treated fully in the "Dictionary of National Biography" it is unnecessary
to mention more than a few incidents in his adventurous career. Woodes
Rogers was not only a good navigator, for on many occasions he showed a
remarkable gift for commanding mutinous crews in spite of having many
officers on whom he could place little reliance. On leaving Cork in 1708,
after an incompetent pilot had almost run his ship on two rocks off
Kinsale called "The Sovereigne's Bollacks," Rogers describes his crew
thus: "A third were foreigners, while of Her Majestie's subjects many were
taylors, tinkers, pedlars, fiddlers, and hay-makers, with ten boys and one
negro." It was with crews such as these that many of the boldest and most
remarkable early voyages were made, and they required a man of Woodes
Rogers stamp to knock them into sailors. Rogers had a gift for inspiring
friendship wherever he went. On arriving at the coast of Brazil, his boat
was fired on when trying to land at Angre de Reys. This settlement had but
lately received several hostile visitors in the way of French pirates. But
before a week was passed Woodes Rogers had so won the hearts of the
Portuguese Governor and the settlers that he and his "musick" were invited
to take part in an important religious function, or "entertainment," as
Rogers calls it, "where," he says, "we waited on the Governour, Signior
Raphael de Silva Lagos, in a body, being ten of us, with two trumpets and
a hautboy, which he desir'd might play us to church, where our musick did
the office of an organ, but separate from the singing, which was by the
fathers well perform'd. Our musick played 'Hey, boys, up go we!' and all
manner of noisy paltry tunes. And after service, our musicians, who were
by that time more than half drunk, march'd at the head of the company;
next to them an old father and two fryars carrying lamps of incense, then
an image dressed with flowers and wax candles, then about forty priests,
fryars, etc., followed by the Governor of the town, myself, and Capt.
Courtney, with each of us a long wax candle lighted. The ceremony held
about two hours; after which we were splendidly entertained by the
fathers of the Convent, and then by the Governour. They unanimously told
us they expected nothing from us but our Company, and they had no more but
our musick."
What a delightful picture this calls to the mind--the little Brazilian
town, the tropical foliage, the Holy Procession, "wax figure" and priests,
followed by the Governor with an English buccaneer on either side, and
headed by a crew of drunken Protestant English sailors playing "Hey, boys,
up go we!"
Rogers, not to be outdone in hospitality, next day entertained the
Governor and fathers on board the _Duke_, "when," he says, "they were very
merry, and in their cups propos'd the Pope's health to us. But we were
quits with 'em by toasting the Archbishop of Canterbury; and to keep up
the humour, we also proposed William Pen's health, and they liked the
liquor so well, that they refused neither." Alas! the good Governor and
the fathers were not in a fit state to leave the ship when the end came to
the entertainment, so slept on board, being put ashore in the morning,
"when we saluted 'em with a huzza from each ship, because," as Rogers
says, "we were not overstocked with powder."
It was in March, 1710, that Rogers brought his little fleet into the
harbour of Guam, one of the Ladrone Islands. Although at war with Spain,
the captain soon became on his usual friendly terms with the Governor of
this Spanish colony, and gave an entertainment on board his ship to him
and four other Spanish gentlemen, making them "as welcome as time and
place would afford, with musick and our sailors dancing." The Governor
gave a return party on shore, to which Rogers and all his brother officers
were invited, partaking of "sixty dishes of various sorts." After this
feast Rogers gave his host a present, consisting of "two negro boys
dress'd in liveries." One other instance of Woodes Rogers adaptability
must suffice. In the year 1717 he was appointed Governor to the Bahama
Islands, at New Providence, now called Nassau. His chief duty was to stamp
out the West India pirates who had made this island their headquarters for
many years, and were in complete power there, and numbered more than 2,000
desperadoes, including such famous men as Vane and Teach. Rogers's only
weapon, besides the man-of-war he arrived in, was a royal proclamation
from King George offering free pardon to all pirates or buccaneers who
would surrender at once to the new Governor. At first the pirates were
inclined to resist his landing, but in the end the tactful Rogers got his
own way, and not only landed, but was received by an armed guard of
honour, and passed between two lines of pirates who fired salutes with
their muskets.
