Black Bart, The jackpot, again! (page 5) By the end of June 1721 they'd found a small settlement lead by one Jack Crackers, a notorious pirate now retired. Here they traded in like company and made good their vessels. Here he was told of two British men-o-war, 'The Swallow' and the 'Weymouth' that had visited just a month earlier with the intention of returning by the following Christmas. He was well aware of their firepower but felt safe since Christmas was half a year away.

Black Bart, A stolen sloop to Barbados. (page 3) There were numerous laws including the banning of some pastimes pirates would normally take for granted. For instance, anyone caught stealing from the ship would be marooned, no gambling with cards or dice, and no drinking alcohol below deck after eight in the evening. No children or women were allowed on board; further to this if a man smuggled one aboard the penalty was death!

Black Bart, South to Saint Bartholomew. (page 4) They finally arrived at St. Bartholomew in the West Indies where they were given a marvellous welcome. They spent freely and indulged themselves as pirates would, the natives being more than happy to oblige. Here they planned their next adventure, another trip across the Atlantic.

Black Bart, A prize for the plundering. (page 2) On a few occasions each year the Portuguese would mass a convoy to take produce from Brazil back to Europe. After a few weeks of aimless sailing off the Brazilian coast one such convoy, forty-two ships, came into view. It had not yet fully configured itself, two men-o-war set to guard it but were dragging their anchors some way behind, no doubt thinking they were safe still close to the coast.

Bartholomew Roberts Black Bart, the legendary Pirate On the 10th of February 1722, at Cape Lopez in what is now the West African state of Gabon a Captain Challoner Ogle of the Royal Navy engaged and defeated one of the worlds most notorious outlaws, Bartholomew Roberts. Roberts had come a long way from his roots in the little Welsh town of Haverfordwest both figuratively and literally. His journey so far had taken him across the Atlantic from the cool waters of Newfoundland to the blistering equatorial heat he and...

Joseph R. "Joe" Tanner Born in Illinois in 1950, Joe's Welsh connection is via his mother who can trace her roots back to Llanddewi Brefi, his grandfather was the head teacher there. We know astonauts are tough hombre's but they have to seriously smart too.