Talk:Bartholomew Roberts

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Contents 1 Black Bart 2 Vandalism 3 Confusing statement 4 Spelling and naming 5 Reference in Treasure Island 6 Largest fleet 7 Bad link 8 Why the addition to the "LGBT people from the United Kingdom" category? 9 LGBT Category 10 Infobox

[edit] Black Bart

In the first paragraph it notes how Roberts was also known as Black Bart, although not in his lifetime. However the welsh name; Barti Ddu translates into English as Black Bart, 'du' being the welsh word for black. The paragraph appears to imply that Barti Ddu is a translation of Bart Roberts, which indeed it is not. Perhaps it should be changed to show that this?

You are correct. The marker in his home town that reads BARTI DDU ("Black Bart") was placed there in the 20th century, after Hooson's poem was published. I have removed the notation from the lead sentence. Fumblebruschi 22:47, 18 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Vandalism

There appears to be some vandalism in the last paragraph in the section titled Brazil and the Carribean July 1719 - May 1720. 192.197.71.189 16:14, 22 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Confusing statement

In the "Early Life" section of this entry, the slave ship Bart is third mate of is referred to both as the "Princess of London" and the "Princess of London". Based on the discussion article below this one which states that "the Princess was taken at Anamaboe," I'm guessing that the ship's actual name is the Princess and that it originally sailed out of London, NOT that it's name is actually the Princess of London. If I'm incorrect, feel free to change this back. MoogleDan 16:17, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Spelling and naming

In this encyclopedia entry, places which still exist today are given their modern names rather than the name or spelling they were known as in A General History. For example, on page 230 Defoe relates that Roberts was born at Newey-bagh. This place still exists today but is currently known as Casnewydd-Bach [Little Newcastle]. On page 175, the Princess was taken at Anamaboe which was then a well-known slave port on the Gold Coast. That place, now a fishing port, still exists today but is currently known as Anomabu in Ghana. Cape Lopez, mentioned on page 224 et seq., still exists today in Gabon. (Its French name Cap Lopez.) Also note that in Defoe's day, Guiney did not refer to the country currently known as Guinea -- or to any one country -- but rather to the entire coastal region of West Africa running from Senegal at the north to Gabon at the south, which includes present-day Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.

[edit] Reference in Treasure Island

Long John Silver, one of the main character of Treasure_Island (the most celebrated novel about pirates, by Robert Louis Stevenson) says he was a pirate on the Roberts' Royal Fortune. Should we write that? gala.martin

Yes, please add it! --Awiseman 03:47, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

This is a mistake. Silver was treated by a surgeon who later served on the Royal Fortune, but Silver himself did not sail with Roberts, only with Edward England and the fictional Captain Flint. Pirate Dan 16:27, 30 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Largest fleet

It seems strange to say he was the most successful pirate for having 456 vessels, when Ching Shih had 2,000. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 194.47.119.57 (talk • contribs) .

Ching Shih wasn't really part of the Golden Age of Piracy, which is mostly Carribean. Maybe he should be added --Awiseman 20:17, 24 October 2006 (UTC)

Roberts is considered successful for robbing more than 400 vessels. Ching Shih had almost 2,000 vessels in her fleet, but no secondary source (at least in English) says how many vessels she managed to rob with that fleet. A difficult comparison to make in any case, since like many Chinese pirates Ching Shih plundered as much from coastal and river villages as from other vessels.

A reasonable argument can be made for Ching Shih as most succesful pirate ever, but by the measure of ships plundered, Roberts has the highest known total. - - Pirate Dan 16:33, 30 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Bad link

The first external link refers to a fictional book written by a crackpot who claimed to have channeled Roberts in a seance to record his memoirs. That doesn't belong here. --Zeality 07:10, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

I have removed it. Rhion 19:29, 24 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Why the addition to the "LGBT people from the United Kingdom" category?

84.144.85.20 added this page to the "LGBT people from the United Kingdom" category. However, I see no reference or cause to take this action. I recommend it be removed from this category. — SMULaw09 | (talk) 09:41, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] LGBT Category

Ok, I've waited more than a month with no objections to my removal of the LGBT tag. I'm going to remove it. — SMULaw09 | (talk) 05:40, 2 February 2007 (UTC)

There was a book published claiming that Roberts was actually a woman in disguise. Not the slightest evidence was offered, and the theory has no consensus behind it. Given that Roberts drew up articles specifically assessing the death penalty to anyone who smuggled a woman aboard in disguise, the idea that he was a woman himself is absurd. You were right to remove the category. --Pirate Dan 04:16, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

A BBC Wales radio programme suggested that as Roberts did not participate in the revelries at brothels, or take advantage of black women on the west African coast, that suggested that he might be homosexual. I think there is a book being published about him, elaborating this theory, written by Richard Sanders soon. Sars1983 02:40, 27 March 2007 (UTC) Sarah

It might have to be mentioned somewhere the homosexuality of Bart Roberts as said in Bart Roberts bedmate and possibly some other sources some one might want to look further... --OPeixe^(talk) 02:46, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Infobox

This article uses the Biography infobox. Why don't we use the Pirate infobox? If no one objects I will make this change in about a week when I get back in town from a wikibreak. Or someone else can do it before than. Deflagro 19:11, 15 June 2007 (UTC)

Done. Deflagro 19:22, 29 June 2007 (UTC)