Charles Vane (1680-29 March 1721) was a British pirate who operated out of New Providence in the Bahamas. Known for his violence, he was executed by hanging by the British in Port Royal in 1721.
Biography[]
Charles Vane was the son of a man who wanted to become a privateer captain, but his father drank himself to death. The younger Vane decided to become a privateer under Lord Archibald Hamilton during the War of the Spanish Succession from 1701 to 1713. In September 1715 he attempted to attack Julien du Casse's Spanish man-of-war El Arca del Maestro but his ship, the six-gun sloop "Ranger", was unable to take the damage that the man-of-war inflicted and retreated.
In 1716, Vane began to work for Captain Henry Jennings, attacking Spanish, British, and French shipping in the Caribbean. However, he eventually became an independent captain, adding feared pirates Edward England and Jack Rackham to his crew. Vane was one of the "governors" appointed to lead the Pirates' self-proclaimed Nassau Republic on Nassau in the Bahamas, and when the British laid siege to Nassau in February 1718, Vane and Captain Edward Kenway planned an escape. Gathering pine pitch while Kenway stole gunpowder, the two built a fireship and sent the blockade into flames, allowing them to escape.
Vane joined forces with Kenway, who captained the ship "Jackdaw". Kenway told him that he neeed to search for the pirate Bartholomew Roberts, who he said was "the Sage" who could open the legendary "Observatory", talked about along with the legends of the Templar Order and Assassins. Vane was not a believer in the stories, but decided to help.
The two attacked the "Royal African Pearl", a frigate/slave ship that was anchored south of Cuba near the Cabo de Cruz fort, hoping to find information on Roberts' whereabout. "Ranger" was damaged, and Vane and his crew left to join "Jackdaw" when it ran aground. The "Jackdaw" captured Royal African Pearl from its Royal African Company, but Vane and Kenway were overthrown by Rackham, who left them marooned on Providence Island with the unrepairable "Ranger".
Vane attempting to steal clams from Edward Kenway
Vane gradually went insane while on the island, stealing Kenway's food. As his mental state deteriorated, Vane eventually tried to kill Kenway using grenades and a flintlock pistol, but Kenway eventually caught up to him and stabbed him with his hidden blades. Vane was spared by Kenway, who did not want to kill his former friend, and was left on the island as Kenway escaped on a merchant schooner.
Death[]
Vane was spotted on the island by Captain Hollick, a former acquaintance who was a buccanneer in Great Britain's service. Hollick refused to save Vane, because he feared that Vane would overthrow him and take over his ship. He also warned him that if he saw him again, he would have him hanged in Jamaica. A second British ship took him in, unaware of his identity. However, Hollick was coincidentally on the ship, and informed the captain that Vane was a pirate. After two years of rotting in a gaol, Vane was hung in Port Royal, and hung on a gibbet as a warning to other pirates.