Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) is the main protagonist of the HBO Max period comedy series “Our Flag Means Death.” He inherits a large amount of wealth and land from his father. He later marries and even has children. However, he decides to leave everything behind and become a pirate. Stede buys a ship and begins paying weekly wages for his crew. He soon discovers that he is definitely not cut out for the job, much like his crew. But he decides to continue being a pirate, hoping that he will get better one day.
When the series opens, its crew is ready to mutiny because they feel like they are doing anything but hacking. The series is set around the golden age of piracy and many historical people appear in the series. If you’re wondering if Stede is also based on a historical figure, this is what you need to know.
Is Stede Bonnet based on a real person?
Yes, ‘Our Flag Means Death’s Stede Bonnet is based on a real person. Despite its sarcastic and parody narrative, a considerable portion of what is depicted in “Our Flag Means Death” is historically accurate. As the show shows, Stede had little knowledge of sea travel and even less of piracy. He had a sixty-ton sloop built for himself – while other pirates usually commandeered other people’s ships – and named it the Revenge.
Due to his initial inexperience and incompetence, Stede would often defer to the opinions of his quartermaster and officer on matters related to sailing. This made the crew think they weren’t fit to lead them. Much like his fictional counterpart, Stede paid the wages of his crew, although it is highly unlikely that he organized indoor recreational activities for them. Due to his background, he became known as the “Gentleman Pirate”.
Stede gained considerable notoriety after he began collaborating with Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard. When they first met, Stede was badly injured, so he stepped down as captain of the Revenge and let Blackbeard take control. However, he remained on the ship as a guest. The two men formed an interesting personal and professional relationship which profoundly influenced Stede’s career as a pirate captain.
Together they traveled to Delaware Bay, where they plundered 11 ships before returning to the Caribbean. After helping Blackbeard seize the 200-ton ship Concorde, which the more experienced pirate renamed Queen Anne’s Revenge, Stede parted ways with him. However, his singular stint did not last long. After failing to capture the 400-ton Protestant merchant ship Caesar, his crew are once again displeased with him. The next time they encountered Blackbeard, most of Stede’s crew began working for the other pirate.
Stede briefly left piracy behind and became a privateer. After resuming his life as a pirate, he led his crew in the Battle of Cape Fear River against a British naval expedition from the province of South Carolina on September 27, 1718. The battle ended when the pirates surrendered. Stede was finally hanged to death on December 10, 1718, in Charles Town (now Charleston), South Carolina. He was 30 at the time. By contrast, Darby is currently in his late 40s. Clearly, “Our Flag Means Death” takes some creative liberties while depicting the life of one of the fascinating individuals of the Pirate Age.
Did he really leave his family?
Yes, Stede really left his family. Born in 1688 in Bridgetown, Barbados to parents Edward and Sarah Bonnet, Stede grew up on the family’s large estate (over 400 acres). After the death of his father in 1694, he inherited the property. In 1709 he married a woman named Mary Allamby. They had four children together – Allamby, Edward and Stede were the three sons and Mary was the only daughter. According to British author Charles Johnson, Stede became deeply unhappy in his married life and once left his wealth and family behind to become a pirate.
Read more: Does our flag mean the blackbeard of death based on a real pirate?
