Unfortunately for him, the Kingston had been taken within sight of Port Royal, where outraged merchants outfitted bounty hunters to go after him. The Kingston had a rich cargo, and promised to be a big score for Rackham and his crew. In December, he captured the merchant ship Kingston. Rogers had been sent to the Bahamas to address the problem of pirates in the Caribbean who had started to attack and steal from British ships. In 1719, Rackham sailed into Nassau in the Bahamas, taking advantage of a general amnesty for pirates to obtain a royal pardon and commission from Governor Woodes Rogers.
They made several conquests in the West Indies, taking a couple of large ships off Bermuda. He and his crew captured the Kingston, a small Jamaican vessel, and made it their flagship. Rackham made a career of plundering small vessels close to shore once he became captain. Rackham gave Vane and his fifteen supporters the other ship in the fleet, along with a decent supply of ammunition and goods. On 24 November 1718, Rackham called a vote in which the men branded Vane a coward and removed him from the captaincy, making Calico Jack the next captain. Vane declared that the captain's decision is considered final and despite the overwhelming support for Rackham's cry to fight they fled the man-of-war. Of the approximately ninety-one men on the ship, only fifteen supported Vane in his decision. In addition, he argued, if they captured the ship, it would place a much larger ship at their disposal. Jack Rackham quickly spoke up and contested the decision, suggesting that they fight the man-of-war because it would have plenty of riches. Vane commanded a retreat from battle, claiming caution as his reason. The ship was at least twice as large as Vane's brigantine, and it immediately pursued them. Vane and his crew robbed several ships outside New York City, then encountered a large French man-of-war. The first record of him is as quartermaster on Charles Vane's brigantine Ranger in 1718, operating out of New Providence island in the Bahamas, which was a notorious base for pirates known as the " Pirates' republic". Little is known of Rackham's upbringing or early life, except that he was English and born around 1682.
Calico jack trial#
After a short run, Rackham was captured by Jonathan Barnet, an English privateer, in 1720, put on trial by Sir Nicholas Lawes, Governor of Jamaica, and hanged in November of that year in Port Royal, Jamaica. Their new crew included Mary Read, who was disguised as a man at the time. He returned to piracy in 1720 by stealing a British sloop and Anne joined him. He accepted the King's Pardon in 1719 and moved to New Providence, where he met Anne Bonny, who was married to James Bonny at the time. Rackham deposed Charles Vane from his position as captain of the sloop Ranger, then cruised the Leeward Islands, Jamaica Channel and Windward Passage. He is most remembered for having two female crew members: Mary Read and his lover, Anne Bonny. Rackham was active towards the end (1718–1720) of the " Golden Age of Piracy". His nickname was derived from the calico clothing that he wore, while Jack is a nickname for "John". John Rackham (26 December 1682 – 18 November 1720), commonly known as Calico Jack, was an English pirate captain operating in the Bahamas and in Cuba during the early 18th century. Several vessels, most famously the Kingston (briefly)
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