PAGE 2A | BEACH NEWS | AUGUST 3, 2006 | VOL 33, NO 12 BEACHNEWSNH.COM . Of Pirates and Poets along the Seacoast BY JOHN HIRTLE reknown poet Celia Thaxter, as well as Nathaniel Hawthorne SPECIAL TO THE BEACH NEWS and Oscar Laighton, which links a scoundrel of a Shoaler, hen one speaks of tall ships sailing the ocean blue Philip Babb, to the privateer turned pirate. Alas, the tales of often the next image which comes to mind is that Babb finding Kidd's treasure, being part of the pirate crew, or Wof pirates who prowled the seven seas. Despite the that his ghost stalks the islands are exactly that- grand stories adventure and romance often associated with these told by the masters. The notorious Babb passed away in 1671, rogues in popular culture, only a handful ever made it peacefully in his sleep on the islands. Captain William Kidd on the other hand did not receive his commission as a privateer to the chilly waters off of New Hampshire. Indeed, SMUTTYNOSE — Of all the Isles of Shoals, the only ‘pirate’ most pirates in these waters started off as privateers, until 1696, and met his end at the gallows in 1702. treasure ever found was at Smuttynose, where three silver a sort of licensed pirate who could legally hunt down Of the three real pirates, Blackbeard captures one's bars were unearthed under a rock. Lunging, White, and Star and seize enemy (in this case non-British) ships imagination. A monster of a man in his prime, he would have also been suggested as spots where treasure is hidden. without fear of being executed as pirates. Alas, a put slow-burning matches in his trademark beard to — Beach News Photo by John Hirtle few of these privateers crossed the line and create a halo of smoke about his person as became pirates, menacing all who sailed the he attacked and boarded his victims. Many beard. Commissioned as a privateer in Boston as part of the seas, former friend and foe alike. legends surround him and his career, among crew on the brig Charles, he soon assumed command when the Perhaps twenty in all roved the waters off the them being his honeymoon to the islands with his last ship's captain died. Persuaded by his crew that piracy was Seacoast's scenic beaches in the 1600's and (and perhaps fifteenth) bride. The honeymoon seems more profitable than privateering, he turned pirate and was 1700's, including the infamous Captain William to have taken place in 1720 on Smuttynose, but it rather successful at it before being captured and executed in Kidd, and Captain Edward Teach, better was cut short as a fleet of British warships was sight- 1704. Like Blackbeard and Scott, he chose the Isles of Shoals known as the notorious Blackbeard. But for the ed, and Blackbeard sailed away, never to return, leav- as a safe spot to hide his ill-gotten wealth. most part, the pirate fleets of old stayed far ing his bride behind. The British would What of the buried treasures, you may ask? Little has been to the south, closer to the rich prizes on the eventually catch up with Blackbeard and decapi- found amongst the rocky landscape of these wind-swept Spanish Main, the Carribean or the Indian Ocean. tate him in a bloody battle. According to Island tradition, islands, much less reported by the now departed freedom-lov- For better or worse, the Isles of Shoals off the New Hamp- Blackbeard's bride died in 1735, and her ghost wanders the ing inhabitants of the islands. The sole story of treasure comes shire coast became associated with these pirates. Today, a reli- island saying to those who see her "He will come again.", a turn from Smuttynose, the island that Blackbeard honeymooned on. gious retreat and marine labratory dominate the islands with of phrase adopted by the Pelicans (the Christian youths who There, around 1820 a Captain Samuel Haley found four silver a few privately owned homes, but before the American Revolu- help run the religious conferences) on Star Island who bade bars under a flat rock. As a leading citizen on the island, he tion, the islands were reknown for their frontier-like rowdiness, farewell to visitors leaving the island, intoning "You will come chose to invest the treasure in building the Haley Breakwater, which one could consider as a stain on the pure-white Puritan again." which connects Smuttynose to the smaller Malaga Island, to towns which dominated the region. While no islander was ever Captain Scott was an associate of Blackbeard's and most provide shelter for vessels coming to call at the island. Those found guilty of piracy, you can bet that they did not mind the likely handled the business end of things during the Honey- ships are long gone, and his breakwater now provides shelter company of those rogues too much. moon, for during their visit it is said a treasure was buried out for a small sandy beach on the uninhabited island. Three pirates are known to have landed at the islands: on the islands, and a lass (perhaps Blackbeard's own wife) was As for the rest of the ill-gotten treasures, they lay buried in Blackbeard, Scott and Quelch. A fourth, Captain Kidd is attrib- sworn to keep it safe until his return. reality or in imagination amidst the desolate landscape of uted to have landed there in a tale spun by the Islands' Captain John Quelch was certainly not as colorful as Black- these windswept islands.