Robert Maynard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Maynard
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Capture of the Pirate, Blackbeard, 1718, a painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris.
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| Born | 19 September 1684 Dartford, Kent, Kingdom of England |
| Died | 1 January 1750 (aged 65) Great Mongeham, Kent, England, Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Buried |
St Martin's Church
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| Allegiance | Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Service/ |
Royal Navy |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands held | HMS Cumberland HMS Sheerness HMS Antelope HMS Russell HMS Ipswich |
| Battles/wars |
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| Spouse(s) | Ann Johnson Maynard |
| Relations | Margaret Mitchell (sister) Thomas Maynard (brother) |
Robert Maynard (19 September 1684 – 4 January 1750) was a brave officer in the British Royal Navy. He is most famous for defeating the fearsome pirate Blackbeard.
Not much is known about Maynard's early life, except that he was born in England in 1684. He joined the English Navy and became a lieutenant in 1707. By 1718, he was given a special mission: to hunt down and capture Blackbeard.
Leading a small force, Maynard cleverly tricked Blackbeard into a battle off the coast of North Carolina. In a fierce fight, Maynard and his crew defeated the pirates and killed their notorious captain. Even though he was a hero, Maynard was not fully rewarded for his victory. He was later promoted to commander and then captain, and died peacefully in England at the age of 65.
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Robert Maynard was born in Dartford, Kent, England, on September 19, 1684. He grew up to join the Royal Navy, where he began a long career as an officer, serving the Kingdom of Great Britain.
The Hunt for Blackbeard
In 1718, the Governor of Virginia, Alexander Spotswood, needed someone to stop the pirate Blackbeard. He chose Lieutenant Robert Maynard for the dangerous job. Maynard was given command of two small ships, called sloops, named Ranger and Jane.
On November 19, 1718, Maynard and his crew sailed from Hampton, Virginia. Three days later, on November 22, they found Blackbeard's ship, the Adventure, anchored at Ocracoke Inlet in North Carolina.
Setting the Trap
Maynard had more men, but Blackbeard had more cannons. To make things worse, most of Blackbeard's crew were on the shore, meaning the pirate ship was lightly staffed. Blackbeard tried to escape into shallow water, and Maynard's heavier ships got stuck on a sandbar.
Blackbeard seized the opportunity and fired a broadside—a blast from all the cannons on one side of his ship. The cannonballs ripped through the Jane, damaging the ship and hurting several of Maynard's crew. To escape the sandbar, Maynard ordered his men to throw everything they didn't need for the fight overboard. This made the ship lighter, and it floated free.
Blackbeard fired again, causing more damage. Maynard knew he couldn't win a cannon battle, so he came up with a clever plan. He ordered most of his sailors to hide below deck. When Blackbeard's next attack came, it looked like only Maynard and a few others were left alive.
The Final Showdown
Seeing the nearly empty deck, Blackbeard and his pirates boarded Maynard's ship, expecting an easy victory. But as soon as they were on board, Maynard's hidden sailors swarmed out, surprising the pirates. A huge battle broke out on the deck.
During the fight, Maynard and Blackbeard faced each other in a duel. Both fired their pistols. Maynard hit Blackbeard, but the pirate barely slowed down. They drew their cutlasses, and their swords clashed. Blackbeard was a powerful fighter and managed to break Maynard's sword.
Just as Blackbeard was about to strike a final blow, one of Maynard's sailors, a Scottish Highlander, jumped on the pirate's back and wounded him badly. This gave Maynard a chance to fight back. Soon, the rest of the crew surrounded Blackbeard and finally defeated him.
After the Battle
Maynard and his crew stayed at Ocracoke for a few days to repair their ships and bury the dead. When they examined Blackbeard's body, they found he had been shot five times and had about twenty sword cuts.
As a warning to all other pirates, Maynard had Blackbeard's head removed and hung from the bowsprit (the pole at the front of the ship) for the journey back to Virginia. In Hampton, the head was placed on a spike near the river as a grim message that piracy would not be tolerated.
The treasure found on Blackbeard's ship—sugar, cocoa, and cotton—was sold for a large sum of money. Governor Spotswood used it to pay for the mission. The prize money for capturing Blackbeard was supposed to be about £400, a huge amount back then. However, it had to be split with the crews of two other Navy ships that were not part of the battle. Maynard felt this was very unfair, as his men had risked their lives. It took four years for him and his crew to receive their share of the reward. Despite his bravery, Maynard was not promoted right away.
Maynard's Lasting Legacy
Robert Maynard is buried in the churchyard of St Martin's Church in Great Mongeham, a village in his home county of Kent.
His victory is still remembered today. The crew of the modern Royal Navy ship HMS Ranger holds a special dinner every year around November 22 to celebrate the defeat of Blackbeard.
In the United States, the city of Hampton, Virginia, also honors Maynard's connection to its history. Every June, the city holds a Blackbeard Festival, where they recreate the famous sea battle with tall ships in the harbor.
