The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate

What happened during Blackbeard’s last days that precipitated his demise? Who, truly, was Edward Teach, and from whence did he come? What was his true name? And where may he have hidden his treasure? For many years researcher and author Kevin Duffus observed that most historical accounts describing Black Beard the pirate’s last days were inaccurate, insufficiently researched, and, as it turned out, not nearly as interesting as the truth. Duffus posed the question: “Is it possible to go back to the trodden ground of original sources and learn something new about a popular historical figure? After conducting extensive research at the archives of Great Britain, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, and exploring the pirate’s favorite haunts at Bath, Ocracoke, and Philadelphia, Duffus discovered the answer was, yes, it is possible to learn something new. And the true facts about Blackbeard’s last days promise to substantially change his story — and history. With his newest lecture, author Kevin Duffus invites audiences to enter the dimly-lit passageway of time and learn surprising contradictions to previously-published historical accounts of the last days of Blackbeard the pirate. He discloses new information about how the pirate captain was cornered and attacked at Ocracoke in 1718, why he tried to escape rather than to fight back, and how his life might have been spared had he lived for three more weeks. He reveals the true meaning of a mysterious letter found in Blackbeard’s possessions, and explores the possibilities of government conspiracies and coverups. New research finds that many of the 25 pirates who remained with Blackbeard after the wreck of the Queen Anne’s Revenge were sons of North Carolina families. And for the first time, Duffus proves that most of Blackbeard’s captured crew members were not hanged in Virginia, and that one of them — 10 years after purportedly being executed—became a respected and wealthy landowner and the grandfather of heroes of the American Revolution and a Tennessee governor. For the first time, Duffus exposes the truth behind many of the enduring Blackbeard myths — his Bristol, England, birthplace; his 14 wives, including Mary Ormond; the burning of fuses in his hair to frighten his victims; and the countless tall tales of buried treasure, secret tunnels, and the shocking origins of the legend of his silver-plated skull used as a drinking cup by a secret society. In addition to dozens of new discoveries one revelation promises to stand-out as the most amazing. With the help of groundbreaking research by three courageous genealogists, Kevin Duffus shares long-forgotten clues to the potential identity of Blackbeard, beginning with a long-held myth about his sister, Susannah — and the conclusions are staggering and certain to be controversial. Co-sponsored by the Friends of the Library and North Carolina Humanities Council.