Samuel Bellamy, also known as Black Sam, was a pirate who operated off the coast of New England and throughout the Caribbean. He became one of the wealthiest pirates in recorded history, known for his generosity and odd sympathy to those he captured. Bellamy's life began in service, born in Devon, England, in 1689, and he initially sailed for the British Royal Navy. He later turned to piracy and joined the crew of Benjamin Hornegold and his second-in-command, Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard. Bellamy quickly captured other ships and in spring of 1717, he captured his prize, the Woota Galley, when sailing through the Windward Passage. The Wooda was originally a slave ship built in England two years prior and was 300 tons and 102 feet long, with 18 guns and could reach speeds of 15 miles an hour.
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