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The Revenge of Emmy Tot!
Piracy was very much a man’s world and women were not allowed aboard pirate ships; it was part of the ‘Pirate’s Code’. However, there were one or two notable exceptions where women did go to sea and when they did, they often proved to be more than a match for the men. Here is a story of another young woman who was taken to sea against her will, and how she dealt with her situation.
Emmy Tot was born into Scottish aristocracy. Christened, Emmaline Tottington, at the age of nineteen, she was taken into employment as Lady in Waiting to the Countess of Eglinton in the North Ayrshire district of Cunninghame, of which Irvine is the predominant town.
There is, in the center of Irvine, a rather gruesome tribute to Emmy’s exploits. Standing on top of a lantern, over the doorway of the Eglinton Arms Hotel, is the figure of a girl, holding in one hand a sword, dripping blood, and in the other, a severed head.
As the story goes, The Earl of Eglinton was hosting a banquet at Eglinton Castle, just outside Irvine. In those days, Irvine was a busy seaport and often there were merchant ships of varying size and from different countries docked in the harbor.
One such was the ‘Amsterdam’, a vessel commanded by Jan Van der Goot, a small time privateer, sailing under the Dutch flag. It was the Earl’s custom to invite to his banquets, the master of any ship that happened to be in the harbor at the time and Van der Goot was included on this occasion.
The moment that he set eyes on Emmy, he was captivated. He asked the vivacious lady in waiting to join him on his ship, but she was not interested in the Dutchman and refused.
Van der Goot however, was a determined man and through the night, he returned with four of his crew, broke into her room and abducted her, carrying her back to his ship. They took her to Van der Goot’s cabin and locked her in, setting sail out of Irvine almost immediately. Once at sea, the cowardly captain stayed on deck drinking with his men, while Emmaline pondered her fate in the cabin below.
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Several hours later and very much the worse for drink, Van der Goot returned to his cabin and found his captive, curled up on the floor in the corner, apparently asleep. Totally drunk, he threw himself, fully dressed onto his bed and was soon snoring. But Emmaline in fact, was wide awake and biding her time.
She waited maybe half an hour to make sure that her captor was sleeping deeply before quietly getting to he feet. She moved over to where the captain was stretched out on his bed. Then carefully drawing his dagger from its scabbard, she thrust it into his chest, piercing his heart! For a moment his eyes opened in surprise. Then, just as quickly, they closed. Van der Goot was dead!
Emmaline was not yet finished. She drew out the captain’s sword and with a few hacking blows, cut his head from its body! Dragging her grisly prize out of the cabin, and still carrying the sword, dripping with blood, she made her way onto the deck.
At the point of the sword, she forced the helmsman to ring the ship’s bell, summoning the crew on to the deck. It was nearly dawn and most of the men were sleepy eyed and still half-drunk. But they soon sobered up when they saw Emmaline holding up the severed head of their captain! At that moment, the taste for power and control was over whelming.
She informed them then, she was taking over control of the ship and the men could do one of two things, comply, or jump into the ocean and hope they could swim to the nearest shore. They were too shocked to argue and did as they were told. Emmy would hang the captain's head from the crows nest, to be a reminder to any and all who would think to cross her, his body cast out to sea.
As they continue on their voyage, she spent many hours in what was now "her" cabin. The first mate and navigator to be kept close to her side, teaching her the ways of sailing, reading maps, and anything else that would be helpful for her to run a proficient ship.
Being a woman of wealth, it was easy to bribe the men into a position of loyalty. With the help of the cabin boy, Captain der Goot's clothing was altered to fit her curvaceous and slender form. Now she could also look the part in which she stepped. Changing her name to Emmy Tot, Captain of the Amsterdam.
So that was how her life began, all those years ago. Ten years of roving the open sea. Though not as notorious as her counter parts of the trade, she had her tales to share of taking over heavily laden merchant ships, and those carrying important passengers and the like.
A vivacious woman, standing five foot seven in height, tall for the average woman of the time. Auburn, almost red hair to fall in thick waves over shoulders to reach mid back. Emerald green eyes that glimmered brightly when captured by the sun. Light coloration when in a good mood, though watch them darken if a foul mood is that which befalls her. On ship,she wears her outfits of the sea, upon shore, is when those gowns of the lady would be adorned.
It would be one of those chance directions, that would be bringing her to the Black Jade Skull Islands. A place in which to seek some rest and relaxation from the sea, as well as to find a possible ship laden heavily, that she might lighten the load of as they depart to destinations unknown.
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