was founded on May 14 1607 Attempting to block the harbor, he inadvertently trapped his own ship, which was easily disabled by cannon fire. The pirates refused to surrender however, and, as colonial militia boarded the ship, all of the crew were killed (with the exception of Worley and another man who were seriously injured in the fighting).

Concerned he might die before standing trial, Worley was sentenced to death the day following his capture and was hanged on February 17, 1719. However, another account claims Worley and several others were killed in the fighting with 25 of his crew members being hanged in Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston is a city in Charleston county in the US state of South Carolina.

External links

• AgeofPirates.com - Pirate Encyclopedia: Richard Worley