The confederacy of pirates in early seventeenth century southwest Ireland : trade plunder and settlement : a historical and archaeological study

Abstract

This study of piracy in the early part of the seventeenth century in southwest Ireland combined the disciplines of history, archaeology and cartography. Contemporary documentary and printed sources combined with secondary sources were researched to inform on the places frequented by the pirates, the goods plundered and traded, the facilities available to them and the ships they sailed and lost. Cartographic sources, not least a rediscovered Dutch ‘anti-pirate’ chart from 1612, were also assessed to inform on the landscape from that time in which they functioned. This information in turn was used to trace potential archaeological remains on the ground, for both the pirates and those who aided and abetted with them. Other sources too were utilised including geographic and taxonomic details pertaining to the part of the coast being looked at and this was supported by local knowledge that frequently clarified historical accounts, confirmed the use of known sites within the landscape and led to the locating of new ones. The archaeological survey consisted of terrestrial, foreshore and underwater survey. It followed the trail of the pirates within the known southwestern landscape, focusing on the main harbours of Baltimore, Leamcon and Crookhaven. It looked at this landscape from the seaward, from the pirate’s perspective and followed their movements on the ground and on the sea by using the information from the historical and cartographic sources. This approach lent itself well to reinterpreting areas within the coastal landscape, with a suggested reassessment offered of the landing place of the Algerine pirates who raided the town of Baltimore in 1631, and with new archaeological evidence presented to support this argument. Recorded sites mentioned in the historical accounts associated with contemporary government officials known for colluding with the pirates were assessed, including castles and fortified houses, estate features and industrial sites. New sites were identified during the course of the survey, a number of which can be directly tied in with associates of the pirates, and these include maritime facilities like quays, docks and mooring stones. Others were recorded that were not alone used for clandestine activity but are new categories of sites within the archaeological record. Specifically rock-cut steps with associated light niches and rock-cut platforms. Places documented for their use by the pirates for cleaning and repairing their ships were looked at and a number of careening sites identified. Shipwreck sites too are included that date to the period under study and arc located within the general area where pirate ships are recorded as being lost. The potential for these wrecks to be associated directly with the pirates of the time is discussed. A problem identified as a result of this study is the difficulty in positively identifying ‘pirate archaeology’. This is particularly so within a plantation landscape where many of the pirates were pardoned and settled. To positively date a site to the period of the pirates is similarly difficult, particularly in the absence of archaeological excavation, but equally so is distinguishing between settler archaeology and that of pirate archaeology, where at times both were one and the same. The methodology used for the study is presented as the best mechanism for advancing our understanding of the pirates within their given landscape and for future studies of these individuals and their activities. The historical sources and cartographic material used provided critical data that informed the archaeological survey. In turn the results of that provided a tangible link via sites identified to past illicit activity and places where the pirates operated. The study presents definitive findings in the form of archaeological sites and newly-interpreted historical accounts but also puts forward more questions. This creates the challenge necessary for further study in this regard and which will continue to expand our knowledge of this fascinating aspect of our past maritime heritage.