Most of the pirates surrendered and received their pardons, but some, who
reverted shortly afterwards to piracy and were captured and brought back
to New Providence, were tried and actually hanged by Rogers's late
buccaneer subjects.
Woodes Rogers eventually died in Nassau in the year 1729.
He was the author of a delightful book entitled "A Cruising Voyage Round
the World, begun in 1708 and finish'd in 1711, by Captain Woodes Rogers,
Commander-in-Chief on this Expedition, with the ships _Duke_ and _Duchess_
of Bristol."
This was published in London in 1712.
ROLLSON, PETER.
Captain Gow's gunner in the _Revenge_. Hanged at Execution Dock, Wapping,
in June, 1725.
ROSS, GEORGE, or ROSE.
Of Glasgow.
One of Major Stede Bonnet's crew of the _Royal James_. Was hanged at
Charleston, South Carolina, on November 8th, 1718, and buried in the marsh
below low-water mark.
ROSSOE, FRANCIS.
In June, 1717, in company with four other Carolina pirates, was placed on
trial for his life. Convicted with De Cossey, De Mont, and Ernandos, of
piratically taking the vessels the _Turtle Dove_, the _Penelope_, and the
_Virgin Queen_ in July of the previous year, and, after being sentenced to
death by Judge Trott, Rossoe and his fellow-pirates were promptly
executed.
ROUNDSIVEL, CAPTAIN GEORGE.
Of the Bahama Islands.
He refused to avail himself of King George's pardon to all pirates in
1717, and went off again on the "main chance" till captured.
ROW, CAPTAIN. Buccaneer.
In 1679, at the Boca del Toro, was with the buccaneer fleet that attacked
and sacked Santa Maria. Row commanded a small vessel of twenty tons, a
crew of twenty-five men, and no guns.
RUIZ.
One of Captain Gilbert's crew in the pirate schooner _Panda_, which
plundered the Salem brig _Mexican_ in 1834. Tried in Boston and condemned
to be hanged. Pleading insanity, he was respited for sixty days and then
hanged on September 12th, 1835.
RUPERT. Prince of the Rhine.
After an adventurous life as a soldier on the Continent, he sailed from
Ireland in 1648 with seven ships. His own ship was the _Swallow_. He was a
man of boundless energy, who was never happy if not engaged in some
enterprise, and as legitimate warfare gave him few opportunities he turned
pirate. He spent five years at sea, largely in the West Indies, meeting
with every kind of adventure.
In 1653 he was caught in a storm in the Virgin Islands, and his fleet was
wrecked. His brother, Prince Maurice, was lost with his ship, the
_Defiance_, the only ship saved being the _Swallow_. Prince Rupert
returned in the _Swallow_ to France in the same year. Hitherto the prince
had been a restless, clever man, "very sparkish in his dress," but this
catastrophe to his fleet and the loss of his brother broke his spirit, and
he retired to England, where he died in his bed in 1682 at Spring Gardens.
LE SAGE, CAPTAIN. French filibuster.
In 1684 was at San Domingo, in command of the _Tigre_, carrying thirty
guns and a crew of 130 men.
SALTER, EDWARD.
Hanged in Virginia in 1718 with the rest of Captain Teach's crew.
SAMPLE, CAPTAIN RICHARD. Buccaneer.
Was at New Providence Island in 1718, and received the royal pardon from
King George, offered to those pirates who surrendered themselves to
Governor Woodes Rogers. Like many another, he fell again into his former
wicked ways, and ended his life by being hanged.
SAMPLE, CAPTAIN ROBERT.
