Peter Chamberlaine

"Remember our object, lads. We're here to punch holes in every goddamned pirate ship anchored in the northern harbor! If you doubt the honour of our cause here... and if my disavowal of our coward Governor's wishes causes you anxiety, then you are free to debark my vessel and stay ashore!"

―Peter Chamberlaine to his crew, 1718.

Peter Chamberlaine (1660s – 1718) was a British commodore assigned to fight piracy in the West Indies during the early 18th century alongside Woodes Rogers.

Biography

Working with Woodes Rogers

During the early 18th century, Chamberlaine was assigned to help the Governor of the Bahamas, Woodes Rogers, with his reforms and in issuing King George's pardon to pirates, allowing them to be absolved of their crimes. However, Chamberlaine had a seething hatred for pirates and much preferred the idea of hanging them en masse to allowing them another chance at life.

The commodore was quite unpopular with both his superiors and inferiors due to his violence and little concern for civilians, including Rogers who tried to control his anger towards these criminals. He was also put in a dilemma due to his undisguised hatred for Rogers, which conflicted with his fierce loyalty to King George. This led him to take matters into his own hands.

Blockade of Nassau

"The Governor puts it far too brightly, maggots. Take this message home: accept the King's protection forthwith, or we will raze this town to its foundation and stretch your bloody necks."

―Chamberlaine to Nassau's pirates, 1718.

In July 1718, Chamberlaine and Rogers made port in the pirate-controlled colony of Nassau, offering their pardon to the 'governors' of the island—Benjamin Hornigold, Charles Vane, and Edward Thatch—and meeting with them in the local fort. While Rogers was politically astute enough to make the offer sound diplomatic and fair, the commodore was not so subtle and outright threatened the pirates with death should they refuse.

Chamberlaine and Rogers negotiating with Nassau's pirate leaders

After the meeting, Hornigold accepted the pardon and met again with Rogers and Chamberlaine. However, the commodore suspected a revolt was being planned and returned to his ship, HMS Milford. Without consulting Rogers, he had his men blockade the port and prepare to destroy all the pirate ships anchored in Nassau's harbor at nightfall, in order to prevent anyone from escaping the island. However, Edward Kenway and Vane had overheard these orders being given and decided to kill Chamberlaine, as their escape plan hinged on their ships.

Death

"Know your place, peasant! You may have taken my life, but you have not improved your own by any measure! [...] If not for that heathen, Governor Rogers, I'd have seen you hanged from your own crosstrees, worm! All of you!"

―Chamberlaine's dying words to Edward Kenway, 1718.

Heeding this, Kenway tailed a number of soldiers to the British encampment and snuck aboard Chamberlaine's ship, where the latter was busy issuing orders to his men. Failing to notice the pirate until it was too late, the commodore was promptly air-assassinated by Kenway, who dropped from the rigging and killed him with his Hidden Blades.

Chamberlaine's final moments

In his last moments, Chamberlaine spoke of his hatred for Rogers and questioned why Kenway and his ilk were willing to fight and kill him to protect their squalid Pirate Republic. When Edward insulted King George as being no different, the commodore took offense to this, still having enough strength to command the pirate to "know his place" before succumbing to his wounds. Later that night, Chamberlaine's blockade was destroyed when Kenway, Vane, and Jack Rackham launched a retrofitted fireship into its centre, allowing the pirates to effect their escape.

Behind the scenes

Peter Chamberlaine is a fictional character introduced in the 2013 video game Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, where he was voiced by English actor Sean Pertwee.

Chamberlaine's database entry incorrectly gives his year of death as 1719.

Gallery

• 
  Concept art of Peter Chamberlaine
• 
  Assassin's Creed: Memories art of Chamberlaine
• 
  Rogers and Chamberlaine arriving in Nassau
• 
  Chamberlaine threatening the pirates of Nassau

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Initiates (mentioned in Database entry only)
• Assassin's Creed: Memories
• Assassin's Creed: Identity (mentioned in Database entry only)