James Brereton Born 1954

The Royal Fortune was a pirate ship commanded by Bartholomew Roberts, known as "Black Bart".  In his brief career he is said to have plundered over 400 ships.  On 5th February The Swallow, a British man-of-war, captained by Challoner Ogle caught up with Roberts near Cape Lopez in Gaborn.  Ogle fired an initial volley of cannon fire which killed Roberts.  The pirates threw his body into the sea to avoid it being taken as a prize, but their ship was quickly captured by the Royal Navy crew.  The pirates were taken to Cape Coast in Ghana.  74 were acquitted, 70 black pirates were returned to slavery, 54 were hanged, and 37 received lesser sentences.