The fall of 1718 was not a good one for Stede Bonnet, the “Gentleman Pyrate”. Actually, it was a bad time for a whole lot o’pyrates: That November, Charles Town held 13 trials for 58 accused pyrates.
Psst: If ye need to catch up with this plunder, Part I is here: Pyrates and Charles Town: The Mass Executions of 1718 – Part I
It must have been a very busy autumn indeed. Preparing for the trials, housing the accused, feeding the accused, and re-acquiring some of the accused —
Oh, aye, some of the accused buggered off. On October 24, 1718, Stede Bonnet and David Herriot managed to escape from the private house where they were being held. Allegedly aided by a local merchant, Bonnet and Herriot made their way in a small boat to Sullivan’s Island. Unfortunately (for the pyrates), bad weather forced them to take shelter and wait out the storms.
Sidenote: Legend has it that Bonnet or Herriot, or perhaps both, were disguised as women for the escape.
Alas, whatever the plan was, after a brief manhunt, Stede was recaptured on November 6 and returned to Charles Town for trial. The escaped pyrates did put up a fight, though, in which Herriot was killed. Colonel Rhett, the pyrate hunter who had initially captured Bonnet at Cape Fear, was the one to re-capture him.
On November 10, Bonnet’s trial commenced, presided over by Judge Nicholas Trott. Despite his “gentlemen” status and past life as a respectable plantation owner, Stede was found guilty and sentenced to hang.
Sidenote: Judge Nicholas Trott of South Carolina was the nephew of former Governor Nicholas Trott of New Providence, Nassau, Bahamas. Gov. Trott was said to be “friendly” to pyrates during his tenure in New Providence. Henry Avery’s last confirmed sighting was in the Bahamas while he and his crew were the “guests” of Trott while they were on the run.
Mid-November brought even more excitement to Charles Town when the survivors of pyrate captain Richard Worley’s crew were captured and tried. This, while the hangings had begun: On November 8th, 29 pyrates from Bonnet’s crew were hanged at White Point Gardens in Charles Town.
On November 21st Worley’s crew were tried (in two trials) with 19 found guilty and five discharged. These 19 pyrates were hanged just a few days later.
Five weeks. 13 Trials. 58 accused. 49 hanged. It was a very dark and stormy autumn in Charles Town that year.
If’n yer interested in plunderin’ more about the Charles Town pyrate trials of 1718, Bootstrap Ginny says try these spots:
The Pirate Executions of 1718 | Charleston County Public Library
More Charles Town plunder to come…Until then, fair winds!
Virginia Chandler 
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