Blackbeard was an awful bollox. He made a right nuisance of himself as he roamed the high seas robbing and killing and belching and farting. His real name was allegedly Edward Thatch (or Teach), but that is not conclusive. Very little is known about his early life, or indeed his real family name. Reputedly a former British naval man, he became a pirate when the Royal Navy had no further use for him. In a career that lasted only 2 years, Blackbeard rampaged across the Caribbean plundering and looting. He was eventually stopped on 21st November, 1718, after a ferocious battle with the British commandeered sloop, Jane. It was a badly depleted crew under the command of Lieutenant Robert Maynard who ended the career of perhaps the most notorious of all of the many pirates that operated in the region.

Blackbeard was estimated to have been between 35-40…