Bart Roberts Ensign

Ever wanted to make Forbes top 10 or 20 list? The hardworking pirate Black Bart’s success in the early 1700’s was enough for him to make the #5 spot on the Forbes top 20 highest earning pirates almost 300 years after his death.  By the time Bartholomew died in 1722, he had plundered close to $32 million. As was the case for most pirates however, this money went out as fast as it came.  Why?  Live for today, for tomorrow we die was the philosophy - life was short as a pirate, a short and ‘merry’ life indeed. Bartholomew Roberts began his sea faring career as a normal sailor around the age of 13. Born in Wales, UK he grew up in an island nation wholly familiar and extremely adept at cruising the seas and in naval trade.  With most of his life spent at sea, by the time he reached his mid 30’s, he had gained a good sense of the trade and was a navigator aboard a slave ship named Princess.  This ship was captured by the pirate Howell Davis in 1719 and Bart Roberts was among the few men spar