Charles Eden (politician)
British colonial governor of North Carolina linked to Blackbeard.
Charles Eden (1673 – 26 March 1722) was a British colonial official who served as the second Governor of North Carolina from 1714 until his death. He is best known for his connections with various locally based pirates.
Quick Facts
- Honorific prefix
- His Excellency
- Office
- 2nd Governor of North Carolina
- Took office
- 28 May 1714
- Left office
- 26 March 1722
- Monarch
- Anne, George I
- Predecessor
- Thomas Pollock (acting)
- Born
- 1673
- Birthplace
- County Palatine of Durham, England
Facts from the source article.
Governor of North Carolina
Charles Eden became governor of North Carolina on May 28, 1714. His name is most closely tied to the pirates who operated along the coast, including the gentleman pirate Stede Bonnet and the infamous Blackbeard, also known as Edward Teach. Both men surrendered to Eden and accepted the King's Pardon, promising to abandon piracy, though each eventually broke that promise. In 1719, a prominent North Carolinian named Edward Moseley accused Eden of making money from Blackbeard's activities. Moseley was arrested and fined for making these claims. Suspicion also fell on Eden's secretary of the governor's council, Tobias Knight. A letter written to Teach was discovered on the pirate's body after his death, and stolen cargo from a ship Teach had captured was found stored in Knight's barn. The letter mentioned that the governor wanted to meet with Blackbeard, which many took as proof of collusion, though no additional evidence emerged. Four of Blackbeard's crew gave sworn statements that they had traveled by boat from Ocracoke to Knight's house late at night, carrying several small kegs of sweetmeats, loaf sugar, a bag of chocolate, and some boxes. Eden presented his own version of events to the provincial council, which accepted his claims of innocence. Still, his reputation has remained tainted by his association with Blackbeard. Eden died of yellow fever in Bertie County in 1722 at age 48. The town of Edenton, North Carolina, and Edenhouse Point bear his name. His remains were later moved to the churchyard of St. Paul's Church in Edenton.
In popular culture
Eden was featured as a character in the Hallmark Entertainment mini series Blackbeard, played by Richard Chamberlain. The film portrays Eden as the governor of New Providence, the island now the capital of the Bahamas, rather than his real occupation as governor of North Carolina. The series emphasizes his historically alleged trade with Blackbeard and creates the fiction that he conspired with Tobias Knight to arrange the murder of Eden's stepdaughter for her inheritance.
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