Anybody know about pirate Charles Wilson and his treasure on Assateague Island

SKINS

Newbie
Dec 6, 2008
3
1
I had heard from people of this Pirate named Charles Wilson who was hung in 1750 for his crimes. It is said that he buried ten iron bound chests filled with gold, silver, rubys, etc. somewhere on Assateague Island. I was wondering if anyone knows any information on him, his treasure and a place where I could get information on him. Also, do you know where i could find some detailed maps of Asseteague Island from the 1700's.
 

Dual Hunter

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Jan 18, 2009
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planning a trip to detect there this year sometime ,been doing some research on Assateague by google earth and maps most of the cool places to get to to detect you will need the 70dollar beach permit,let me know if your interested
Mark
 

jeric2

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May 29, 2003
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haha, the part of Assateague that you can detect on is a very small part of the state owned land. The remainder is Federal owned and you absolutely CANNOT detect on there. They can confiscate your car and everything in it if they catch you and there is a hefty $5000 fine.
The state part is HEAVILY detected every year. I wouldn't waste your time planning a trip to detect on Assateague unless you have the money to risk being caught. I have a very good idea where there is some loot on there but can't go because I myself cannot afford to get caught. So, there it lies, waiting for someone to find it.
 

Coasty

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Feb 2, 2010
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SKINS said:
I had heard from people of this Pirate named Charles Wilson who was hung in 1750 for his crimes. It is said that he buried ten iron bound chests filled with gold, silver, rubys, etc. somewhere on Assateague Island. I was wondering if anyone knows any information on him, his treasure and a place where I could get information on him. Also, do you know where i could find some detailed maps of Asseteague Island from the 1700's.

He was not the only pirate in the Chesapeake Black Beard along with several others. Yes there is only a small area to hunt on state owned land. However, little know to many there are many private ownwers of land with the Federal land ownwed areas. The reason I know this is my Daughter-in-law's realitives own a big chunk which they have full use and access. If they decide to sell the land it goes back to the Feds at market valkue. As long as the land remains in their family it is theirs. There are limitations what they can do; one is no perminent structures can be erected and all trash has to be removed leving the area in pristeen condition. They camp ther several times a year and recently I have gotten permission to do some detecting there. It is cool when you wake up in the morning with horses looking right back at you.
 

Frankn

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Mar 21, 2010
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Forget the Charles Wilson treasure! It is on the national seasure property. I found the 1700's map and overlayed on present day map. It matched up-the inlet count, the spring and the highest point of the island. I drove over there and pulled up to the ranger station. I asked if I could use a metal detector there. The ranger said, if you take your detector out of your vehicle, I will conficate it and your vehicle and arrest you!! You will be subjected to a $5000 fine and 3 years in jail. So much for "public land"! :-X
 

architecad

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Nov 25, 2008
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jeric2 said:
haha, the part of Assateague that you can detect on is a very small part of the state owned land. The remainder is Federal owned and you absolutely CANNOT detect on there. They can confiscate your car and everything in it if they catch you and there is a hefty $5000 fine.
The state part is HEAVILY detected every year. I wouldn't waste your time planning a trip to detect on Assateague unless you have the money to risk being caught. I have a very good idea where there is some loot on there but can't go because I myself cannot afford to get caught. So, there it lies, waiting for someone to find it.

Many researcher believe that that treasure is located today underwater. The Fed only own the dry land of that inlet, not the water jurisdiction, so, let's go Scuba diving.

Arch
 

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tipit

Newbie
Sep 18, 2011
1
1
charles Wilson. never was. Check out or type in The ordinary of Newgate. this site is a record of the people hung in london from the old baily, or Marshalsea prison and where hung. some really good raeding here. I only checked out 1748 to 1751 but could find no mention of a Charles Wilson and only one man who had been a priveteer," John Carr". The story may be true, But seems to be more like a sham that develupers put into play back in the 40's. I know of an old man Jackson who was the"or one of the" owners of Green run hunting club who did infact have atleast a handfull of old gold coins. He said he found them on fourteeth st in Ocean City. "would you tell the truth" ??? they wher on display at the Ocean city mueseum for years befor his death and last I heard his grandson had taken them back. The first and only real mention of Charles Wilson I have found is in a fiction book Called Blackbeard and worchester county. where a sherif and one of the people in the plot talk about him. This is all I can tell you for now.
 

