Salty Sam’s Fun Blog for Children
Post Number 40
The History of Pirates
Last week, l was telling you about four of the pirates that frequent these waters: Barnacle Bob who lives in Rocky Bay Creek with his cabin boy Jim on their pirate vessel Black Jack and their arch rival Jolly Roger who sails up and down this coastline seeing what trouble he can cause generally.
Then there is also Calico Jack who runs the local pirate station.
These pirates may be troublesome enough in these parts, but in spite of all their naughtiness they don’t seem nearly as bad as some of the pirates of yore.
A pirate is really a robber that travels by water. The Golden Age of Piracy was from 1650-1720 but there were pirates long before this in very ancient times.
Famous pirates then were Blackbeard (Edward Teach), Captain Kidd (William Kidd) and Henry Morgan, to name just three.
Another name for a pirate is buccaneer.
Buccaneers lived in the Caribbean. They started to take gold and silver, emeralds and pearls from Spanish treasure ships with official backing (permission) but then decided to start taking everything for themselves. They had become pirates.
They also took other things that they needed like food and medicines, soap and rum, tools and equipment. Sometimes they even took people to join their crews.
The crews voted on who they wanted to be their captain; he was usually the best fighter.
All captured booty was shared out as fairly as possible amongst the crew.
They kept a special hoard of treasure as a sort of ‘insurance’ that would be used if any pirate was injured or sick and needed extra help.
Women were not allowed on pirate ships, so if they wanted to join they would disguise themselves in men’s clothing.
Pirates were very mean to their enemies and if they didn’t like them they would make them walk the plank!
But if the people on a ship surrendered to the pirates once they had seen their pirate flag, the pirates often didn’t kill them. They just boarded the ship and took what they wanted.
Pirates took no prisoners!
Do you ever play at being pirates? Bill and Bob love it.
Bye bye everyone – don’t forget to subscribe to my blog!
Love and kisses
Bill and Bob’s Joke of the Week
Bob: Do you know how much it costs for a pirate to buy his earrings?
Bill: No. How much does it cost?
Bob: A buccaneer!
Salty Sam © Christina Sinclair 2015
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of material from this blog without express and written permission from this blog’s author and owner is strictly prohibited.
Links may be used to www.christina-sinclair.com
An emerald – the most expensive of all the gems
Pirates started operating when there was something worth stealing from boats –
probably in the times of the Ancient Greeks, Romans and Phoenicians
(A model of a mediaeval boat carrying barrels)
Pirates used to keep their treasure locked up in chests
Grace O’Malley was a female pirate – she was born in Ireland in about 1530
Anne Bonny dressed in man’s clothes in order to join a pirate ship
She was born in Ireland in 1698
Edward Teach who was also known as Blackbeard was known to twist pieces of lit fuse in his hair during battles so that his face was surrounded by smoke to create a frightening image – at six feet five inches tall, people were terrified of him!
A picture of Captain Kidd after his execution
The bodies of the executed where put on display to warn others to behave themselves!
Gibbets were measured for prisoners so that they would be an exact fit before they were executed – they were made by blacksmiths
The River Thames was a busy river with international trade and so attracted smugglers and pirates from the middle ages to the 18th century especially around Wapping and Shad Thames. Captain Kidd was executed at Execution Dock in 1701. His body was left hanging in the River Thames for three high tides and then tarred and gibbeted.
(An example of a gibbet in The Clink Museum)
Execution Dock was near a pub called The Devil’s Tavern which is now called The Prospect of Whitby – here people can have lunch overlooking the River Thames
Port of London police helmet 1932
In 1798 The Marine Police Force was founded
It operated on the River Thames and was the first organized police force
In 1839 it became the Thames Division of the London Metropolitan Police
THE SALTY SAM NEWS DESK
Well, the waves have been crashing around my lighthouse home in the stormy weather this week and the wind has been howling past my windows. I haven’t been over to the mainland at all.
Bill and Bob have been staying inside in the warm as well. But they have been keeping themselves busy.
They have been preparing questions for their team for their next Friday afternoon class quiz. Yes, there is another exciting contest coming up soon!
The theme that their teacher Miss Pringle has set this time is ‘parts of objects’.
Bill, Bob and Henry wanted their questions to be really difficult so that they can try and outsmart the other teams!
See if you can answer their questions…
What objects are these a part of?
- tongue and teeth
Covent Garden, London with large hanging mistletoe decorations
I expect that you have already started to think about making presents and decorations for Christmas.
