Name Explanations

In coming up with my pirate blog world, I will admit that my original names for the people and dogs in the household were not very creative. Surfer Pirate, Pirate Munchkin, and the dogs Pirate Dog, Pirate Puppy and Pirate Wench Puppy. I'm actually a little embarrassed at how simple the names are. I had to come up with names quickly since I was doing postings about them.

However, when it came to the cats, I was able to put a little more thought into it since they weren't immediately giving me post inspirations. I'm quite proud of what I've come up with, but they must seem a little strange. I feel the need to explain them:

Old Captain Paulsgrave - the blog name of my 12 year old Siamese mix cat. A wise old cat with a long, colorful history. I named him after Paulsgrave Williams who apparently became a pirate at the ripe old age of 38 - midlife crisis, perhaps? He was a silversmith (or goldsmith from one report) who left his wife, children and job to form a partnership with Samuel Bellamy. They started out as treasure hunters, but turned to piracy in the ultimate get-rich-quick-scheme.

Calico Jackia - the blog name for my 9 year old calico cat. She's a very loving and affectionate cat, although quite skittish. She's named for the pirate John Rackham - known as "Calico Jack" because he wore clothing made of calico fabric (what we Americans call muslin). Calico Jack was famous for coming up with the design for the popular Jolly Roger flag, and he is also known for having employed the famous female pirates Mary Read and Anne Bonny.

Black Beardette - a young, feisty black cat who loves to fight with the other cats. She was obviously named after Blackbeard the Pirate. Blackbeard (Edward Teach or Thatch depending on which history you are reading) was the iconic pirate. Fearless and bloodthirsty, he struck terror into the hearts of all who were unfortunate to be plundered by him and his crew.

So, there they are. Eventually, I may find more creative names for the rest of the pirate family.