Another amazing and rare treasure from the Knapton Collection, the Whydah, is the only definitively identified pirate shipwreck known.
The Whydah originally began her life as a slave ship of the Royal African Slave Company. In Febuary 1717, while sailing the windward passage between modern-day Cuba and Haiti, she was chased for three days by the Pirate "Black" Sam Bellamy. After the Whydah was captured, Bellamy raised her top deck and converted her to be his new flagship. In a gesture of goodwill to the original crew, Bellamy gave them a smaller ship in his fleet, and £20.
Soon, the Whydah and a small fleet of ships under Bellamy command sailed up the 13 Colonies plundering  and merchantman he came across. On April 26th, 1717, the Whydah was caught in a deadly nor'easter and smashed against the shore in modern-day Wellfleet Massachusetts. Of her 146 crew, only two survived along with along with 10 men from another ship in Bellamy fleet. 6 of those survivors were convicted of piracy and hanged in Boston soon after.