If you would like to see lots of ideas that I have collected together for you, then check out my Winter Festivities Pinboard at:
TO ADVERTISE ON THIS BLOG
Can you un-jumble these pirate words?
- olljy rgeor
- eriatp hspi
- tobtel fo mur
- shcet fo olgd
- kalw hte lpnak
BLOW MY FOGHORN!!!
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lt’s the Weekend!
HOW TO MAKE A PLASTlC CANVAS BOX
If you need a place to store your treasures, here is an idea to try out.
Cut four squares or rectangles out of plastic canvas the size you want your box to be.
Then cut out a base to match the sides.
(The base can be square and the sides of the box rectangles.)
Cut another square or rectangle two rows larger width-ways and length-ways than the base. This will be the top of the lid.
Cut four strips as long as the sides of the top of the lid and then as wide as you want them to be.
Check all your measurements carefully before you start cutting to make sure that you will have enough canvas.
When counting your rows before cutting, thread little lengths of left over yarn along where you want your cutting lines to be and then double check you have counted properly before you start cutting. Looking at all those squares can make you a bit boggled-eyed so it is best to check.
It is usually better to have an odd number of holes the length and width of a panel (because canvas work stitches are mostly worked in odd numbers) and also to work with lengths of yarn that are not too long otherwise they get scuffed at being pulled through the canvas so many times.
Cut some pieces of fabric 1½cm/¾ inch larger than the panels if you wish to line the box.
Use canvas work stitches and tapestry wool to cover your box. You will need a needle large enough to take yarn and a sewing needle.
If wool makes you itchy or makes you sneeze, you can use knitting yarns which will be cheaper than tapestry wool.
Embroider the panels using any design you like and any colours you like. Start counting out from the centre of your canvas before you begin. If the stitch you want to use won’t fit exactly into the panel size, just stitch a plain border around the outside.
If you don’t know how to do canvas work, borrow a book that has some patterns in it from the library.
When all the panels are covered, construct your box by using over-sew stitches. Sew the sides to the base first and then sew up the sides. Over-sew along the top edge as well. All the plastic should now be covered.
Construct another box in fabric. Turn it inside out and sew the edges of the fabric to the edges of the box and lid tucking the fabric edges under as you go to neaten. You can pin into place first to ensure that the lining sits straight inside the box.
This makes a lovely present for someone if you fill it with cotton wool balls, make up remover pads or a bag of small soaps.
The boxes pictured below are in a nest of three. The photos will give you ideas of stitches and patterns to use. Plan everything carefully before you start cutting your canvas and don’t try to be too ambitious to start with. You don’t have to line them.
The colours used on these boxes are powder blue, light air force blue, duck egg green, white and silver.
If you think that making a box will be too difficult as a first project, then you could start by making a coaster.
Choose the canvas work stitch you would like to use before you cut the plastic canvas to fit the design.
- These coasters are made on pieces of plastic canvas 31 holes by 31 holes.
- It is important that the back of the stitching is as flat as possible.
- A backing of another plain piece of canvas of the same size is stitched in place around the rim.
- You will need one sheet of canvas for two coasters.
The first coaster is Rice Stitch. Dark pink yarn is used on top of white and pale pink is used between the crosses.
Come up on the odd numbers and down on the even numbers.
The stitches are worked over a section of canvas which is 5 by 5 holes.
(A five by five hole square)
The second coaster is also Rice Stitch but uses two shades of green to create a different design. White yarn is used over the top of the green yarns and yellow yarn is used for the edging.
The third coaster design uses three shades of yarn and Double Straight Cross Stitch with Cross Stitch in the corners.
Come up on the odd numbers and down on the even numbers.
(A five by five hole square)
You may not want to put coffee cups on your work, but use your coasters to put ornaments on.
Please note that the material on this blog is for personal use or for use in classrooms only.
It is a copyright infringement and, therefore, illegal under international law to sell items made with these patterns.
Use of the toys and projects on all of these blogs is at your own risk.
©Christina Sinclair Designs 2015
Answers to the News Desk Quiz
- chess set
- light bulb
- door or lid
A chess pawn
Black lapels on a white jacket
A filament lights up inside a light bulb
Quick Quiz Answers
- olljy rgeor – Jolly Roger
- eriatp hspi – pirate ship
- tobtel fo mur – bottle of rum
- shcet fo olgd – chest of gold
- kalw hte lpnak – walk the plank
- srarenig – earrings
Walking the plank