One of England's crew in the _Royal James_. In 1720 they took a prize, the
_Elizabeth and Katherine_, off the coast of West Africa. Fitting her out
for a pirate, they named her the _Flying King_, and Sample was put in
command. In company with Captain Low, he sailed to Brazil and did much
mischief amongst the Portuguese shipping. In November of the same year the
two pirate ships were attacked by a very powerful man-of-war. Lane got
away, but Sample was compelled to run his ship ashore on the coast. Of his
crew of seventy men, twelve were killed and the rest taken prisoners, of
whom the Portuguese hanged thirty-eight. Of these, thirty-two were
English, three Dutch, two French, and one Portuguese.
SANDERS, THOMAS.
An Elizabethan mariner who was taken prisoner by the Moors. He wrote a
narrative of his life as a slave on a Barbary pirate galley.
"I and sixe more of my fellowes," he wrote, "together with four-score
Italians and Spaniards, were sent foorth in a Galeot to take a Greekish
Carmosell, which came into Africa to steale Negroes. We were chained three
and three to an oare, and we rowed naked above the girdle, and the
Boteswaine of the Galley walked abaft the masts, and his Mate afore the
maste ... and when their develish choller rose, they would strike the
Christians for no cause. And they allowed us but halfe a pound of bread a
man in a day without any other kind of sustenance, water excepted.... We
were then so cruelly manackled in such sort, that we could not put our
hands the length of one foote asunder the one from the other, and every
night they searched our chains three times, to see if they were fast
riveted."
SAWKINS, CAPTAIN RICHARD. Buccaneer.
We know little of the early career of this remarkable buccaneer. He was
loved by his crew, and had great influence over them. It is recorded that
one Sunday morning, finding some of his men gambling, he threw the dice
overboard, saying "he would have no gambling aboard his ship."
We know that on one occasion he was caught in his vessel by H.M.S.
_Success_ and brought to Port Royal, Jamaica, and that on December 1st,
1679, he was in prison awaiting trial for piracy. Apparently he got off,
for this brilliant young buccaneer is soon afterwards heard of as
commanding a small vessel of sixteen tons, armed with but one gun and a
crew of thirty-five men. He was one of a party of 330 buccaneers who,
under the leadership of Coxon and Sharp, landed on the coast of Darien and
marched through the jungle to attack and plunder the town of Santa Maria.
The remainder of the journey across the isthmus was done in canoes, in
which the pirates travelled down the Santa Maria River until they found
themselves in the Pacific. On this expedition each captain had his company
and had his own colours, Sawkins's flag being a red one with yellow
stripes. Arrived at the sea, they captured two small Spanish vessels, and,
the rest of the company being in the canoes, they boldly sailed towards
Panama City. Meeting with the Spanish fleet of eight ships, the buccaneers
attacked it, and, after a most furious battle, came off victorious. This
was one of the most gallant episodes in the whole history of the "brethren
of the coast," and was afterwards known as the Battle of Perico. Sawkins
fought in the most brave and desperate manner, and took a large share in
the successful enterprise. After this action some quarrelling took place,
which ended by Captain Coxon going off with some seventy men, to return
across the isthmus on foot. The company that remained in the Pacific
elected Sawkins to be their leader, as Captain Sharp, a much older man,
was away in his ship.
The buccaneers, ever since they defeated the Spanish fleet, had blockaded
the harbour, and a correspondence took place between the Governor of
Panama and Sawkins, the former wishing to know what the pirates had come
there for. To this message Sawkins sent back answer "that we came to
assist the King of Darien, who was the true Lord of Panama and all the
country thereabouts. And that since we were come so far, there was no
reason but that we should have some satisfaction. So that if he pleased to
send us five hundred pieces of eight for each man, and one thousand for
each commander, and not any farther to annoy the Indians, but suffer them
to use their own power and liberty, as became the true and natural lords
of the country, that then we would desist from all further hostilities,
and go away peaceably; otherwise that we should stay there, and get what
we could, causing to them what damage was possible."
