You won’t find treasure maps or buried gold from Charles Vane’s Carolina coast operations in spring 1718. Historical records document that he captured twelve merchant vessels by April, including one brigantine carrying 90 enslaved people, but he immediately converted all plunder into supplies, weapons, and crew wages. Vane’s strategy prioritized fleet mobility through rapid redistribution of seized goods rather than hoarding wealth. Contemporary evidence shows he operated through intelligence about shipping lanes, not treasure hunts, though his broader career reveals darker patterns of brutality and defiance.
Key Takeaways
- Charles Vane shifted operations to the Carolina coastline by spring 1718, focusing on vulnerable merchant shipping lanes.
- By April 1718, Vane captured twelve merchant ships off Carolina, including a brigantine carrying 90 enslaved people.
- Vane operated without treasure maps, instead relying on intelligence about shipping routes and vulnerable vessels.
- In May 1718, Vane blockaded Charleston harbor entrance, seizing multiple vessels before evading colonial naval forces.
- Vane’s Carolina plundering involved coordinated attacks with quartermaster Yeates, who captained a seized warship.
The Pirate Captain’s Rise to Infamy
Charles Vane launched his pirate career in 1716 under the command of privateer Henry Jennings, participating in raids against Spanish salvage operations along Florida’s coast where crews recovered treasure from wrecked galleons.
You’ll find he shifted to independent command by summer 1717, demonstrating exceptional navigation and combat skills that set him apart. Within eighteen months, he’d established himself among Nassau’s premier pirate commanders through strategic pirate alliances and aggressive merchant vessel captures across Caribbean trade routes.
His operations stretched from Hispaniola to New York, though he operated without treasure maps—relying instead on intelligence about vulnerable shipping lanes. When Jennings accepted Governor Woodes Rogers’ pardon in 1718, Vane ascended to captain and refused the king’s clemency offer. He notably disrespected governor Woodes Rogers by brazenly attacking ships under the new administrator’s protection, escalating tensions between Nassau’s pirate population and colonial authorities.
Plundering the Carolina Coastline
By spring 1718, Vane’s ambitions shifted northward to the Carolina coastline, where heavily laden merchant vessels converged on Charleston’s harbor.
You’ll find his plundering tactics devastatingly effective—he’d captured twelve merchant ships by April, including a large brigantine carrying 90 enslaved people from Africa.
Vane’s coordination with quartermaster Yeates, whom he promoted to captain a captured warship, allowed simultaneous attacks across multiple targets.
Yeates’ promotion to captain created a deadly two-ship fleet capable of launching coordinated strikes across the Carolina waters.
This two-ship operation peaked during May’s blockade, when Vane, Blackbeard, and Bonnet seized vessels at the harbor entrance.
Charleston’s coastal defenses proved inadequate until Governor Bennett commissioned Colonel William Rhett’s armed sloops.
Though Vane’s superior seamanship allowed him to evade Rhett’s pursuit, coordinated colonial enforcement eventually drove these maritime wolves from Carolina waters by late 1718.
Vane’s crew successfully deceived Colonel Rhett by letting him overhear false discussions about sailing south, causing Rhett to pursue the wrong target and capture Stede Bonnet instead.
The Carolina region’s vulnerability stemmed from its weak proprietary government, which struggled to mount effective responses against organized pirate fleets.
Defying the King’s Mercy
When news of King George I’s pardon reached Nassau in 1718, Vane became one of the few pirate captains to openly reject royal clemency—a decision that set him apart from over half his contemporaries, including his former mentor Henry Jennings.
This pirate defiance manifested dramatically when he led Jacobite-leaning pirates in seizing Nassau’s fort from loyalists and raising the pirate flag in direct challenge to royal authority.
You’ll find that Vane continued recruiting after the pardon’s announcement, adding forty men to his crew including Edward England and Calico Jack Rackham.
By April 1718, he’d captured twelve merchant ships and upgraded to the twelve-gun brigantine Ranger.
