Samuel "Black Sam" Bellamy
I have always loved stories involving pirates and lost treasure. This story is particularly interesting to me, since it involves Massachusetts, where I am from, and Port St. Joe, FL where I now live. I can see Black's Island on a regular basis and always wonder what artifacts could be found in and around that island.
The Rise of the Prince: From Devonshire to the Black Flag
Born in Devonshire, England, around 1689, Samuel Bellamy began his maritime career as a lawful sailor. His pivot to piracy was driven by a classic motive: love. Seeking a fortune to impress Maria Hallett, his sweetheart in Cape Cod, Bellamy first attempted to salvage Spanish treasure off the Florida coast. When the wrecks yielded nothing, he turned to the black flag to secure his wealth.
Bellamy was no ordinary brigand. Known as the "Prince of Pirates," he was celebrated for his charisma, fine clothing, and democratic leadership. He famously championed personal liberty, stating:
"I am a free prince, and I have as much authority to make war on the whole world as he who has a hundred guns at sea."
The Florida Sanctuary: Black’s Island
Before his most famous exploits in the Atlantic, Bellamy found a strategic sanctuary in Port St. Joe, Florida. A 10-acre teardrop of land in St. Joseph Bay now bears his name: Black’s Island.
- Strategic Hideout: The island’s deep-water harbor allowed Bellamy to careen his ships—tipping them to scrub the hulls—while staying hidden from Spanish patrols.
- The Legend of the Cache: Local lore suggests Bellamy used the island as a staging ground and a place to cache earlier plundered silver before heading north.
- A Tropical Vision: Some historians believe Bellamy intended to return to this specific Gulf Coast paradise to settle down with Maria once his pirating days were done.
The Whydah and the Perfect Storm
Bellamy’s greatest achievement was the capture of the Whydah Gally in February 1717. This state-of-the-art galley was laden with ivory, gold, and silver. However, his reign was tragically short. Just two months later, in April 1717, a violent nor’easter struck off the coast of Cape Cod. The heavily weighted Whydah capsized, claiming the lives of Bellamy and 143 of his crew.
The wreckage was rediscovered in 1984, remaining the only fully authenticated pirate shipwreck ever found. There is a Pirate Museum on Cape Cod with the ships artifacts.