Great Thatch island was formerly in private hands, but was repurchased by the Government of the Territory in September 1997, and is now a national park. Great Thatch Great Thatch is an uninhabited island of the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. It is one of the westernmost islands in the Territory. It is believed to take its name from the famous pirate, Edward Teach (better known as "Blackbeard"), although there is little evidence Blackbeard ever sailed in the Virgin Islands. Although presently uninhabited, it was formerly occupied, and boasted a customs house and mail exchange where the mail would be delivered
Edward Neville (pirate) Edward Neville (pirate) Edward Neville (fl 1675-1678) was an English buccaneer and pirate. He is best known for joining George Spurre to raid Spanish Campeche. After England withdrew from the Franco-Dutch War in 1674, Neville accepted a French privateering commission to sail against Spain. Jamaican Governor John Vaughan tried to recall English privateers to maintain England’s neutrality in the continuing war but had little success. In 1675 he accused legendary buccaneer Henry Morgan – now pardoned, and promoted to become Vaughan’s own Deputy Governor – of writing to Neville and other privateers, promising them pardons and freedom. Morgan wrote, “and