Having successfully faked his own death, George Lowther has somehow managed to slip away from history's eye and build a prosperous new life for himself in the Spanish colony of Panama. But when war breaks out between Britain and Spain, his true identity is revealed. Once again the old pirate is thrust back into the thick of the action — but this time in the service of King and Country! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Lowther and his crew receive a taste of their own medicine when they anchor up in what seems to be an uninhabited stretch of Honduran coastline. But the nightmare that unfolds is just the first of many disasters that beset the beleaguered captain. As his fortunes continue to spiral, he eventually finds himself out of luck and all alone…  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our final tale from Piracy's Golden Age begins in West Africa, 1721. George Lowther is a fiery young merchant officer serving in the Royal African Company. When he instigates a mutiny aboard a slave ship it sets the stage for one of the most unpredictable pirate stories ever. Along with his somewhat reluctant ally Captain John Massey, he sails under the Black Flag initially as a means of survival. However, when tensions inevitably strain between the co-captains, something has to give. Learn...

In William Fly’s final week on Earth, he reflects on a life at sea and the course he’s charted to now face the hangman’s noose. But he’s not done fighting yet. In the bowels of a Boston prison, a battle is being fought. A battle between good and evil — right and wrong — Puritan preacher versus unrepentant pirate. It’s a battle to have the final word on Pirates of the Golden Age and how they’ll be remembered: moral tragedy or social revolution? It’s a battle which will be decided in an epic...

It’s 1726 and the end of the Golden Age of piracy may be at hand — but the terror that plagues the Atlantic is still a public obsession, and Boston is no exception. For two decades the firebrand cleric, Dr. Cotton Mather, has waged a desperate war to save these lost souls and to reclaim a city that is losing its religion — a one-man crusade to stem the flow of seafarers sailing under the black flag. But now he meets his match... With piracy in its death throes, one last villain is spewed out...

This week we’re turning our attention away from the cutlass-wielding pirates of the seas, and toward some of the greatest detective minds in history. On this episode of Scotland Yard Confidential, a strange box washes ashore the banks of the Thames in 1879. Stashed inside are the dismembered remains of a woman — kicking off a gruesome case that will come to be known as the Barnes Mystery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bridstock Weaver washes up on the shores of Britain, somehow having survived his ordeal. But as many before him have discovered, getting home is no guarantee of freedom. Does he return to his family and the life that he lost? Or lay low and live out his days in secret? The decision may be taken out of his hands by a ghost from his past. At least he has escaped the fate now awaiting Anstis, Fenn and the unfortunate pirate crew of the Good Fortune... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

After more than a year surviving amongst the pirates, reluctant crewman Bridstock Weaver must now navigate a new course as captain of the Good Fortune. Faced with difficult decisions, rising tensions, and with every action scrutinised by commodore Anstis and his rebellious crew, how long can Weaver maintain his innocence? Should he throw in his lot with his fellows or make a bid for freedom? There are no easy choices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One can only imagine the horror of being forced to join a pirate crew at the point of a cutlass. Understandably, many unfortunate sailors are compliant — most just want to get out alive! Under the command of Captain Thomas Anstis, merchant sailor Bridstock Weaver provides perhaps the most dramatic tale of a life as a captive aboard a pirate ship. He must walk the tightrope of avoiding damnation whilst doing whatever it takes to survive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

As Philip Ashton struggles to survive on Roatán Island, Ned Low continues to cause bloody chaos across the Caribbean. In response to his increasing and shocking violence, the British Royal Navy finally despatches a squadron of ships to hunt down the infamous pirate — setting the stage for an epic battle. However, the Royal Navy will soon discover that locating Ned Low is the easy part. Killing him is another thing altogether. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Responsible for countless atrocities along the North American coast and all around the Caribbean, the name Ned Low becomes synonymous with cruelty and horror. His reputation will somehow reach greater, more disturbing heights, when he and his crew encounter a Portuguese ship on the way to Brazil. Meanwhile, Philip Ashton begins to understand his captor a little better - like it or not, he gets to know the man behind the monster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

In the pantheon of maritime monsters — Edward Low might be the worst. Born into a life of crime, he blossomed into the most ferocious, most sadistic, and arguably most deranged pirates to have ever sailed the high seas. And one honest fisherman from Marblehead, Massachusetts, will witness it all firsthand — enduring the ordeal of a lifetime when he becomes Low's captive. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fighting the temptation to go on pirating, Walter Kennedy wisely decides not to tempt fate any longer. But now he must run the final gauntlet, and attempt to succeed where so many others have failed — get away Scott free! With their hold bursting with booty, Kennedy must steer the Eagle and her anxious crew back to Britain. It’ll take cunning and guile to slip back into law-abiding society — but pirates aren’t exactly known for their subtlety... The race is on! Learn more about your ad...

