The anecdote is attributed to the early-18th-century pirate Benjamin Hornigold and comes from later pirate lore, most famously recorded in A General History of the Pyrates (1724) by Charles Johnson. While its literal accuracy is debated, it reflects real conditions of Golden Age piracy: crews often raided ships not only for gold or silver but for everyday necessities like clothing, tools, medicine, and food. Sailors’ hats were practical gear protecting from sun and spray, and replacing them at s