Frankn

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Mar 21, 2010
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I have seen a copy of the letter he sent to his (brother) describing the location. I found an old map of the (island) before the great storm that cut the OC inlet. I overlayed it on the present day topo. I found the location and went there. The National Park Service threatened to take my equipment and vehicle and lock me up if I looked. I left! That was years ago and when my house burned, so did my research. Frank
 

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Tod Ringam

Jr. Member
Nov 16, 2012
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Forget the Charles Wilson treasure! It is on the national seasure property. I found the 1700's map and overlayed on present day map. It matched up-the inlet count, the spring and the highest point of the island. I drove over there and pulled up to the ranger station. I asked if I could use a metal detector there. The ranger said, if you take your detector out of your vehicle, I will conficate it and your vehicle and arrest you!! You will be subjected to a $5000 fine and 3 years in jail. So much for "public land"! :-X

Frankn; are you still interested in Charles Wilson Treasure? I have an idea where it's at,
( Not on Assateague Island). Send me a personal message; I can send you map & info. Tod R.
 

Sep 11, 2008
12
2
Yeah metal detecting on Assateague is not allowed in the National Park. Metal detecting is only allowed on the state park beach South to the national park markers and only North a short ways but you have to know where the imaginary line is because the national park starts back up again. Most things ive found there is small metal pieces and mostly new coins left from beach goers. The treasure of Charles Wilson has been talked of many times among others here. Most match the description to the Southern end of Assasteague between Chincoteague and Assateague where the 3 inlets were and the woody knoll which conveniently is listed on maps. I talked once to the owner of Discover Sea about that treasure as many have tried looking for it and even got boats stuck trying to look. He mentioned paper files found overseas that list the gold as being similar but more in speak of ocean terms or sailors terms. It might be located off Assateague in the ocean or if on land many have to remember that the island has rolled over itself for many years now. What was land is now ocean. Its a mysterious place the island is which has many tales of pirates and others. I found an authentic black indian arrowhead on the national park and was confiscated by the park rangers probably never to be seen again in their closet. I wish they would tell of the history more at the visitor center instead of denying peoples interests. I wish like some have said they would allow detecting on the whole beach because they dig huge holes for campfires and playing in the sand when really metal detecting enthusiasts only dig small holes to be filled back in. Anyhow good luck to those looking for treasure off the island. You might have better luck at ocean city, in the ocean, or up at Delaware coin beach. Im not sure of the rules in Virginia but would be nice to hunt down there sometime.
 

treytt

Greenie
Jan 24, 2024
11
15
I had heard from people of this Pirate named Charles Wilson who was hung in 1750 for his crimes. It is said that he buried ten iron bound chests filled with gold, silver, rubys, etc. somewhere on Assateague Island. I was wondering if anyone knows any information on him, his treasure and a place where I could get information on him. Also, do you know where i could find some detailed maps of Asseteague Island from the 1700's.
Assateague Island is formed from drifting sand. Over time the sand drifts South and West causing the island's location to drift with it. The treasure would no longer be buried on dry land. The legend says it is buried near two big cedar trees near an old inlet if my memory serves. If you look offshore on an extremely low tide you see lots of stumps sticking up, or find them when snorkling or scuba diving. If there is anything left of those cedar trees they would be stumps out on the ocean floor off of Assateague/Chincoteague. I would check the rules but if you are equipped to do underwater metal detecting it may be legal in the ocean off of the Island.

When I was a kid in the 1960s Ocean City was a small town. It was common to find gold coins while beach combing after a big storm supposedly from an offshore shipwreck. After the numerous beach replenishment projects that no longer happens perhaps due to burying the source with sand pumped in from a sandbar a couple miles offshore. But the first replenishment was bull dozing the sandbar that used to emerge during every low tide onto the beach. It was pretty foolish because both the sandbars break large waves before they can slam the land greatly reducing the energy of erosion. If they wanted to move sand onto the beach they should have pumped it up from deep water rather than the protective sandbars. But you know how stupid the government is.
 

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