Bully Hayes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Henry Hayes
The only known photograph of Bully Hayes, circa 1863
Born	1827 or 1829 Cleveland, Ohio
Died	31 March 1877 In the Pacific Ocean off Kosrae, in the Caroline Islands (Federated States of Micronesia)
Other names	Bully Hayes
Occupation	Ship's captain, trader and blackbirder

William Henry "Bully" Hayes (born 1827 or 1829 – died 1877) was a well-known American ship's captain. He was active in the 1860s and 1870s. During this time, he was involved in what was called "blackbirding." This meant he recruited Pacific islanders for labor, often using trickery or force.

Hayes sailed all over the Pacific Ocean from the 1850s until his death in 1877. Some people called him a "South Sea pirate" or "the last of the buccaneers." However, historians say it's hard to know what's true about him. They describe him as a "swindler" and a "bully." There is no proof he ever took a ship by force like a real pirate. Hayes was a big man who often used his size to scare his crew. But he could also be very charming when he wanted to be.

Early Life and Adventures

Hayes was born in Cleveland, Ohio. His father owned a small tavern. Hayes ran away from home and became a sailor on the Great Lakes. He later traveled to New York. In 1853, he sailed from New York as a passenger on a ship called the Canton. When the ship reached Singapore, Hayes was its captain. He sold the ship soon after. Hayes then worked in East Asia. He often tricked people in business deals. He would use fake documents or sell goods that were not his.

Troubles in Australia

Hayes arrived in Fremantle, Western Australia, in 1857. He was captain of the C. W. Bradley, Jr., which was the Canton under a new name. This ship had nice cabins. It made two trips to Adelaide with passengers. The authorities in South Australia were not happy. Many of these passengers were people who had been in prison. People Hayes owed money to found him in Perth, Australia. They forced him to sell his ship, which left him with no money.

Hayes married Amelia Littleton in Australia in 1857. He had built up debts in Adelaide. But he managed to escape his creditors. In Melbourne, Australia, he became captain of a ship called the Orestes. This ship was sailing to Vancouver, Canada. Hayes was later removed from the ship in Honolulu. This happened because he was tricking passengers. He then got command of a new ship, the Ellenita. He got its cargo by tricking people. Hayes sailed back across the Pacific. He lost the Ellenita in a storm in 1859. He and some passengers reached Savai'i for help. After many problems, the remaining people were returned to Sydney. Hayes was accused of bad behavior towards a young passenger, but he avoided charges.

Even though Hayes lost ships to storms or creditors, he always found new ones. He also found new ways to get cargo unfairly. Between his sea adventures, Hayes joined a traveling show in New South Wales, Australia.

Life in New Zealand

Hayes became known in the Otago region of New Zealand. He went there in 1862 during a gold rush. He traveled with a group of performers. In 1863, they arrived in Arrowtown. Hayes married a widow named Mrs. Roma 'Rosie' Buckingham. Her four sons were also performers. Hayes and Roma settled in Arrowtown. He opened a hotel there. The nearby Lake Hayes is named after him, though it was originally named for an earlier settler. Over time, people linked the name to Bully Hayes.

Hayes had a disagreement with the Buckingham family. It was rumored that Hayes had lost an ear in California. This happened when he was caught cheating at cards. Eventually, his hair was cut short, and the rumor was proven true. People made fun of him in a play. With his reputation damaged, he and his wife left for Port Chalmers. Later, he got a ship in Australia called the Black Diamond. He hid it near Nelson. In 1864, Hayes was sailing in a borrowed yacht. A sudden storm hit. Rosie, her baby, her brother, and a nurse all drowned. Only Hayes survived.

He moved to Christchurch and married Emily Mary Butler in 1865.

Blackbirding and Shipwrecks

In 1866, Hayes got a ship called the Rona. He sailed around the Pacific. He used bases in Apia, Samoa, and the Marshall Islands. Hayes became known for "recruiting" Pacific islanders. These islanders were forced to work on plantations in places like Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa, and Australia. While some islanders agreed to go, many were kidnapped or tricked. They were held prisoner on ships until they reached their destination.

In 1868, Hayes arrived at Suwarrow on the Rona. He had 109 islanders from Niue on board, taking them to Tahiti. He found Captain Handley B. Sterndale and his crew. They had run out of food. Hayes agreed to rescue them. He took Sterndale and the islanders to Rakahanga. From there, they eventually reached Tahiti.

