# Charles Vane — A General History of the Pirates character guide

> Charles Vane in A General History of the Pirates by Captain Charles Johnson.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Vane, Captain Vane, Charles

**First appearance:** 0008-vi-of-captain-charles-vane-and-his-crew

## Snapshot

A defiant pirate captain who refused the King's pardon and chose to fight rather than submit.

## Who they are

Vane commands with a stubborn independence that sets him against both the Royal Navy and any compromise with authority, making him a test case for what piracy actually demanded of its leaders. His refusal to accept the pardon puts him at odds with more pragmatic captains and exposes the fault lines within the pirate community. His story carries the middle of the book's argument about whether defiance is courage or self-destruction.

## Relationships

### [Holford](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/holford)

_rivalry_

Holford, a former pirate turned privateer, refused to help Vane and later captured him for execution.

### [George Yeats](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/george_yeats)

_professional_

Yeats was a crewman under Vane who later betrayed him by stealing a ship and deserting.

### [Howel Davis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/howel_davis)

_professional_

Vane and Davis were rival pirate captains who competed for territory and plunder in the Caribbean.

## In the story

### [Of Captain Charles Vane, and His Crew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/chapters/vi-of-captain-charles-vane-and-his-crew)

Captain of the pirate sloop; defies the King's pardon, escapes Providence, and later is deposed, shipwrecked, captured, and hanged.

### [Of Captain John Rackam, and His Crew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/chapters/vii-of-captain-john-rackam-and-his-crew)

Mentioned as the captain from whom Rackam split after Vane was deposed for refusing to fight a French man-of-war.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters/charles_vane
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_general_history_of_the_pirates_se/characters