About how many ships did pirate Bartholomew Roberts capture during his career?

Pirate Bartholomew Roberts captured more than 400 ships during his career.

Roberts, whose real name was John Roberts, became one of the most successful pirates of the Golden Age. He began his pirate career in 1719 after pirates led by Howell Davis seized the slave ship on which Roberts was serving.

After Davis was killed, Roberts became captain and conducted raids across the Atlantic, the Caribbean, and the coast of West Africa. Accounts commonly credit him with capturing more than 400 vessels, though historical totals vary because contemporary sources did not classify every prize in exactly the same way.

The figure should not be confused with the number of ships Roberts commanded at one time. His large total represents prizes taken across several years. Roberts was killed in battle aboard Royal Navy ship HMS Swallow in 1722.