Historical records document his brutal treatment of prisoners—torturing sailors who surrendered and cheating his own crew from their rightful plunder shares.
His brazen actions eventually caught the attention of HMS Phoenix, whose commander Vincent Pearse captured Vane and imprisoned him despite his claims of accepting pardon.
Governor Woodes Rogers placed a £100 bounty on Vane’s head following his refusal of the royal pardon.
The Hurricane That Changed Everything
In February 1719, you’ll find Vane’s pirating career abruptly ended when a hurricane struck the Bay of Honduras, wrecking his ships near the Bay Islands off British Honduras.
Contemporary accounts document that nearly his entire crew drowned, leaving Vane as one of the few survivors washed ashore on a small, uninhabited island.
He’d been separated from his associate Deal’s sloop during the storm, and historical records show he survived initially on local resources before turtle fishermen in canoes briefly aided him.
His isolation on the island proved ironic, as Vane had previously distinguished himself by refusing the king’s pardon when other pirates accepted clemency from authorities.
The stranding made Vane the sole survivor of what had been a formidable pirate crew just months after he’d rebuilt his fleet and notoriety following his earlier leadership challenges.
Bay of Honduras Wreck
During February 1719, while Vane navigated toward the Windward Passage, a fierce hurricane struck his two sloops near the Bay of Honduras. The storm’s fury drove both vessels onto an uncharted island, where most crew drowned in the violent seas.
Wreck discovery revealed catastrophic losses:
- Vane and one companion survived as sole witnesses to the devastation
- The shipwreck occurred on a tiny, uninhabited island in the Bay Islands
- No treasure recovery was documented from either vessel
- The location remained uncharted, complicating future salvage efforts
Vane’s survival tactics depended on resourcefulness. He subsisted on turtle and fish while stranded in desperate conditions. His crew had given him the sloop following disagreements that led to him being voted out as captain.
Local turtle fishermen in canoes eventually provided aid, though Vane remained “reduced to great straits for lack of necessaries” until rescue ships appeared.
Stranded After the Storm
As the hurricane’s winds subsided in February 1719, Charles Vane found himself cast upon a tiny, uninhabited island in the Bay of Honduras—one of two survivors from the catastrophic wreck that had claimed both his sloops and nearly all hands aboard.
His desperate survival depended entirely on island resources: turtle meat and fish became his sustenance in the days following the disaster.
Local turtle fishermen operating canoes provided day-by-day assistance, though Vane remained effectively marooned without means of departure.
The wrecked vessels yielded no salvageable supplies, forcing complete reliance on what the island and surrounding waters offered. Unlike the later Vane Brothers company that would establish deep-water operations at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor centuries later, Vane possessed no maritime infrastructure to facilitate his rescue from this desolate shore.
He’d wait in isolation until English ships arrived seeking fresh water—an opportunity that would ultimately seal his fate rather than secure his freedom.
Betrayal on a Remote Island
You’ll find Vane’s story took its darkest turn in the Bay of Honduras, where a 1719 hurricane wrecked his vessel and stranded him on a deserted island.
Historical records document that Captain Holford, commander of a passing merchant ship, recognized the infamous pirate despite his desperate circumstances.
Holford’s decision to leave Vane marooned rather than offer passage—then return months later to collect him as prisoner—sealed the pirate’s fate and led directly to his 1721 execution in Jamaica.
Shipwreck in Bay Honduras
In February 1719, a hurricane tore through the Bay of Honduras and wrecked Charles Vane’s sloop on an uninhabited island, killing nearly his entire crew. Vane’s shipwreck survival marked a dramatic turn from commanding pirate captain to desperate castaway.
The island isolation left him stranded on a small, uncharted fisherman’s island in the Bay Islands area, facing starvation without regular aid.
His circumstances included:
- Remote location off Honduras coast with no vessels for escape
- Sporadic assistance from local turtle hunters traveling by canoe
- Subsistence on fish, bananas, and whatever hunters provided
- Prolonged marooned state awaiting rescue ships
Days stretched into weeks as Vane endured this precarious existence, vulnerable and dependent on others’ generosity—a stark contrast to his former life commanding the seas.