This message was just bluff on Sawkins's part, but having heard that the
Bishop of Santa Martha was in the city, Sawkins sent him two loaves of
sugar as a present, and reminded the prelate that he had been his prisoner
five years before, when Sawkins took that town. Further messengers
returned from Panama next day, bringing a gold ring for Sawkins from the
well-disposed Bishop, and a message from the Governor, in which he
inquired "from whom we had our commission and to whom he ought to complain
for the damage we had already done them?" To this Sawkins sent back answer
"that as yet all his company were not come together; but that when they
were come up we would come and visit him at Panama, and bring our
commissions on the muzzles of our guns, at which time he should read them
as plain as the flame of gunpowder could make them."
After lying off Panama for some while without meeting with any plunder,
and their victuals running short, the crews began to grumble, and
persuaded Sawkins to sail south along the coast. This he did, and,
arriving off the town of Puebla Nueva on May 22nd, 1679, Sawkins landed a
party of sixty men and led them against the town. But the Spaniards had
been warned in time, and had built up three strong breastworks.
Sawkins, who never knew what fear meant, stormed the town at the head of
his men, but was killed by a musket-ball.
Basil Ringrose, the buccaneer who wrote the narrative of this voyage,
describes Sawkins as being "a man who was as valiant and courageous as any
man could be, and the best beloved of all our company"; and on another
occasion he speaks of him as "a man whom nothing on earth could terrifie."
SAWNEY, CAPTAIN.
A pirate of New Providence Island in the Bahamas. In this pirate republic
this old man lived in the best hut, and was playfully known as "Governor
Sawney."
DE SAYAS, FRANCISCO.
A Spanish pirate hanged at Kingston, Jamaica, in 1823.
SCOT, LEWIS.
Distinguished as being the first pirate to carry on the trade on land as
well as at sea. Before this time pirates were never known to be anything
but harmless drunkards when on shore, whatever they might be on board
their ships. Scot changed all this when he sacked and pillaged the city of
Campeachy. So successful was he that his example was quickly followed by
Mansfield, John Davis, and other pirates.
SCOT, ROGER.
Born at Bristol.
One of Captain Roberts's crew. Tried for piracy in April, 1722, at Cape
Coast Castle, West Africa, after the great defeat of the pirates by H.M.S.
_Swallow_. On this occasion no less than 267 pirates were accounted for.
The finding of the Honourable the President and Judges of the Court of
Admiralty for trying of pirates was as follows:
Acquitted 74
Executed 52
Respited 2
To Servitude 20
To the Marshallsea 17 for tryal
The rest were accounted for as follows:
Killed { In the _Ranger_ 10
{ In the _Fortune_ 3
Dy'd { In the passage to Cape Corso 15
{ Afterwards in the castle 4
Negroes in both ships 70
----
267
----
A number of the prisoners signed a "humble petition" begging that, as
they, being "unhappily and unwisely drawn into that wretched and
detestable Crime of Piracy," they might be permitted to serve in the Royal
African Company in the country for seven years, in remission of their
crimes. This clemency was granted to twenty of the prisoners, of which
Scot was one.
A very impressive indenture was drawn up, according to which the prisoners
were to become the slaves of the Company for seven years, and this was
signed by the prisoners and by the President.
SCOTT, WILLIAM.
One of Major Stede Bonnet's crew in the _Royal James_. Tried for piracy in
1718 at Charleston, South Carolina, and hanged at White Point on November
8th.
SCUDAMORE, CHRISTOPHER.
One of Captain John Quelch's crew. Tried for piracy at the Star Tavern in
Hanover Street, Boston, in 1704, and hanged on Charles River, Boston Side,
on June 30th. A report of the trial and execution of these pirates,
describing Scudamore's conduct on the gallows, says: "He appeared very
Penitent since his Condemnation, was very diligent to improve his time
going to, and at the place of Execution."
