I saw this on the "History of Piracy of the Ocean State" site (Rhode Island) and thought it interesting. http://www.osfn.org/~au271 All those Norton boys among other New Englanders must have done a little piracy, and slave running, although probably wouldn't admit to it. "The death of Brodish didn't end the era of piracy in Rhode Island. The eighteenth century started out with a bumper crop of rhode Island pirates, in 1702, William Clark the maritime historian reveals,"every man in Newport is either a pirate or privateerman." In 1716 Edward Teach better known as Blackbeard paid a long visit to Providence. Three years later, Captain Ben Norton sailed from Providence to the West Indies John Menzies then New England's Royal Secretary of the Admiralty writes "Norton's vessel by observation is more suited for piracy than trade." Norton joined notorious pirate chief Thomas"Black Bart"Roberts in the west Indies, and together they raided shipping. The owner of Norton's ship later became Deputy Governor of Rhode Island, his name was Joseph Whipple, both Whipple and Norton writes Admiral Mennzies,"carried off rich cargo,with other traders of Newport, in sloops to Providence...yet when I went to the Governor of Rhode Island, he would not give up the go! ods."the passage of time did not change the way business was done in Rhode Island. Rhode Island remained a freeport for freebooters until 1723, when at Gravelly Point near Newport 26 men were hanged for piracy. This ended the days of piracy in Rhode Island. " Curious Joan