Did Pirates Really Have Peg Legs?
The image of a pirate with a peg leg, an eye patch, and a parrot on the shoulder is deeply ingrained in popular culture, from classic literature to Hollywood movies. The peg-legged pirate, in particular, has become an enduring trope — it’s easy to picture such a character standing on the deck of a pirate ship, growling, “Arr, me hearties” and “shiver me timbers” while a motley crew runs up the Jolly Roger.
But how much of this image is based on historical reality? Did many pirates actually have peg legs, or is this merely a romanticized myth perpetuated by literature and film? Here, we delve into the history of piracy — and maritime medicine — to separate fact from fiction.
Injuries in the Golden Age of Piracy
Between 1650 and 1720 — a period often considered the golden age of piracy — more than 5,000 pirates sailed the seas and caused all kinds of havoc. It was an incredibly dangerous profession, not just due to battles and skirmishes, but also because of accidents, diseases, and the primitive medical care available at the time.
The nature of sea engagements often involved firing cannon broadsides at medium or close range between vessels, while muskets, pistols, swords, and grenades were used in close combat. All of this made the loss of limbs an occupational hazard, and injuries that resulted in amputations were not uncommon among sailors and pirates.
Surviving these injuries, however, was a long shot at best. On a pirate ship, the job of surgeon often fell to the ship’s carpenter or even the cook — the two most qualified people simply because they were accustomed to cutting things. Lacking adequate skills and equipment, and relying on rum as an anesthetic, these surgeons carried out amputations with a low chance of success. Even if the patient survived the procedure, they would often die from infection. The point at which a prosthetic was an option was a long way away for an amputee pirate. Even if they could afford a peg leg, most amputees would simply use crutches. Either way, their days of pirating would normally be over — making actual peg-legged pirates very rare indeed.
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History’s Real Peg-Legged Pirates
While peg legs weren’t nearly as ubiquitous as popular culture suggests, they weren't entirely fictional either. We do know of a couple of documented cases involving high-profile pirates with prosthetic limbs.
The most famous is arguably François Le Clerc, a 16th-century French privateer. When not being paid by various European rulers to act on their behalf, Le Clerc sailed independently as the leader of a pirate fleet. He was one of the first notable pirates of the Caribbean and was known for his peg leg. His nicknames included “Jambe de Bois” and “Pata de Palo” (in French and Spanish, respectively), both of which translate as “wooden leg” or “peg leg.”
Another example is Cornelis Jol (1597-1641), a Dutch corsair, admiral, and privateer — in other words, pirate-adjacent — who was nicknamed “Houtebeen” (Dutch for “peg leg”) due to his wooden leg. It’s worth noting, however, that both Le Clerc and Jol were sailing the high seas before the golden age of piracy, which is the era typically associated with peg legs, parrots, and eye patches.
The Rise of the Peg-Legged Pirate in Popular Culture
The image of the peg-legged pirate is so pervasive in large part due to literature, in particular Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 adventure novel Treasure Island. The character of Long John Silver, with his amputated leg and pet parrot, became — and remains — the archetypal image of the pirate in the public imagination.
Stevenson’s original Long John Silver, however, was missing his leg entirely and moved around on crutches. It was only in later adaptations, including on stage and screen, that Silver was often portrayed with a wooden leg. This image began to permeate the public consciousness — so much so that many people erroneously believe that the original Silver had a peg leg, too. The iconic pirate image was most recently reinforced by the Pirates of the Caribbean movies (the character Hector Barbossa has a prosthetic leg) and the popular television series Black Sails, which features the character of John Silver with a peg leg. It’s safe to say, then, me hearties, that the image of the peg-legged pirate is very much alive, despite actual historical examples being rare indeed.
