Only one man in British history has ever been knighted for services to combat piracy, but his name – unlike those of his legendary adversaries – is practically unknown. Now in the collection of Royal Museums Greenwich, a cup made of coconut and set into a silver mount links the lives of pirate-hunter Chaloner Ogle and pirate extraordinaire Bartholomew Roberts, the infamous ‘Black Bart’. Their story reveals the realities of crime, justice and the Royal Navy’s role in protecting British interests at sea during piracy’s ‘golden age’, at a time when growing global trade networks were increasingly under threat from roving bands of sea robbers.

Captain Ogle’s Cup: A Pirate Adventure is part of the Royal Museums Greenwich Spotlight series, accessible introductions to some of the most intriguing objects in the collection.