Bully Hayes
William Henry "Bully" Hayes (1827 or 1829 – 31 March 1877) was a notorious American ship's captain who engaged in blackbirding in the 1860s and 1870s.
William Henry Hayes | |
|---|---|
The only known photograph of Bully Hayes, circa 1863 | |
| Born | 1827 or 1829 Cleveland, Ohio |
| Died | 31 March 1877 |
| Other names | Bully Hayes |
| Occupation(s) | Ship's captain, trader and blackbirder |
Hayes operated across the breadth of the Pacific Ocean from the 1850s until his murder on 31 March 1877. He has been described as a South Sea pirate and "the last of the buccaneers". However, in their account of his life, James A. Michener and A. Grove Day warn that it is almost impossible to separate fact from legend regarding Hayes; they described him as "a cheap swindler, a bully, a minor confidence man, a thief, a ready bigamist" and commented that there is no evidence that he ever took a ship by force in the tradition of a pirate or privateer. Hayes was a large man who used intimidation against his crew, although he could reportedly be very charming if he chose to be.