privateers to pirates

[boobesque]

hello everybody. i have read that pirates were often born out of ex privateers who just carried on after the royal contracts expired. but how did these people become privateers in the first place? were they like fishermen who turned to more profitable means of living or just rich guys after adventure? i cant imagine them being of a military background as im sure you couldnt just quit after deciding on a life on the high seas. im aware that mutinies can occur but surely they cant then privateer.

[Andyvon]

I think it's fair to say that privateers were the ancestors of the 'commerce raider' of modern warfare. Common pirates were just renegades and thieves who would attack anyone they could find.

However, privateers were usually respectable mariners given commissions by their own government/monarch who were funding the voyage. The commission was to go out and attack any merchantmen of a nation with whom they were at war at the time. The commissions were actually termed 'Letters of Marque' and they effectively legitimised the attack. However, the letters of marque specified that only vessels of an enemy nation could be stopped - anything else would be classed as common piracy and the privateers treated accordingly.
Once an enemy merchantman had been seized, the vessel was sailed home as prize. The crew were usually interned or sent home, and the ship and cargo sold off at auction. The privateer crew and their sponsor (unsually the government/monarch) then split the proceeds on a pre-arranged percentage.
The most famous privateer was Sir Francis Drake who was usually sent out raiding by Queen Elizabeth. Sir Walter Raleigh also led several privateering voyages for Elizabeth who would finance the trips in return for the biggest chunk of the prize.
I think the last privateer was poor old Captain Kidd. He was sent out by William III to attack Portuguese ships. While he was away, an international agreement ended privateering and decreed that it was just common piracy. Kidd retuned home with a ship full of prize and every expectation of a knighthood. However, he was immediately arrested for common piracy and strung up as an example to show the rest of the world that we had finished with privateering.Many countries just treated all privateers as pirates anyway.

Hope that's not too long winded Boobesque but that's the general difference.

[Andyvon]

I've just read the question more fully - Sorry, I'm terrible for that.

Privateers were more rich people after fame, wealth and adventure rather than anything else. Their crews were obviously the more adventerous type after a good pay day - more that they could expect as ordinary sailors.