Henry Every’s crew renamed the Charles II the Fancy after their 1694 mutiny.
The ship began as the English privateer Charles II. While the vessel was near the coast of Spain, Every and other sailors seized control after months of unpaid wages and difficult conditions. Every became captain, and the mutineers changed the ship’s name to Fancy.
The Fancy then sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and into the Indian Ocean. In 1695, Every’s crew helped capture the Mughal treasure ship Ganj-i-Sawai, an event that made the ship and its captain notorious across Europe and Asia. The loot was reportedly worth a vast sum, although surviving estimates vary.
Fancy is a useful name to distinguish from other famous pirate vessels. Adventure Galley was associated with William Kidd, Royal Fortune was used by Bartholomew Roberts, and Revenge was used by several pirates, including Stede Bonnet. Every and Fancy later separated after the crew divided the treasure and went into hiding.