Luminaries Illuminated:Jack Black of Flint

This will be hopefully a monthly column...after all, these are the people who populate our world, and all of them have great stories. BlackJack has stepped up to the plate with the first of what I hope will be many great tales, and I invite you all to share your stories as well. Any style is fine...autobiography, narrative, whatever style you wish will be welcome here.

Thank you, Cap'n! And also, thank you Baron Bardulf, for the great picture of Blackjack.

-Dulcy

So, ye be interested in hearin about me, ehh? Well, just sit back and ye’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful life. Me earliest memories weren’t exactly pleasant, if’n ye get me meanin. I was about 5 or 6, not really sure. I grew up in an orphanage in London. I apparently was dumped on the doorstep in the middle of January, 1564. No name, no note, no idea who or how I got there. Not even a bleedin basket ta protect me from the cold. The nuns in the orphanage guessed I was less than a week old. So they took me in and raised me, in their fashion of the time. There was a French nun there, name o’ Josephine, I seem ta recall, who took favor upon me, and named me. Sister Josephine decided to begin calling me "Jacques", which as I learned to talk, changed to Jack.


About the age of ten, I ran away from the orphanage, ((I’m sure ye can imagine what life was like in an orphanage at that time)) and stowed away on a ship. I could always see the docks from an open window high up in the orphanage, and was fascinated at the men working the riggin as they docked. So when I was found, several days at sea, I was made into a powder monkey to start, and general whatever needed be done. It was a ship of the English Navy, and the Captain, Lewis was his name, was pretty good to an orphaned stowaway. I was on that ship for two or three years, stayin with Captain Lewis’ family when we were in London. The work was hard, and there was no pay, but it was a damn sight better than living in that orphanage, believe you me.

In May of 1576, as we were fightin a ship believed to be a Pirate, Captain Lewis was hit by cannon fire, and died. I had been taught a bit of sword work at that time, but mostly had a few throwing knives and pure dumb luck when we were boarded. That was when I discovered the life of a pirate. I met the man who became my mentor in the ways of the world, Captain Keith. When I faced him the first time, he seemed larger than life. Giant Irishman, red hair and beard wild and unkempt, looked like he was insane. But then, aren’t all the Irish? Captain Keith was impressed that I was the only one on that English Navy ship that stood ground, and didn’t beg for mercy. All of the English navy crew cowered from Cap’n Keith and his men, and I was the only one to attempt to protect the body of my Captain. I didn’t know what would happen, but was determined to keep these pirates from doing foul things to Captain Lewis. So, as I said, Cap’n Keith was impressed, and he brought me aboard as his cabin boy.

About me 18th birthday, (I was guessin since I never knew when my actual birth date was) Captain Keith’s Quartermaster, Mr. Byrne died of wounds sustained in battle. It was decided by Captain and crew to allow me to take the position. The work of QuarterMaster actually gave me a much clearer view of how profitable it was to live this life by the way of the sea. I was responsible for exacting ship’s discipline at the Cap’n’s orders, and for ensuring that each man got his proper share of takes when we arrived on land.

It was while performing my duties as QuarterMaster that earned me the last name of Flint. Cap’n Keith said that it was because just like when flint was sparked against steel, when sparked, I went off like a fire. ((Methinks it was a joke, tellin me I had a right nasty temper, but I liked it, and kept it)). A few years after that, I took the job of first mate after the lad decided to find hisself a pretty young thing and get married.

When I was about 24, we stumbled on an English merchant ship called "H.M.S. Royal Swallow." After a very short battle, they surrendered right quick. I had come up with a plan to surprise them, which worked, and as such, there was almost no damage to her when we took her. Captain Keith was so impressed that my plan worked, that he gave me the ship, and I became Captain Flint. I immediately had the figurehead carved to look more sinister, and renamed the ship, "The Raptor".

I quickly developed a reputation among me men for bein a bit hard when they needed discipline, and good to them when they were good to me. I also took everything personally. Any personal attack on me, my men, or my ship met with serious consequences. I was then given the moniker, "Black"Jack, because of such. I rather liked that, so I began wearing all black, and carrying a blackjack as a "recruitment device".

So, to this day, ye’ll find "The Raptor" and her crew sailin the waters, enjoyin life, and helpin those who need it. We’re not Pirates, we’re "Pre-emptive salvage specialists".

So drink a toast to all of my ilk, and pass me the rum!

Until the next,
Yours in service,

Cap'n Jack Black of Flint (AKA: BlackJack))
Lord and Master of "The Raptor"
Chirurgeon, Canton of St. Georges
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