Charlotte de Berry
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This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (October 2007) |
| Charlotte de Berry | |
|---|---|
| 1636 - Unknown | |
| Type: | Pirate |
| Place of birth: |  England |
| Place of death: | Unknown |
| Allegiance: | Pirate |
| Rank: | Captain |
| Base of Operations: | Caribbean Sea |
Charlotte de Berry (1636 - Unknown) was born in 1636 in England. In her mid to late teens she fell in love with a sailor and, against her parents' will, married him. Disguised herself as a man she followed him on board his ship and fought alongside him bravely. Her true identity was discovered by an officer who kept this knowledge to himself, wanting de Berry. He assigned her husband to the most dangerous jobs which he survived, thanks to de Berry volunteering to help him. The officer finally accused Charlotte's husband of mutiny which he was found guilty of, based on an officer's word against a common sailor. He was punished by being flogged through the fleet. It killed him as the officer expected. The officer then made advances towards Charlotte which she refused. Next time they were in port she killed the officer and sneaked away dressing again as a woman and working on the docks.
While she worked a captain of a merchant ship saw her and kidnapped her. He forced de Berry to marry him and took her away on his trip to Africa. A brutal rapist and dictator de Berry gained the respect of the crew and persuaded them to mutiny. Taking her revenge she decapitated her captain husband and became captain of the ship. After years of pirating she fell in love with a Spaniard. They were shipwrecked however and her husband died (some say due to cannibalism) leaving her heartbroken. The survivors of her crew were rescued by a Dutch ship and when that ship was attacked by pirates they bravely defended their rescuers. While the others celebrated victory Charlotte jumped overboard in order to join her dead husbands and so died.
The date of Charlotte's death is unknown but she was still quite young when she died.
[edit] References
- Platt, Richard. Eyewitness Guide to Pirates, London, 1995. ISBN 0 7153 6035 X
- Lloyd, Edward. History of the Pirates, April 30th, 1836.
