Ignatius Pell

Ignatius Pell was a pirate who served as the boatswain to Captain Stede Bonnet aboard the Royal James, a ship previously named Revenge. He was arrested in October 1718 and testified against his crew and captain.

Battle of Cape Fear River While waiting out the Atlantic hurricane season in the estuary of Cape Fear River, Ignatius took part in a battle between Bonnet's pirate vessel Royal James and two pirate hunters, the Henry and its accompanying sloop, commanded by William Rhett and commissioned by South Carolina governor Robert Johnson. Both sides ran aground, leaving only the Henry in range of the Royal James.

Despite the early advantage belonging to the pirates, changing tides freed the Henry first. He also stated that Bonnet was captain in name only, the true authority on the Royal James being quartermaster Robert Tucker. He unsuccessfully attempted to argue that Bonnet was therefore not responsible for the acts of piracy his crew had committed.