SCUDAMORE, PETER.
Belonging to Bristol.
Surgeon in the _Mercy_ galley, and taken by Captain Roberts in 1721. It
was a rule on all pirate vessels for the surgeon to be excused from
signing the ship's articles. When the next prize was taken, if she carried
a surgeon, he was taken in place of their present one, if the latter
wished to leave. But when Scudamore came on board the _Royal Fortune_ he
insisted on signing the pirate articles and boasted that he was the first
surgeon that had ever done so, and he hoped, he said, to prove as great a
rogue as any of them.
When the African Company's Guinea ship, the _King Solomon_, was taken,
Scudamore came aboard and helped himself to their surgeon's instruments
and medicines. He also took a fancy for a backgammon board, but only kept
it after a violent quarrel with another pirate. It came out at his trial
that on a voyage from the Island of St. Thomas, in a prize, the _Fortune_,
in which was a cargo of slaves, Scudamore had tried to bring about a
mutiny of the blacks to kill the prize crew which was on board, and he was
detected in the night going about amongst the negroes, talking to them in
the Angolan language. He said that he knew enough about navigation to sail
the ship himself, and he was heard to say that "this were better than to
be taken to Cape Corso to be hanged and sun dried."
The same witness told how he had approached the prisoner when he was
trying to persuade a wounded pirate, one James Harris, to join him in his
scheme, but fearing to be overheard, Scudamore turned the conversation to
horse-racing.
Scudamore was condemned to death, but allowed three days' grace before
being hanged, which he spent in incessant prayers and reading of the
Scriptures. On the gallows he sang, solo, the Thirty-first Psalm. Died at
the age of 35.
SEARLES, CAPTAIN ROBERT.
In 1664 he brought in two Spanish prizes to Port Royal, but as orders had
only lately come from England to the Governor to do all in his power to
promote friendly relations with the Spanish islands, these prizes were
returned to their owners. To prevent Searle's doing such things again, he
was deprived of his ship's rudder and sails. In 1666, Searle, in company
with a Captain Stedman and a party of only eighty men, took the Island of
Tobago, near Trinidad, from the Dutch, destroying everything they could
not carry away.
SELKIRK, ALEXANDER. The original Robinson Crusoe.
Born in 1676 at Largo in Fifeshire, he was the seventh son of John
Selcraig, a shoemaker. In 1695 he was cited to appear before the Session
for "indecent conduct in church," but ran away to sea. In 1701 he was back
again in Largo, and was rebuked in the face of the congregation for
quarrelling with his brothers. A year later Selkirk sailed to England, and
in 1703 joined Dampier's expedition to the South Seas. Appointed
sailing-master to the _Cinque Ports_, commanded by Captain Stradling.
In September, 1704, he arrived at the uninhabited island of Juan
Fernandez, in the South Pacific. Selkirk, having quarrelled with the
captain, insisted on being landed on the island with all his belongings.
He lived alone here for nearly four years, building himself two cabins,
hunting the goats which abounded, and taming young goats and cats to be
his companions.
On the night of January 31st, 1709, seeing two ships, Selkirk lit a fire,
and a boat was sent ashore. These ships were the _Duke_ and _Duchess_ of
Bristol, under the command of Captain Woodes Rogers, while his old friend
Dampier was acting as pilot. Selkirk was at once appointed sailing-master
of the _Duchess_, and eventually arrived back in the Thames on October
14th, 1711, with booty worth £800, having been away from England for eight
years. While in England he met Steele, who described Selkirk as a "man of
good sense, with strong but cheerful expression." Whether Selkirk ever met
Defoe is uncertain, though the character of Robinson Crusoe was certainly
founded on his adventures in Juan Fernandez. In 1712 he returned to Largo,
living the life of a recluse, and we must be forgiven for suspecting that
he rather acted up to the part, since it is recorded that he made a cave
in his father's garden in which to meditate. This life of meditation in an
artificial cave was soon rudely interrupted by the appearance of a certain
Miss Sophia Bonce, with whom Selkirk fell violently in love, and they
eloped together to Bristol, which must have proved indeed a sad scandal to
the elders and other godly citizens of Largo. Beyond the fact that he was
charged at Bristol with assaulting one Richard Nettle, a shipwright, we
hear no more of Selkirk until his first will was drawn up in 1717, in
which he leaves his fortune and house to "my loving friend Sophia Bonce,
of the Pall Mall, London, Spinster." Shortly after this, Alexander basely
deserted his loving friend and married a widow, one Mrs. Francis Candis,
at Oarston in Devon.
