The pirate called the Gentleman Pirate because he was a wealthy landowner before taking to sea was Stede Bonnet.
Stede Bonnet was a Barbados landowner and former army major who turned to piracy in 1717. Contemporary accounts offered several possible motives, including dissatisfaction with his domestic life, but no single explanation is certain. His social background was unusual among pirates and helped produce the nickname Gentleman Pirate.
Bonnet purchased and equipped a sailing vessel rather than beginning as a mutineer or common sailor. He initially lacked practical seamanship, so he hired a crew and later came into contact with experienced pirates, including Edward Teach. The relationship was not a simple partnership: Teach temporarily took control of Bonnet’s ship and crew.
Bonnet eventually attempted to return to a pardon, but he resumed piracy after further conflict and was captured near the Cape Fear River. He was tried in Charleston and executed in 1718. His career is a reminder that piracy attracted people from varied social backgrounds.