Hayes made money and bought another ship, the Samoa. By chance, Hayes lost both the Rona and the Samoa in a storm in 1869. Hayes then bought the Atlantic. But he was arrested in 1870 in Apia for his activities. Hayes escaped from Samoa in 1870 on a ship belonging to Ben Pease. Pease was another American captain with a similar reputation.

Hayes and Pease went on a trading trip. They sailed in the Caroline Islands and the Marshall Islands on a ship called the Pioneer. Hayes and Pease argued about who owned the cargo. Hayes claimed it was his, while Pease said he owned half. Hayes later sold the cargo in Shanghai. When the Pioneer returned to Apia, Hayes was in charge alone. He said Pease had sold him the ship and retired. Many people doubted this story.

Hayes renamed the ship Leonora, after his favorite daughter. He painted it white to try and change its bad reputation. Hayes continued to trade in coconut oil and copra. He also continued his blackbirding activities. In 1872, Captain Richard Meade of the Narragansett (1859) arrested Hayes. But Hayes was released because there wasn't enough proof. No crew members would speak against him.

Louis Becke and the Leonora Wreck

In 1874, a 19-year-old Australian named Louis Becke sailed a small ship to Mili Atoll to deliver it to Hayes. Becke then joined the Leonora as a passenger. The Leonora was wrecked on March 15, 1874, during a storm. This happened in Utwe harbor at Kosrae.

After the shipwreck, Hayes fought with European traders and his own crew on Kosrae. The islanders faced seven months of harsh treatment from Hayes. Becke chose to stay with the islanders. In September of that year, Rosario (1860) arrived. Captain Dupuis arrested Hayes. But Hayes escaped in a small boat built from the wrecked Leonora.

A sailor on the Rosario wrote about Hayes's escape. He said Hayes boldly came onto their ship, offering to guide them. Hayes claimed his ship was wrecked and he was setting up a trading post. A meeting was held, and Hayes's crew members were questioned. Hayes was let go temporarily to get his papers. But that same evening, he escaped from the island in a small boat. The sailor also mentioned a young native girl who was still suffering from Hayes's bad treatment. The captain of the Rosario could not arrest Hayes without a request from the local missionary and king. This delay allowed Hayes to flee.

Becke later became an author. He wrote many stories about Bully Hayes, some based on his own experiences.

The Final Voyage and Death

Hayes reached Guam. In 1875, he bought a ship called the Arabia. He was arrested and ended up in prison in Manila, Philippines. Hayes was eventually freed. He arrived in San Francisco in 1876 without money. He convinced a Mr. and Mrs. Moody to pay for a ship called the Lotus. Hayes tricked Mr. Moody into going ashore. He then sailed off with Mrs. Moody still on board. The Lotus arrived in Apia, Samoa, in January 1877. It then sailed to Kosrae, where Hayes planned to pick up coconuts left from his earlier shipwreck.

Hayes died on March 31, 1877. The accepted story comes from Charles Elson, the mate of the Lotus. He said that the ship's cook, Peter Radeck, also known as "Dutch Pete," killed Hayes. This happened after Hayes threatened him. Hayes was shot, hit on the head with an iron tool, and thrown overboard. Charles Elson and the rest of the crew sailed the Lotus to Jaluit in the Marshall Islands. They told everyone about Hayes's death. No one seemed sad about it. In fact, Peter Radeck was seen as a hero.

Louis Becke believed that Charles Elson and the other crew members planned to murder Hayes. Their reason was to get rid of Hayes. They wanted to search for money that Hayes was believed to have buried on Kosrae after the Leonora wreck. This buried money is part of the many legends about Bully Hayes.

The Legend of Bully Hayes

Bully Hayes may not have been a traditional pirate who took ships by force. He preferred to gain control of ships through trickery. However, if the suspicion that he caused the death of Ben Pease to take command of the Pioneer is true, then he might have been a murderer.

Much of his legend comes from the writings of Louis Becke. Becke used his time with Hayes in his Pacific stories. These include:

• Louis Becke, A Memory of the Southern Seas (1904)
• Captain 'Bully' Hayes
• Concerning 'Bully' Hayes
• The Wreck of the Leonora: A Memory of 'Bully' Hayes

Some of these stories are based on what Becke saw, but they might also have some made-up parts.

Bully Hayes in Popular Culture

• The 1894 novel A Modern Buccaneer by Thomas Browne is based on the story of Bully Hayes.
• The 1954 film His Majesty O'Keefe features Hayes as a bad guy.
• The 1983 film Savage Islands (also known as Nate and Hayes) is an adventure movie. Tommy Lee Jones played Hayes in this film.

Images for kids

• 

  The only known photograph of Bully Hayes, circa 1863