Jean Thomas Dulaien

Jean Thomas Dulaien (fl. 1727–1728) was a French pirate active in the Caribbean. He is known for preserved copies of his Articles (pirate code) and black flag.

History

Born in about 1704, Dulaien received a respectable education in France and was a licensed ship's pilot. By 1727 he was aboard a privateer ship in the Caribbean, cruising against the English with a crew that was part Spanish, part French. The French crewmen mutinied, massacring the Spaniards and electing Dulaien as captain. They renamed the ship Sans Pitié (Merciless).

The crew agreed to a shared set of Articles for governing behavior aboard ship. As in other pirate codes, there were provisions for punishing sailors who deserted, hid loot, argued, or were derelict in their duties. The Articles also allowed for compensation for injured sailors, and appointed a lieutenant to monitor cargo aboard captured ships. The killing of prisoners was prohibited, unless, notably, they were Spanish.

Dulaien found a lurking place for his 60-ton, 14-gun vessel among the tall trees on the shores of West Caicos. The authorities suspected that the little plunder they found on the Sans Pitié was only a small part of what Dulaien had stolen, and they persuaded local priests to threaten citizens who aided the pirates with excommunication. The threat worked, and after informants had led them to the hidden treasure, the officials arrested Dulaien and his crew. footer =

Dulaien's pirate flag was described by the mayor of Nantes as "black cloth, with white designs of human figures, cutlasses, bones, and hourglasses." Dulaien's flag is often confused with that of Walter Kennedy, which was described in similar terms. Because the original flag is missing and the extant drawings of it vary, its exact design is unknown. There is no evidence of Walter Kennedy flying this flag; after he mutinied against Bartholomew Roberts, Kennedy and the rest of the crew retired from piracy and sailed to Ireland.