Aside from a ship the most likely place you would imagine to meet a pirate was probably
in a tavern. Much like today people wanted somewhere to go to socialize and have a few
drinks after they got paid and, much like today, the owners of these establishments
provided a welcoming atmosphere to bring the customers in.
The tavern, which derives from the Latin word Taberna meaning shop, was a place where a
person could get a drink, eat a meal, and rent a room. In addition taverns served as
meeting halls, post offices, and convenience stores. These establishments were very popular
and profitable. Before the great earthquake of 1690 Port Royal, Jamaica was reported to
have had one tavern for every two houses.
A good tavern would have had a sitting area, a bar, a place for dancing, several rooms
upstairs, and even a stable to look after a customers horse if he had one. The walls
in these places were covered with notices for sales, reward posters for escaped slaves
and indentured servants, and notices of trials and hangings. There were also broadsheets
posted on the walls as well.
Broadsheets were the way music was spread in the age and were printed lyric sheets usually
set to the music of popular tunes. As there was no way to record music the lyrics were
printed and then sold door to door. If the owner of a tavern liked the music he would
pay a small fee and the sheet was attached to the wall.
A large tavern might have offered an in-house musician that would play the popular tunes
while the patrons sang out lyrics read off of the broadsheets, almost like a karaoke
bar full of drunken pirates. In other places the crowd may have sang without the music.
Taverns also served as the workplaces of local prostitutes. It was reported that sailors
“spent money like rainwater” and a pirate could make as much as the average sailor made
in a year after being out for just a few weeks. These men tended to spend the money they made
just as quickly and the prostitutes and tavern owners both were happy to have them. That’s
not to say a room full of drunken pirates didn’t have problems for time to time and
it’s likely these men were very loud. In contrast to the average law-abiding sailor
a pirate would have no problem with fighting, theft, or robbery. They also would have let
the staff know if the service wasn’t to their liking or if they wanted the music changed.
On land pirates had followers comparable to fans today. These people were obsessed with
the stories pirates told as well as the slight hint of danger that came with being associated
with them.
In some cases these followers were well off and willing to buy drinks for the pirates
and, in other cases, were interested primarily in the pirates buying them drinks or trying
to sell them things they may have wanted. In a small town where not much was happening
it would have been big news to hang out and listen to the sea stories coming from these
men who were, in some cases, infamous to the point of celebrity.
Aside from their companions pirates would have also met with societies upper class in
taverns to discuss business. These rich men, some of whom had made a fortune from dealing
with pirates, would not and could not associate with them out in the open so a corner of a
dimly lit tavern would have been the go to location. These were not only merchants; corrupt
political figures kept pirates close as well. Charles Eden, the Governor of North Carolina,
was known for his close connections with Stede Bonnet and Edward “Blackbeard” Thache.
In any case, during these meetings the pirates would have been drinking quite a bit as well
as eating whatever the tavern served. During the time period it’s likely chicken, beef,
eggs, soups, and fish would have been on the menu in most coastal taverns ,but some would
have served better food than others. I should point out that the food would taste very bland
to us today as the average person could not afford spices. One of the many thing pirates
loved to steal were spices like cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and ginger
and it was reported that pirates loved spiced food. It’s very possible that some of these
spices were sold to cooks in these taverns or used on demand by a pirate eating his meal.
As far as the drink selection besides ale a tavern most always had a selection of wines,
rum, and whiskey. This brings us the the difference between taverns and pubs.
Taverns were purpose built for the job while a pub, which is short for public house, was
not. Many homes saved money and brewed ale or beer at home. A big reason was to kill
bacteria in water and also help with the taste. Brewing is both an art and a science and,
if a brewer had a good recipe that not only tasted good but also got you pretty drunk,
it would make sense to sell it to help with the bills.
These brewers would then make their private houses public by putting out a sign inviting
others in to buy drinks. Pirates may have felt safer in a pubs depending on where they
were and how much profile they had. For example, if you’re a wanted man with a sizable price
on your head you might think twice about getting drunk in a busy tavern on the main road. A
small pub a few streets back would be a safer bet. A pirate, or any other customer, would
go into a pub, sit down at the dining room table with the family, and then agree on a
price for a drink. The husband and wife would make conversation and, at the end of the night,
if the pirate was too drunk he could stay in a spare room for an additional fee. I’m
sure in some cases the wife was not too happy with her husband for allowing some of these
men into their homes, but in a time with such low wages, it’d be hard to resist welcoming
men who spent so much so fast in for a few beers.