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Beyond Tiki, Bilge, and Test / Beyond Tiki / Thee Official PIRATE Thread

Post #697941 by MadDogMike on Wed, Oct 30, 2013 4:51 PM

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This topic hold special interest to me as one of my ancestors was a confirmed pirate. Actually an uncle, the brother of one of my direct ancestors.

Otto VanTuyl was born in Holland in 1663. He sailed under Captain Hoar on the John & Rebecca. He was on St Mary's Island in Madagascar when Captain Kidd arrived there in 1698 but Uncle Otto did not sail with Kidd, instead he sailed with Captain John Culliford. In 1699 Otto sailed with Captain Giles Shelly back to New York where he was arrested. Authorities were desperately seeking information on Captain Kidd. After questioning, VanTuyl was released - his deposition is stored in the Library of Congress. Uncle Otto decided to give up his pirate ways and took a job as the captain of the Castle Del Key. On 12/17/1704 his ship ran aground in Sandy Hook New York during a winter storm. Though they were visible from shore, rescuers were unable to reach the ship until December 21st by which time VanTuyl and 131 of his 145 men had either drowned or froze to death.