Charlotte de Berry
Encyclopedia
Charlotte de Berry was a (possibly fictional) female pirate captain.
In her mid to late teens she fell in love with a sailor
and, against her parents' will, married him. Disguised as a man, she followed him on board his ship and fought alongside him. 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 his wife's help. The officer finally accused Charlotte's husband of mutiny
, of which he was found guilty based on an officer's word against that of a common sailor. He was punished by being flog
ged through the fleet, which, as the officer had hoped, killed him. The officer then made advances towards Charlotte, which she refused. The next time they were in port she killed the officer and sneaked away, dressing again as a woman and working on the docks.
While de Berry worked on the docks, 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
. To escape her new husband, who was a brutal rapist and tyrant, de Berry gained the respect of the crew and persuaded them to mutiny. In revenge, she decapitated her husband and became captain of the ship.
After years of pirating, de Berry fell in love with a Spaniard. However, they were shipwrecked after days of hunger, they drew straws to see who would be eaten first, unfortunately, it was de Berry's husband. 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 husband. No one knows if she survived or not.
's History of the Pirates, a "penny dreadful
" or "penny blood" - cheap stories with a fairly gory or shocking theme written to entertain the masses.
Although Lloyd intended his readers to take the story of de Berry seriously, it is difficult to believe that any part of it is true, many of the incidents and events mentioned strain credulity - exactly the kind of thing one would expect to find in a penny dreadful, and nothing like the genuine stories of pirates from the mid-seventeenth century. Many of the incidents included in the story have similar parallels with other events and stories floating around in the early 19th century, and it is the lack of credibility of Lloyd's story, together with the total and utter lack of any evidence whatsoever prior to 1836, which can lead to the conclusion that Charlotte de Berry is entirely fictional and was invented in the early 19th century to provide subject matter for cheap, shocking literature.
Since 1836 de Berry's story has appeared in print in a number of books, but in every case it is a re-telling of the 1836 yarn.
In her mid to late teens she fell in love with a sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
and, against her parents' will, married him. Disguised as a man, she followed him on board his ship and fought alongside him. 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 his wife's help. The officer finally accused Charlotte's husband of mutiny
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
, of which he was found guilty based on an officer's word against that of a common sailor. He was punished by being flog
Flagellation
Flagellation or flogging is the act of methodically beating or whipping the human body. Specialised implements for it include rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails and the sjambok...
ged through the fleet, which, as the officer had hoped, killed him. The officer then made advances towards Charlotte, which she refused. The next time they were in port she killed the officer and sneaked away, dressing again as a woman and working on the docks.
While de Berry worked on the docks, a captain of a merchant ship
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
saw her and kidnapped her. He forced de Berry to marry him and took her away on his trip to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. To escape her new husband, who was a brutal rapist and tyrant, de Berry gained the respect of the crew and persuaded them to mutiny. In revenge, she decapitated her husband and became captain of the ship.
After years of pirating, de Berry fell in love with a Spaniard. However, they were shipwrecked after days of hunger, they drew straws to see who would be eaten first, unfortunately, it was de Berry's husband. 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 husband. No one knows if she survived or not.
Background
The earliest known reference to Charlotte de Berry comes from 1836, two centuries after her birth, when she appeared in Edward LloydEdward Lloyd (publisher)
Edward Lloyd was a British publisher.Born in Thornton Heath, Lloyd studied shorthand at the London Mechanics' Institution, then wrote a book on stenography. Before he was eighteen, he had opened shops in London to sell cheap books and valentines.From 1835, he began publishing cheap books, many...
's History of the Pirates, a "penny dreadful
Penny Dreadful
A penny dreadful was a type of British fiction publication in the 19th century that usually featured lurid serial stories appearing in parts over a number of weeks, each part costing an penny...
" or "penny blood" - cheap stories with a fairly gory or shocking theme written to entertain the masses.
Although Lloyd intended his readers to take the story of de Berry seriously, it is difficult to believe that any part of it is true, many of the incidents and events mentioned strain credulity - exactly the kind of thing one would expect to find in a penny dreadful, and nothing like the genuine stories of pirates from the mid-seventeenth century. Many of the incidents included in the story have similar parallels with other events and stories floating around in the early 19th century, and it is the lack of credibility of Lloyd's story, together with the total and utter lack of any evidence whatsoever prior to 1836, which can lead to the conclusion that Charlotte de Berry is entirely fictional and was invented in the early 19th century to provide subject matter for cheap, shocking literature.
Since 1836 de Berry's story has appeared in print in a number of books, but in every case it is a re-telling of the 1836 yarn.