Edward Teach

About

Best known as Blackbeard, he was one of the most infamous pirates in history. He sailed the Caribbean and the Atlantic coast of North America, torturing merchant ship crewmen and stealing cargo. He blockaded ports including Charleston, South Carolina. He named his most famous ship Queen Anne's Revenge.

Before Fame

He served England as a privateer until turning to piracy in 1713. He initially teamed up with pirate Ben Hornigold.

Trivia

He often dressed in black and used psychological tactics, including lighting fuses in his hat and beard. He was killed by Lieutenant Robert Maynard. He was decapitated and his head was displayed as a warning.

Family Life

Mary Ormond was named as his wife in a letter from a 20th century member of the Ormond family. There is no contemporaneous evidence of the marriage.

Associated With

Actor Ian McShane portrayed him in the 2011 film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.