CapitainDams
Pirate Spirit Crew's Captain
Here's a report on a french pirate :
<b>GRAMMONT, Michel De. French (active: `1678-86`)</b>
Pronounced "`Grand-Mont`".
<img src="http://www5.netmart.com/kiss/Encyclopirate_WEB/Images/Grammont.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
Michel de Grammont was a gentleman from Gascony, or Gascogne, which is a region of `South-West` France. At the age of fourteen He was shocked by the manners of an officer who was courting his sister, and he immediately challenged the officer to a duel. Their epee's were no sooner out than Grammont had dealt the officer three mortal wounds. As he lay dying, the officer wrote out his last will and testament, in which he forgave Grammont and exclaimed that he himself had been the instigator of his own bad end, and also that Grammont had dealt with him honorably. The officer also left a sum of money to Grammont's sister, and he even left money to Grammont! No criminal proceedings were ever instigated against Grammont for the officer's death, but Grammont was soon registered with the French Navy and undertook a voyage which served as a sort of "exile in disguise".
Notwithstanding his exile, Grammont enjoyed life at sea, and he quickly learned the ways of a mariner, including a sailor's rough language. The cursing that Grammont learned served him well throughout his piratical career, and he renounced his heritage of being a gentleman. In its place he learned navigation and quickly gained a reputation as a good seaman, and very quickly he is made the Captain of a frigate in the French Navy. With this vessel he is able to capture a Dutch flotilla, nicknamed "The Purse of Amsterdam," due to the amount of wealth it carries.
Following this capture, Grammont’s share of the booty came to around 80,000 pounds, and he then passed the next eight days spending it in the taverns and brothels of the French Antilles. He kept 2000 pounds for betting and eventually won the necessary sum for buying a 50 cannon ship. Grammont then resigned his commission, gave back his officer’s stripes and became privateer.
Grammont was certainly cut out to be a pirate; seeing as how he was robust, small, `dark-haired` and bronzed. His glance was always alert and he was never at a loss for words. His only detraction in the eyes of the pirates who served him was that he was an atheist, for pirates of those days would commend their soul to God before they killed, pillaged, plundered, etc...
Four big expeditions marked Grammont's career: Maracaibo in 1678, La Guayra (near Caracas) in 1680, Vera Cruz in 1685, and Campeche in 1686.
Subsequent to Grammont's expeditions, the King of France wanted to put a stop to the pirates activities in the Caribbean. To encourage Grammont to change his profession, the king named him Lieutenant of the King for the Méridional Province of Santo Domingo. Grammont graciously thanked the Governor of Tortuga, who gave him the letter of the king, but a short time later Grammont left with 3 ships and 200 men to stage a raid upon the Spanish outpost of St. Augustine, Florida. A storm forced Grammont to navigate to the north and after that, nobody ever saw him again. A year and half later, one of the pirates from Grammont's expedition, named "Du Marc," escaped from a Spanish prison. “Du Marc†reported then that Grammont had been lost at sea with 180 of his men.
A very very big thanks to <b>Sir Christopher Mings</b>!! Thanks mate!!
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/bookish.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":mm" border="0" alt="bookish.gif" /> source:
<a href="http://www5.netmart.com/kiss/" target="_blank">http://www5.netmart.com/kiss/</a>
(french site)
<b>GRAMMONT, Michel De. French (active: `1678-86`)</b>
Pronounced "`Grand-Mont`".
<img src="http://www5.netmart.com/kiss/Encyclopirate_WEB/Images/Grammont.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
Michel de Grammont was a gentleman from Gascony, or Gascogne, which is a region of `South-West` France. At the age of fourteen He was shocked by the manners of an officer who was courting his sister, and he immediately challenged the officer to a duel. Their epee's were no sooner out than Grammont had dealt the officer three mortal wounds. As he lay dying, the officer wrote out his last will and testament, in which he forgave Grammont and exclaimed that he himself had been the instigator of his own bad end, and also that Grammont had dealt with him honorably. The officer also left a sum of money to Grammont's sister, and he even left money to Grammont! No criminal proceedings were ever instigated against Grammont for the officer's death, but Grammont was soon registered with the French Navy and undertook a voyage which served as a sort of "exile in disguise".
Notwithstanding his exile, Grammont enjoyed life at sea, and he quickly learned the ways of a mariner, including a sailor's rough language. The cursing that Grammont learned served him well throughout his piratical career, and he renounced his heritage of being a gentleman. In its place he learned navigation and quickly gained a reputation as a good seaman, and very quickly he is made the Captain of a frigate in the French Navy. With this vessel he is able to capture a Dutch flotilla, nicknamed "The Purse of Amsterdam," due to the amount of wealth it carries.
Following this capture, Grammont’s share of the booty came to around 80,000 pounds, and he then passed the next eight days spending it in the taverns and brothels of the French Antilles. He kept 2000 pounds for betting and eventually won the necessary sum for buying a 50 cannon ship. Grammont then resigned his commission, gave back his officer’s stripes and became privateer.
Grammont was certainly cut out to be a pirate; seeing as how he was robust, small, `dark-haired` and bronzed. His glance was always alert and he was never at a loss for words. His only detraction in the eyes of the pirates who served him was that he was an atheist, for pirates of those days would commend their soul to God before they killed, pillaged, plundered, etc...
Four big expeditions marked Grammont's career: Maracaibo in 1678, La Guayra (near Caracas) in 1680, Vera Cruz in 1685, and Campeche in 1686.
Subsequent to Grammont's expeditions, the King of France wanted to put a stop to the pirates activities in the Caribbean. To encourage Grammont to change his profession, the king named him Lieutenant of the King for the Méridional Province of Santo Domingo. Grammont graciously thanked the Governor of Tortuga, who gave him the letter of the king, but a short time later Grammont left with 3 ships and 200 men to stage a raid upon the Spanish outpost of St. Augustine, Florida. A storm forced Grammont to navigate to the north and after that, nobody ever saw him again. A year and half later, one of the pirates from Grammont's expedition, named "Du Marc," escaped from a Spanish prison. “Du Marc†reported then that Grammont had been lost at sea with 180 of his men.
A very very big thanks to <b>Sir Christopher Mings</b>!! Thanks mate!!
<img src="http://www.piratesahoy.com/forum/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/bookish.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":mm" border="0" alt="bookish.gif" /> source:
<a href="http://www5.netmart.com/kiss/" target="_blank">http://www5.netmart.com/kiss/</a>
(french site)
" border="0" alt="onya.gif" /> Very nice! I've heard of this fellow, so the report is very interesting - and I've been to St. Augustine Florida too. There's a neat old fortress there with lots of cannon & stuff.
:" border="0" alt="icon_eek.gif" /> It's on the main site!!!!!
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:" border="0" alt="pirate2.gif" /> go grammont!
" border="0" alt="whippa.gif" /> thats going some he must have been at sea for years! and mores the point what a damn waste - 10,000 pounds should be more than enough!?
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