Toast of the Tudor Ball: Pirates, Saints, and Movie Stars

The 2026 Tudor Ball was a smashing success!

Each year, we make three toasts: one to a famous Welshman, one to a famous Welsh American, and one to our society’s namesake, Saint David of Wales. This year’s toasts were made to Sir Stanley Baker by Jack Eades, to Bartholomew “Black Bart” Roberts by David Dickey, and to Saint David by William Hancock. The biographical articles, printed in the 2026 Tudor Ball program, are reproduced below, followed by Mr. Hancock’s remarks on Saint David.

Sir Stanley Baker, 1928-1976

Presented by Jack Randolph Eades, MD, FAAAAI, FACAAI
Sheriff of Denbighshire

The son of a disabled coal miner, Sir Stanley Baker was born in Glamorgan. As a preteen, his acting talent was noticed by a teacher who encouraged, mentored and aided him to develop. He began acting professionally as a teenager during World War II, subsequently putting the career on hold for compulsory military service before returning to acting in earnest in the late 1940s.

He was a friend of fellow Welsh actor, Richard Burton, and for a time the two were roommates as they performed Shakespearean drama at the famous Old Vic Theater (a proving ground for many British actors). After honing his skills, he progressed to a fine career as both an actor and producer before his untimely demise due to lung cancer. He was awarded a knighthood posthumously in the 1976 Honors list. Although best known in the United Kingdom, he has three blockbusters to his credit which are remembered far and wide.

In the classic WWII drama, “The Guns of Navarrone”, Baker portrayed the commando Butcher Brown who was upbraided by Captain Mallory (Gregory Peck) for failing his job. Perhaps Sir Stanley Baker’s most famous role was as Lieutenant Chard in the war epic, “Zulu,” which he also produced. This film detailing the heroics of a group of Welsh soldiers victorious against nearly overwhelming odds, was narrated by Richard Burton and co-starred Michael Caine. Sir Stanley Baker later teamed with Michael Caine again as Baker’s production company brought the comedy crime caper, “The Italian Job” to the screen. In addition to an epic car chase featuring Cooper Minis, the film packed some star power including Noel Coward, Benny Hill and a musical score by Quincy Jones.

Bartholomew “Black Bart” Roberts

Presented by David H. Dickey, Esq.
Founding Regent

Bartholomew “Black Bart” Roberts captured more than 400 ships during his 3-year career as a pirate, rightfully earning him the enviable appellation, “King of the Atlantic Pirates.”

Roberts was born in Pembrokeshire, Wales in 1682 and is thought to have gone to sea in 1695 when he was thirteen years old. In 1719, he was a second mate on the British slave ship, Princess, under the command of Captain Abraham Plumb. Ship mates at that time made very meager wages, equivalent to approximately $12,500.00 in 2026 US dollars. The Princess was anchored off the western coast of present-day Ghana, Africa, when it was attacked and seized by pirates lead by another Pembrokeshire Welshman, Captain Howell Davis. Roberts and several other crew members were forced to join the pirates.

Captain Davis quickly learned of Roberts’ ability as a navigator and took him under wing. After Davis was killed in an ambush on the island of Principe in the Gulf of Guinea off the western coast of central Africa, the crew elected Roberts as Captain of their flagship, the Royal Rover. History reveals that Roberts was initially reluctant to become a pirate, reasoning that the incessant violence and theft was immoral. He soon went to the dark side, however, after capturing the Sagrada Familia, a Portuguese ship of forty guns and a crew of 170, in the Todos os Santos’ Bay off the coast of Brazil. This one ship contained 40,000 gold coins (moidores) and jewelry designed for the King of Portugal, including a gold cross set with diamonds. The loot from this one ship was estimated to be worth more than $25 1⁄2 million dollars in 2026. Not a bad sum for a day’s work!

Charles Johnson, who wrote “A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates” in 1724 quotes Roberts as saying: “In honest service, there [are]… low wages and hard labor. In this [piracy], [there are] plenty and satiety, pleasure and ease, liberty and power;… [A] merry life and a short one shall be my motto.” (p. 213-214).

According to Johnson, in the same volume on page 162, speaking of the election of the Black Bart as Captain, Johnson asserts : “he accepted the honour, saying that since he had ‘dipp’d his hands in muddy water, and must be a pyrate,’ it was better being a commander than a common man.”

The Royal Rover then sailed by to Guinea, Africa to spend the booty. While there, they captured a sloop which Roberts and 40 of his men made use of to pursue a British brigantine, leaving a Scotsman, Walter Kennedy, in command of the Royal Rover. When Roberts and his crew finally returned to their flagship, they found that the despicable Scotsman had sailed off with the Royal Rover which held the remainder of the gold loot, proving the old adage that “there is no honor among thieves!” To rectify the rampant internecine thievery, Roberts and his crew renamed their sloop the Fortune and adopted new articles of “law” to govern piracy, known as the Pirate Code which, ironically they swore on a Holy Bible to uphold. Essentially, it attempted to impose upon pirates an honor code which would establish honesty, non-violence and “honor among thieves.” Of course, this Code of Honor did not extend to innocents.

