The ''Queen Anne's Revenge''

By Crusader1307

Originally a Royal British Naval Frigate, she was commissioned in 1710 as HMS “Concord”. Displacing some 300 tons, she was 103 feet long with a 27 foot beam (height). Constructed of oak, as “Concord”, mounted 36 cannon (ranging between 6 to 40-pounders). She was originally designed to hold 75 officers and men. Captured by French forces in 1711, she was renamed “Le Concorde de Nantes” - and commissioned as a slave ship for the Atlantic Slave Trade. She was taken as a prize by Pirate Captain Benjamin Hornigold in 1717, off the Caribbean Island of Martinique. Hornigold turned command of the ship to his notorious Lieutenant Edward Teach (aka Blackbeard). He refitted her with 4 additional 50-pound cannon, and upped her compliment of crew to 125. Blackbeard renamed her the “Queen Anne's Revenge” (partly for his service in The Spanish War of Succession – known in The American Colonies as “Queen Anne's War”, as well as being a supporter of The Stuart Family Line – of which Anne was a descendant).

The ship had a colorful and short lived career as a Pirate ship. She attacked much British, Spanish, French and Portuguese shipping (taking ships and cargo). Due to a pardon, Blackbeard scuttled and sank “Queen Anne's Revenge” Rather her being “reclaimed”. In 1996, the wreckage of the ship was discovered off North Carolina (US). Since that year, many surviving pieces of this colorful ship have been recovered and restored (most notably her 3,100 pound anchor in 2011).