In the final gasps of Piracy’s Golden Age, it seems few captains are able to make a success of it. From Howell Davis’ sly subterfuge to Bart Robert’s show of brute force — both meet the same bloody end. Perhaps to thrive in this harsh landscape, a captain should be cut from a different cloth. Cue Walter Kennedy. The London beggar boy who dreamed of becoming a pirate now finds himself thrust into the spotlight, and in command of a crew of desperate men! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Trade in the West Indies has been brought crashing to a halt — Bart Roberts' catastrophic attacks have seen to that. His prize tally is climbing into the hundreds and there is no sign of him slowing down! Roberts now sets his eyes on the Gold Coast of West Africa. But with an expanding crew he must fight to keep his men in line — especially as they head for the final showdown with the Royal Navy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Roberts’ time as pirate captain is not panning out as he’d imagined. After taking a great haul of Portuguese gold he thought he was set for life, until a mutiny saw Walter Kennedy sail off with his fleet and his treasure! Now Roberts faces a fight to survive the swathe of pirate hunters and warships on his tail. He heads north, hoping for a change in fortune. But wherever he goes, he’s determined to leave devastation in his wake. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

In the wake of Howell Davis’ death on Príncipe, Bart Roberts takes command of the Royal Rover! It’s an impressive rise to power, after a serious change of heart. Just six weeks after being forced aboard, he had no desire to become a pirate. Now having dipped his hands in the muddy waters of piracy, Roberts decides to make the most of his situation. Little does anyone know, he will emerge as one of the most bloody and ruthless pirates of all time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Howell Davis—the first mate aboard an English trading vessel—would rather die than join the band of pirates captained by Edward England. Or so he claims... But before long, Davis has seized a ship of his own and is setting sail under the black flag! But pirating in the 1720s requires a new approach, and he’s got more than a few ideas of his own. Favoring subterfuge to subdue forts and using disguises to deceive royal governors; it’s all fun and games until somebody gets hurt! Learn more about...

The gentleman captain finds himself in the Indian Ocean, following in the footsteps of the legendary Red Sea men. But times have changed since those pirates had their heyday. Soon his dreams of Mughal Gold will turn to nightmares. The East India Company has been building its power for the past 25 years in preparation — and when Edward England comes face to face with the Bombay Fleet, he’ll discover they are ready for the fight. A devastating battle will either make England’s reputation, or...

In the 1720s, pirates are at risk of becoming a dying breed. The British Empire has made sure of that. But it seems there are some who haven't got the message… One man in particular has stood witness to some of the greatest piratical feats of the Golden Age — and isn’t about to pass up his own chance at greatness. Captain Edward England will lead the charge across the Atlantic, far from Britain’s colonial navy, to Africa. But in this new arena, it’s not just external threats he must manage....

Betrayed by his closest friend in Boston, the once celebrated privateer Captain William Kidd is arrested on a charge of piracy. With rumors of buried treasure swirling around him, Kidd is transported back to London for a decidedly one-sided trial. At the Old Bailey, Kidd fights for both his life and reputation. And yet, although the deck is stacked against him, the defiant captain has one final ace to play. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Privateer William Kidd is back out on the open sea and ready to make his mark on the world. His commission has taken him beyond the Cape of Good Hope, where legalities mean little, if anyone cared to ask. Here a captain is only as good as the prizes he can deliver his crew. Weakness is punished and loyalties quickly forgotten. Here Kidd must make his stand. The fallout will shape the history of piracy forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The last legend of the Red Sea men enters the stage: Captain William Kidd, war hero, privateer, murderer, thief. Added to this are rumors of buried treasure and a corrupt criminal trial. They broke the mold with Captain Kidd — and all who'd follow would be judged in his image. We delve into the backstory of this larger than life character to meet the man behind the myths. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Henry Avery has just made perhaps the biggest score in pirate history – they are rich beyond their wildest dreams! But, like many before them, they now face the challenge of keeping what they’ve gained. Although they’re not the first, their depredations in the Red Sea have set a new benchmark for horror. And it’s not gone unnoticed. Soon the forces of two empires and the fury of the terrifying East India company will be breathing down Avery’s neck. The race is on. Will he hang? Or can he slip...