First Mate

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Angelica, First Mate of the Queen Anne's Revenge.

"Hardly appropriate for a First Mate."
"Was I the first? I've often wondered."

―Angelica and Jack Sparrow

The First Mate was the officer second in command to the captain of a ship. The rank was common to all seafaring vessels' crews, including pirates, merchantmen, and navies.

Pirates were not too keen on authority figures, and so the duty of leading the crew was split between the captain and the first mate. Also called the quartermaster, this second in command was responsible for rousing the men to work, dividing up the booty, and for doling out punishment. However, on some pirate ships, such as the Queen Anne's Revenge, the first mate and the quartermaster were separate ranks. There were some first mates, like Hector Barbossa, who betrayed their captains and took over their ships by a mutiny.

Joshamee Gibbs, first mate of the Black Pearl.

Notable First Mates

Hector Barbossa was Jack Sparrow's first mate aboard the Black Pearl.

Penny Finch served on the Nemesis as James Sterling's First Mate.

• Rodriguez (to Captain of the Santa Catalina) ― Santa Catalina
• Sam Johnson (to Captain Drake)
• Keng (to Mistress Ching) ― Ching's flagship
• Ewan McGregor (to Nathaniel Hawk) ― Victory
• Malcom Hatcher (to Nathaniel Hawk) ― Victory
• Bartholomew Roberts (to Howell Davis) ― Royal Rover
• Reece (to Laura Smith) ― Fleur de la Mort
• Arabella Smith (to Jack Sparrow) ― Barnacle
• Mr. Hawk (to David Donovan) ― Sea Star
• Diego de Leon to Carolina ― Sparrow
• Edward Teach (to Benjamin Hornigold) ― Mary Anne
• Luis Montoya (to Don Rafael) ― Venganza
• Luis Montoya (to Esmeralda) ― Venganza
• Jack Sparrow (to Nathaniel Bainbridge) ― Fair Wind
• Robert Greene (to Jack Sparrow) ― Wicked Wench
• Penny Finch (to James Sterling) ― Nemesis
• Marcus (to Jocard) ― Ranger
• Roland McTavish (to Benedict Huntington) ― HMS Peacock
• Hector Barbossa (to Jack Sparrow) ― Black Pearl
• Lieutenant James Norrington (to an unnamed captain) ― HMS Dauntless
• Old Bill (to Pirate Captain) ― Wicked Wench
• Bo'sun (to Hector Barbossa) ― Black Pearl
• Lieutenant Theodore Groves (to James Norrington) — HMS Dauntless
• Joshamee Gibbs (to Jack Sparrow) ― HMS Interceptor/Black Pearl
• Lieutenant Gillette (to James Norrington) ― HMS Dauntless
• Maccus (to Davy Jones) ― Flying Dutchman
• Tai Huang (to Sao Feng) ― Empress
• Lieutenant Theodore Groves (to Lord Cutler Beckett) ― HMS Endeavour
• Bootstrap Bill Turner (to William Turner) ― Flying Dutchman
• Lieutenant Theodore Groves (to Hector Barbossa) ― HMS Providence
• LaSchafe (to Blackbeard) ― Queen Anne's Revenge
• Angelica (to Blackbeard) ― Queen Anne's Revenge
• Mop Head Randy/Redbeard Randall (to Hector Barbossa) ― Queen Anne's Revenge

Behind the scenes

"Yet here I be, alone, and not a penny the better for my pains."
"No? With two good feet, standing on the deck of the Pearl... my trusted First Mate?"
"First Mate, says you."
"Like old times."
"Aye... Captain!"

―Hector Barbossa and Jack Sparrow

• First Mates first appeared in the 2003 junior novelization for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
• First Mate Productions, Inc. was credited with the creation of The Curse of the Black Pearl, for purposes of copyright law in the United Kingdom.
• In Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio's first screenplay draft of At World's End, following an encounter with Captain Jack Sparrow in Davy Jones' Locker, Hector Barbossa would have agreed to sail aboard the Black Pearl under Sparrow as his First Mate.
• In Terry Rossio's screenplay draft for Dead Men Tell No Tales, Joshamee Gibbs would have rejoined the British Royal Navy, serving as First Mate under Admiral John Benbow aboard the HMS Bonaventure. Following the defeat of the Sea Widow and Queen Inez of Spain, despite their long history of fighting over the Captaincy of the Black Pearl, Jack Sparrow offered the position of First Mate to Hector Barbossa, seemingly ending that debate. However, the intended post-credits sequence had Barbossa planning another mutiny against Jack, revealing that Barbossa in fact has not forgiven Jack, and is intent on killing him, further detailed by having Jack the Monkey return with the sword destined to kill Jack Sparrow. Barbossa lifts the sword, regards it, then would ask who was with him, staring nearly straight into camera, thereby breaking the fourth wall. In Rossio's annotations for the screenplay, he noted that while it may seem like an overt set-up for a sequel, this would bring the story back around full circle as a way to end Jack and Barbossa's characters.
• In Pirates of the Caribbean Online, there is a weapon called First Mate's Cutlass.
• First Mate is one the ranks a player can earn in Pirates of the Caribbean: Master of the Seas.
• Hector Barbossa's first mate named Black Dog Briar appears in the non-canon video game Sea of Thieves: A Pirate's Life.

Appearances

• Climb Aboard If You Dare!: Stories From The Pirates of the Caribbean
• Jack Sparrow: The Siren Song
• Jack Sparrow: Silver
• Legends of the Brethren Court: Wild Waters
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003 junior novelization) (First appearance)
  • Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2006 junior novelization)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Tides of War
• Kingdom Hearts II
• Kingdom Hearts III
• LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game

Sources

• The Pirates' Guidelines

External links

• Chief Mate on Wikipedia