In 1720 he was appointed mate to H.M.S. _Weymouth_, on board of which he
died a year later at the age of 45.
Selkirk is immortalized in literature, not only by Defoe, but by Cowper in
his "Lines on Solitude," beginning: "I am monarch of all I survey."
SHARP, ROWLAND.
Of Bath Town in North Carolina.
One of Major Stede Bonnet's crew. Tried for piracy at Charleston in 1718
and found "not guilty."
SHASTER, ROGER.
One of Captain Heidon's crew of the pirate ship _John of Sandwich_, which
was wrecked on the coast of Alderney. Shaster was arrested and hanged at
St. Martin's Point, Guernsey, in 1564.
SHAW, JOHN.
One of Captain Lowther's crew. Hanged at St. Kitts on March 11th, 1722.
SHERGALL, HENRY, or SHERRAL. Buccaneer.
A seaman with Captain Bartholomew Sharp in his South Sea voyage. One
October day he fell into the sea while going into the spritsail-top and
was drowned. "This incident several of our company interpreted as a bad
omen, which proved not so, through the providence of the Almighty."
SHIRLEY, SIR ANTHONY.
In January, 1597, headed an expedition to the Island of Jamaica. He met
with little opposition from the Spaniards, and seized and plundered St.
Jago de la Vega.
SHIVERS, CAPTAIN.
This South Sea pirate cruised in company with Culliford and Nathaniel
North in the Red Sea, preying principally on Moorish ships, and also
sailed about the Indian Ocean as far as the Malacca Islands. He accepted
the royal pardon to pirates, which was brought out to Madagascar by
Commodore Littleton, and apparently gave up his wicked ways thereafter.
SHUTFIELD, WILLIAM.
Of Lancaster.
Hanged at Rhode Island in July, 1723, at the age of 40.
SICCADAM, JOHN.
Of Boston.
One of Captain Pound's crew. Found guilty of piracy, but pardoned.
SIMMS, HENRY, _alias_ "GENTLEMAN HARRY." Pickpocket, highwayman, pirate,
and Old Etonian.
Born in 1716 at St. Martin's-in-the-Fields. Sent while quite young to
school at Eton, where he "shewed an early inclination to vice," and at the
age of 14 was taken from school and apprenticed to a breeches-maker. No
Old Etonian, either then or now, would stand that kind of treatment, so
Simms ran away, becoming a pickpocket and later a highwayman. After
numerous adventures and escapes from prison, he was pressed on board
H.M.S. _Rye_, but he deserted his ship at Leith. After an "affair" at
Croydon, Simms was transplanted with other convicts to Maryland, in the
_Italian Merchant_. On the voyage he attempted, but without success, to
raise a mutiny. On his arrival in America he was sold to the master of the
_Two Sisters_, which was taken a few days out from Maryland by a Bayonne
pirate. Carried to Spain, Simms got to Oporto, and there was pressed on
board H.M.S. _King Fisher_. Eventually he reached Bristol, where he
bought, with his share of booty, a horse and two pistols, with which to go
on the highway.
Hanged on June 17th, 1747, for stealing an old silver watch and 5s. from
Mr. Francis Sleep at Dunstable.
SKIPTON, CAPTAIN.