PIRACY IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL

ROGUE OR REBEL “I am the Pirate King”

SURROUNDED BY THE SEA Trade routes connecting the Baltic and Northern seas with the Mediterranean Centuries-long history of raids on ships and coastal towns The pirate menace, and the royal need for ships led to the Royal Charter of 1155 establishing the Cinque Ports confederation ( Hastings, New Romney, Hythe, Dover, Sandwich ) The ports had a corporate duty to maintain ships ready for the Crown in the case of need. In exchange, many privileges were granted, including tax relief, self-government, and the right to retain possession of unclaimed lost goods, goods thrown overboard, and floating wreckage This lead to smuggling, coastal piracy, city funded privateering. Ironically, the Cinque Ports were also seminal in the foundation of the Royal Navy. cog ship

ESCALATION Cinque Ports-backed privateers had the right to loot any non-English ship in the Channel. Soon privateer captains started interpreting their marquees too broadly, and attacked many English ships as well. Other cities and towns along the coast refused to tolerate the situation, and either tried to join the confederation, or attacked its ships, or both at different stages of multiple squabbles. Piracy flourished.

ON THE WEST SIDE Very similar situation: but cities also sent privateers to raid the French coast Soon trade with the British Isles became very dangerous, because the French retaliated in kind. Both sanctioned and unsanctioned attacks of ships and towns were commonplace. English kings even issued marquees to English merchants who could retain the goods found on ships of their French counterparts. For a violent period, all ships, no matter their origin, could potentially be attacked. Italian merchants developed the habit of traveling with a convoy, which slowed exchanges significantly. Through the 14 th century The French and Scots had fleets of privateers in the Channel, and the east coast, the Isle of, Rye, and Winchelsea suffered from their raids, and later on they harried Portsmouth and the mouth, burning Gravesend

THE LAW, THE LAWLESS, AND THE OUTLAWS Admiralty law was introduced into England in the late 12 th century by the French Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine while acting as regent for her son, Richard the Lion heart The English Admiralty Supreme Court was created in 1360 and could prosecute and punish all maritime crime John Hawley of Dartmouth was a merchant and licensed privateer who briefly held the position of deputy to the Admiral of England under Henry IV. He organized the defense of Dartmouth in 1404 against a Breton fleet. Later, while “fulfilling his commission” to hunt down pirates, he lined his own pockets by attacking French, Spanish, and Italian ships. English vessels were not spared if there weren’t witnesses. Henry Paye or Arripaye was a privateer and a smuggler from Poole, Dorset, who became a commander in the Cinque Ports fleet. He led naval raids long the coast of France and Spain, from Normandy to the Bay of Biscay. He burnt towns to the ground, took hostages for ransom, raided churches. He also helped quell the Welsh revolts ( ). Today, he is celebrated annually in Poole every June.

HENRYS VS. PIRATES Henry IV ( ) Agreement with Spain and France to stop hiring privateers Started issuing marquees to pirates against other pirates: trade became extremely dangerous Henry V ( ) Piracy was declared treason 2 years after outlawing privateering, followed in Henry IV’s steps Henry VIII ( ) Stringent law in 1536 In the first 2 years, more pirates were executed than in the preceding 3 centuries

A DRAMATIC SHIFT Although pirates were still present up until Victorian times (especially in Cornwall, in the West), pirate activity diminished dramatically in the 16 th century. There’s an obvious reason for this. WHY?