Timeline of the Story and World Events

In any story, keeping track of what happened when, how old is so-and-so at this point, and how much time passed while traveling from A to B would be nigh impossible without written notes. With historical fiction, one must also endeavour to keep straight how the non-fiction events of the real world influence and mesh with your story.

In this timeline are many of the larger events leading up to, and including, Emma’s adventures in The Day the Pirates Went Mad. 

Note: During this period of history, two calendars were in use: the Old Style Julian calendar in England, Scotland, Ireland and parts of Northern and Eastern Europe, and the New Style Gregorian calendar elsewhere in Europe. The impact of this situation can be illustrated when considering William III’s death. At that time, Gregorian dates were eleven days ahead of Julian dates, so by the Gregorian calendar he died on March 19, 1702, and on March 8, 1702 by the Julian calendar. Furthermore, the English New Year fell on March 25th, so William died on March 8, 1701. However, dates in the timeline below will follow the Julian calendar with New Year being January 1st.

The Timeline

On the left-hand side are story events, and on the right-hand side are historical events.

1692

Adam Garrett runs away to sea at age 15.
	June 7, an Earthquake destroys much of Port Royal, Jamaica.
The merchant ship Adam is on is captured by Captain Laurens de Graaf. Learning of Adam’s navigation abilities, they give him a chance to join the crew.

1693

Catherine Ducharme arrives in France. She joins the Salle d’Armes de Liancour to master swordplay, duelling pistols and musketry.
Vivian Conway opens the Conway Home for Girls and Boys in Bristol.

1694

	Francois Le Sage of Le Tigre sails with Laurens de Graaf in a raid on Jamaica. The raid captures thousands of slaves, but Le Sage is killed, along with fifty of his men, while attacking fortified plantations.
Adam is Le Tigre’s navigator during the raid on Jamaica. With the aid of Robert Bellows, Adam is able to bring a timely warning to his family’s plantation and they manage to fight off Le Sage.
	Mary II of England dies, leaving William III to continue as the sole ruler.
First of two bad years for Emma’s parents’ farm.

1695

Catherine wins a duel against the wrong person, invoking the wrath of a powerful family. She flees France and makes her way back to the Port-de-Paix.
	Henry Every captures the Ganj-i-Sawai, the richest prize in the Indian Ocean.
	Charles-town, New Providence is burned to the ground by the Spanish in 1684 and is renamed Nassau in 1695 by Nicholas Trott.

1696

Emma Sharpe‘s family moves to Bristol from the countryside when she is 5 years old.
	In March, Henry Every returns to the Caribbean, sailing to Nassau to make a deal with Governor Trott. Then he disappears.

1697

Catherine joins Adam and Robert Bellows on their ship.
Emma’s father is running up debt and her mother’s health is failing.
	September 20, the Nine Years War ends.

1698

Adam, Robert and Catherine steal the Swallow in Port-de-Paix. They sell the cargo and refit the ship, renaming it the New Adventure.
Emma’s parents are sent to debtors’ prison and her older brothers are put to work. Emma is sent to the Conway Home for Girls and Boys orphanage in Bristol.

1700

March 28, fever begins ravaging the orphanage. Mrs. Conway dies three weeks later.
At the end of April, Reverend Roxby arrives and alters the orphanage to be more of a workhouse than a home/school.
	July 18, Emanuel Wynn fights English captain John Cranby and escapes.
In late summer, Jack Randall joins the New Adventure while they are in Yarmouth.
	November 1, Charles II of Spain dies, initiating events that lead to the War of Spanish Succession.
	John Bowen becomes captain of the Speaker after George Booth is killed at Zanzibar

1701

April 17, Emma stows away aboard the New Adventure when it sets sail for Zanzibar.
	June 12, the Act of Settlement is passed such that only Protestants may become rulers of England.
	July 9, the War of Spanish Succession begins.
	In October, near the mouth of the Red Sea, Bowen attacks a fleet of Moorish ships and captures a prize worth an estimated £100,000.
	In December, the Speaker is wrecked just off Mauritius, but Bowen and most of the crew make it to shore.
The New Adventure winters at Warri and Lagos in the Niger Delta.

1702

After wrecking on Mauritius, Bill Barlow and some others part ways with John Bowen, stealing a sloop they name the Swift.
	March 8, William III of England dies and Anne becomes queen. Her coronation occurs on April 23, 1702.
March 24, the New Adventure returns to England and, one week later, leaves Falmouth for Bridge Town, Barbados.
	In April, Bowen returns to Madagascar to build a pirate camp on the island’s eastern coast.
	May 15, 1702, the English, Dutch and Austrians formally declare war against Spain and France, formally entering the War of Spanish Succession.
In the later part of May, Bill and the other survivors aboard the Swift arrive at Little Tobago.
At the end of May, the New Adventure arrives at Little Tobago…

…and the final events of
The Day the Pirates Went Mad
take place!