Samuel Bellamy was born February 23, 1689 in Hittisleigh, Devonshire, England to Stephen and Elizabeth Bellamy according to parish records. He was the youngest of six children. Nicknamed "Black Sam" because he eschewed the fashionable powdered wig in favor of tying back his long, black hair, Bellamy became known for his extraordinary mercy and generosity toward those he captured. This reputation earned him the title of the "Prince of Pirates." 

 
As a young man, Bellamy joined the Navy and in 1715 traveled to Cape Cod where he met a beautiful, young woman named Maria Hallett. He fell in love and soon left the Cape so he could earn his fortune to return to her a rich man by salvaging lost treasure from the Spanish Fleet   sunk off the coast of Florida. He was accompanied by his friend Paulgraves Williams. They were not successful.