Holford’s Fateful Recognition
Captain Holford’s vessel arrived at the island sometime in early 1720, bringing an unexpected end to Vane’s exile. You’ll find historical records document how this former acquaintance immediately recognized Vane despite his attempts at concealment.
The betrayal dynamics between these maritime figures shifted catastrophically when Holford chose authority over their previous cooperative relationship. Recognition consequences proved swift and irreversible—Holford’s identification led directly to Vane’s apprehension and removal from the remote location where he’d sought refuge.
Contemporary accounts detail how Vane’s fear-driven isolation strategy ultimately failed. His capture eliminated any remaining freedom to evade pursuing authorities.
Following this fateful encounter, Vane faced hasty trial proceedings on March 22nd, 1720, culminating in capital punishment. Holford’s actions permanently severed Vane’s maritime operations and sealed his documented fate.
The Final Reckoning at Port Royal
After months adrift following his deposition in November 1718, Vane’s fortunes collapsed when a merchant ship rescued him near the New York coast in February 1719.
Captain Holford recognized the notorious pirate and promptly imprisoned him, delivering Vane to British authorities at Port Royal, Jamaica.
Vane’s final judgment arrived after approximately one year of confinement:
- British colonial courts tried him for piratical operations spanning 1715-1719
- He refused to express remorse during proceedings, maintaining his defiant stance
- Authorities sentenced him to death by hanging following his conviction
On March 29, 1721, executioners hanged Vane at Gallows Point.
Port Royal authorities displayed his body in an iron gibbet beside Jack Rackham’s remains at Rackham’s Cay, sending an unmistakable warning to pirates operating in Jamaican waters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Happened to the Treasure Vane Plundered From Carolina Coast Ships?
You’ll find Vane’s quartermaster Yeats absconded with most treasure and 90 enslaved people, creating enduring pirate legends. Vane cheated his remaining crew from fair shares, while mystery ships’ plundered cargo vanished into historical records, leaving minimal documented evidence of its final distribution.
Did Charles Vane Bury Any Treasure Along the Carolina Coastline?
Did Vane’s pirates stash hidden loot somewhere coastal? You’ll find no documented evidence they did. Historical records (1716-1721) show Vane immediately distributed plundered Carolina goods among crew members rather than burying treasure for later recovery.
Was Any of Vane’s Carolina Treasure Ever Recovered or Found?
No verified records document treasure hunters recovering Vane’s treasure from Carolina waters. Historical sources confirm his plunder sank during the 1719 Honduras hurricane. You’ll find no authenticated discoveries despite persistent legends surrounding possible burial sites.
What Was the Estimated Value of Goods Stolen During Carolina Raids?
Records don’t specify exact estimated losses from Vane’s Carolina raids separately, but they contributed notably to his total pirate wealth of approximately £120,000 (roughly $3.3 million today), ranking him among era’s successful pirates.
Where Did Vane Hide His Plunder Between Carolina and New York?
Dead men tell no tales, but records reveal you’ll find no documented evidence of Vane’s Hideouts between Carolina and New York. Coastal Legends persist, yet archival sources confirm plunder locations remain unverified—leaving you free to imagine possibilities history couldn’t preserve.
References
- https://www.thewayofthepirates.com/famous-pirates/charles-vane/
- https://blog.pirateshowcancun.com/pirate-charles-vane/
- https://www.charlestonpirates.com/charles_vane.html
- https://www.worldhistory.org/Charles_Vane/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qd3Jg4r86s
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Vane
- https://greaterdiversity.com/blackbeard-and-beyond-famous-pirates-on-the-n-c-coast/
- https://pirates.fandom.com/wiki/Charles_Vane
- https://waynesavage.com/charles-vane/
- https://pirates.hegewisch.net/whosvane.html