On February 10, 1722, British Captain Chaloner Ogle of HMS Swallow cornered Roberts and the Royal Fortune in the Calabar River at Cape Lopez, Nigeria, Africa. As Charles Johnson describes on page 212 of his book, supra, “[As Roberts] usually did before action, he dressed himself in his finest clothes: Roberts himself made a gallant figure, at the time of the engagement, being dressed in rich crimson damask waistcoat and breeches, a red feather in his hat, a gold chain round his neck, with a diamond cross hanging to it [the King’s jewelry], a sword in his hand, and two pairs of pistols slung over his shoulders…”

Black Bart’s plan of escape was to sail past The Swallow exposing his ship to only one broadside volley. Once past Ogle’s ship, Bart would have an opportunity to outrun the pursuer. Ironically, Roberts’ navigator failed to keep the Royal Fortune on course and The Swallow was able to fire a second broadside which killed Roberts when he was struck in the neck by grapeshot (as he stood on the deck, a conspicuous target in his resplendent regalia). Before Ogle’s men could board the ship and seize Roberts’ body, his men wrapped him in a weighted sail and lowered him into a watery grave, jewelry still intact. It was never found…

Perhaps, the secret message contained in the waves of Savannah’s St. David’s Society Membership Medal reveals the coordinates for where the King of Portugal’s purloined gold and diamond necklace might be positioned! ALL ABOARD!?

Saint David of Wales

Presented by 2LT William S. Hancock, USAR
Wizard of the Society

Saint David, Dewi Sant, is the Patron Saint of Wales and namesake of our Society. David was a native of Wales and served as Bishop of Mynyw. In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI recounted David as “one of the great saints of the sixth century… a founder of the Christian culture which lies at the root of modern Europe.”

While oral tradition from David’s time preserved many details about his life, much of what is known about David comes from the writings of Rhygyfarch about 500 years after David’s death. Rhygyfarch’s Buchedd Dewi (Life of David), a hagiography, claimed to be based on documents found in St. David’s Cathedral archives. Modern historians are skeptical of some of its claims, particularly because one of Rhygyfarch’s aims was to establish some independence for the Welsh Church from Canterbury. Later writers, such as Giraldus Cambrensis, William of Malmesbury, Geoffrey of Monmouth, John de Tynemouth, and John Capgrave, would all seem to simply copy and enlarge upon the work of Rhygyfarch.

David’s birth date is uncertain - most scholars propose a range from 462 to 512. He is believed to have been born at Henfynyw in Ceredigion, the son of Non and grandson of King Ceredig ap Cunedda. According to tradition, his birth had been foretold thirty years before by an angel to St. Patrick, and at his baptism at Porthclais by St. Elvis of Munster, a blind man was cured by the baptismal water. For his early education, he studied under St. Illtyd at Caerworgorn (now Llantwit Major, Glamorganshire) and spent ten years at Whitland in Carmarthenshire under St. Paulinus, preparing for his mission to evangelize the British.

During his ministry, David was prominent at the Synod of Brevi (Llanddewi Brefi), which has been identified with the Roman military station, Loventium. In 569, he presided over another synod held at Lucus Victoriae. He was Bishop of Menevia (Mynyw), the Roman port Menapia in Pembrokeshire, later known as St. David’s, which was then a Roman port and a central point of departure for Ireland.

David emphasized a life of asceticism, simplicity, and teaching. He founded monastic settlements that became centers of Christian learning in Wales. His message, in all its simplicity and richness, often focused on doing small acts with great devotion.

David was called to heaven on the first of March, in either 589 or 601, now celebrated as St. David’s Day. His final words to his monastic brethren are often given as “be joyful and keep your faith and your creed, and do the little things that you have heard and seen me do.”

David’s sainthood was formally recognized by Pope Callixtus II in 1120, largely thanks to the advocacy of Bernard, the Bishop of St. David’s at the time.

Reflections on Saint David

Friends, countrymen, distinguished guests, tonight we raise a glass to St. David of Wales.

Every year, in our program, we include a little history of David. When our regent asked me to write a new article this year, I decided to do something slightly different, which was to take away some of the mythology and the tradition, leaving behind as much of the reliable, historical fact as was possible.

That may seem like an odd way to honor a saint. We usually like our saints to have extraordinary stories — miracles, legends, dramatic encounters, larger-than-life moments. And David certainly acquired his share of them. He is, of course, a national hero for our Welsh friends.

But I think there is something rather wonderful about discovering that David doesn’t actually need those grand stories.

What we know of David is enough. He was a scholar, a teacher, a bishop - a founder of communities who lived a disciplined life of prayer and service. He cared for the people entrusted to him. And the words attributed to his deathbed are beautifully simple:

“Gwnewch y pethau bychain” (Do the little things).

I think that is a good thing for us to remember. you see, David’s ministry often focused on doing small acts with great devotion.

We often imagine that a meaningful life is made up of grand gestures and important accomplishments. But most of life is made up of lots and lots of little moments rather than grand gestures. Doing small, meaningful and thoughtful things, whether hidden or seen, makes a difference in the world. Feeding someone who is hungry, listening to someone who needs to be heard, telling our spouse or our children that they are truly loved, and tending carefully to the little corner of the world that has been placed in our hands.

David reminds us that meaningful life need not be spectacular.

There is reverence in doing small things well. There is dignity in giving our full attention to our ordinary duties. And there is perhaps a special kind of greatness in refusing to believe that something has to be grand before it is worth doing.

So tonight, rather than raising our glasses to the David of legend, I’d like to raise one to the David who was faithful in the ordinary things and asked us to live by that example.

To St. David: May we have the humility to do the little things, the patience to do them well, and the reverence to understand that they are not little at all.

Iechyd Da