A General History of the Pirates · Character
Bartholomew Roberts
A Welsh pirate whose long, audacious career made him the book's centerpiece, the captain against whom every other pirate is measured.
major
Also known as Roberts, Captain Roberts, the said Roberts, Commodore Roberts
First appearance: IX: Of Captain Bartho. Roberts, and His Crew
As a major figure in A General History of the Pirates, Bartholomew Roberts is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Mentioned as having taken 400 sail before his destruction, and his life is used as a central example due to his long career and notoriety.
Roberts dominates the History as its longest and most consequential life, a commander whose success at sea forced the author to organize the whole narrative around him. His story carries the tension between a disciplined pirate code and the violence it licenses, and his notoriety becomes the standard for judging the rest. Readers meet him as the figure who gave the golden age of piracy its most sustained and troubling shape.
Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.
Character Web
43 connectionsA slice of how Bartholomew Roberts sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Professional
- Rivalry
- Other
Character groups
- Pirate Captains and Hunters
- Protagonist
- Pirates, Captains, and Officials
+38 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of Evans's tra…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingRelationships
- Howel Davis
professional · positive
Roberts served as Davis's navigator and later succeeded him as captain after Davis's… How this plays out →
- Edward Low
professional · ambivalent
- Peter Scudamore
rivalry · negative
- Howel Davis
professional · positive
Roberts served as Davis's navigator and later succeeded him as captain after Davis's… How this plays out →
- Edward Low
professional · ambivalent
- Peter Scudamore
rivalry · negative
Relationship notes
How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.
See Bartholomew Roberts in IX: Of Captain Bartho. Roberts, and His CrewIn the story
Bartholomew Roberts appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Bartholomew Roberts unlock in the free preview.
See Bartholomew Roberts in IX: Of Captain Bartho. Roberts, and His Crew