Sea Beggar

The Sea Beggar: An Apprentice is the first of a series of a historical novels about Ephraim Bogardus who was a Hudson River mariner. He was a Dutch American who lived in the Hudson Valley and operated Hudson River Sloops. Ephraim Bogardus lived between 1687 and 1770. In this novel Ephraim tells his story of how he learned to be privateer during early days Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713). The term sea beggar or in Dutch watergeuzen means a sea robber and was applied to Dutch privateers. Ephraim Bogardus considered himself to be a watergeuzen or sea beggar.

The Sea Beggar: Going for Gold is the third in the Sea Beggar series of historical novels about the life and times during the period of Queen Anne's War and its immediate aftermath. The series tells the story of Ephraim Bogardus a Hudson River mariner who uses his Hudson River sloop to do privateering in North Carolina and the Caribbean. In this third book in the series Ephraim fins himself in a dilemma, Queen Anne's War has ended and his letters of marque from New York and North Carolina are now null and void.

In this fourth novel in the series The Sea Beggar: Pirates, Ephraim has decided that he wants to retire from privateering and concentrate on only doing peaceful commodities trading and give up privateering. Queen Anne’s War is over, and many former privateers have turned to piracy. Ephraim has been able to continue to do privateering with a letter of marque he has been able to acquire from the King of Denmark. Ephraim wants to make a few more cruises before retiring but must deal with pirates that may put a stop to his well-laid plans.