Letter de Marque

A letter de marque is an “official warrant or commission from a national government authorizing the designated agent to search, seize or destroy specified assets or personnel belongings to a party which had committed some offense under the laws of the issuing nation, and was usually used to authorize private parties to raid and capture merchant shipping of an enemy nation.”

Tales be told that many an instance such as this would provoke an out-and-out blunder bust, causing loss of life to many a participant on both sides of the law. And sometimes pirateers would claim they were set up or rousted about and were innocent of the charges set against them. Reason to seek raison d’etre, aye matey? Depends if you could prove your point, one would suppose.

gret ©