Remembering Lt. Maynard

As anyone familiar with Ocracoke knows, the legend of Blackbeard the pirate has been a dominant and persistent theme on Ocracoke, even today, 300 years after his defeat by Lt. Robert Maynard and the British Royal Navy.

Lt. Robert Maynard

Several years ago Ruth Toth, vice president of the Ocracoke Preservation Society, decided that Lt. Maynard and his crew should be recognized and celebrated on the 300th anniversary of the final battle. The Executive Committee of OPS agreed, so Ruth and a small committee have been working to make it happen. OPS will host a three day event at Ocracoke (November 21, 22, and 23) to commemorate the historic battle.

Invitations have been extended to officers and midshipmen from the Royal Navy officer training unit who train aboard the HMS Ranger, named for Maynard’s ship. This unit typically holds their most formal dinner of the year on November 22^nd, to celebrate Maynard’s defeat of Blackbeard.

The event begins with an Oyster Roast on Wednesday, November 21 (this is a ticketed event with limited seating). At 10 am the next morning (November 22...Thanksgiving Day) the public is invited to a memorial ceremony at Springer’s Point Nature Preserve, the closest land to the site of the battle. Immediately following the ceremony, all are invited to an English Tea in the Barn at the Berkley Manor (served in fine china tea cups).

For more information go to the OPS web site: https://ocracokepreservation.org/300th-anniversary-of-the-battle-at-ocracoke/.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is Lachlan Howard's essay about the Fresnel Lens and its use in theater, solar ovens, cameras, and industry, as well as lighthouse illumination. You can read it here: https://www.villagecraftsmen.com/the-fresnel-lens/.