Spriggs. Being chased by H.M.S. _Diamond_ off the coast of Cuba, Skipton
ran his sloop on to the Florida Reef. Escaping with his crew to an island,
they were attacked by the Indians, and many of them were captured and
eaten. The survivors, embarking in a canoe, were caught by the man-of-war
and taken prisoner.
SKYRM, CAPTAIN JAMES. Welsh pirate.
Hanged at the advanced age--for a pirate--of 44.
Commanded the _Ranger_, one of Captain Roberts's ships that cruised in
1721 and 1722 off the West Coast of Africa. In the fight with the King's
ship that took him he was very active with a drawn sword in his hand, with
which he beat any of his crew who were at all backward. One of his legs
was shot away in this action, but he refused to leave the deck and go
below as long as the action lasted. He was condemned to death and hanged
in chains.
SMITH, GEORGE. Welsh pirate.
One of Captain Roberts's pirates. Hanged at the age of 25.
SMITH, JOHN.
One of the mutinous crew of the _Antonio_. Hanged at Boston in 1672.
SMITH, JOHN WILLIAMS.
Of Charleston, Carolina.
Hanged in 1718 for piracy, at Charleston.
SMITH, MAJOR SAMUEL. Buccaneer.
At one time a buccaneer with the famous Mansfield.
In 1641 he was sent, by the Governor of Jamaica, with a party to reinforce
the troops which under Mansfield had recaptured the New Providence Island
from the Spanish. In 1660 he was taken prisoner by the Spanish and carried
to Panama and there kept in chains in a dungeon for seventeen months.
DE SOTO, BERNADO.
One of the crew of the schooner _Panda_ that took and plundered the Salem
brig _Mexican_. The crew of the _Panda_ were captured by an English
man-of-war and taken to Boston. De Soto was condemned to death, but
eventually fully pardoned owing to his heroic conduct in rescuing the crew
of an American vessel some time previously.
DE SOTO, CAPTAIN BENITO.
A Portuguese.
A most notorious pirate in and about 1830.
In 1827 he shipped at Buenos Ayres as mate in a slaver, named the
_Defenser de Pedro_, and plotted to seize the ship off the African coast.
The pirates took the cargo of slaves to the West Indies, where they sold
them. De Soto plundered many vessels in the Caribbean Sea, then sailed to
the South Atlantic, naming his ship the _Black Joke_. The fear of the
_Black Joke_ became so great amongst the East Indiamen homeward bound that
they used to make up convoys at St. Helena before heading north.
In 1832 de Soto attacked the _Morning Star_, an East Indiaman, and took
her, when he plundered the ship and murdered the captain. After taking
several more ships, de Soto lost his own on the rocky coast of Spain, near
Cadiz. His crew, although pretending to be honest shipwrecked sailors,
were arrested, but de Soto managed to escape to Gibraltar. Here he was
recognized by a soldier who had seen de Soto when he took the _Morning
Star_, in which he had been a passenger. The pirate was arrested, and
tried before Sir George Don, the Governor of Gibraltar, and sentenced to
death. He was sent to Cadiz to be hanged with the rest of his crew. The
gallows was erected at the water's edge, and de Soto, with his coffin, was
conveyed there in a cart. He died bravely, arranging the noose around his
own neck, stepping up into his coffin to do so; then, crying out, "Adios
todos," he threw himself off the cart.
This man must not be confused with one Bernado de Soto, who was tried for
piracy at Boston in 1834.
SOUND, JOSEPH.
Of the city of Westminster.
Hanged, at the age of 28, at Newport, Rhode Island, in 1723.
SPARKS, JAMES.
A Newfoundland fisherman.
In August, 1723, with John Phillips and three others, ran away with a
vessel to go "on the account." Sparks was appointed gunner.
SPARKES, JOHN.
A member of Captain Avery's crew, and described by one of his shipmates as
being "a true cock of the game." A thief, he robbed his fellow-shipmates,
and from one, Philip Middleton, he stole 270 pieces of gold.
Hanged at Execution Dock in 1696.
SPRATLIN, ROBERT.
Was one of Dampier's party which in 1681 crossed the Isthmus of Darien,
when he was left behind in the jungle with Wafer. Spratlin was lost when
the little party attempted to ford the swollen Chagres River. He
afterwards rejoined Wafer.
SPRIGGS, CAPTAIN FRANCIS FARRINGTON.
An uninteresting and bloody pirate without one single redeeming character.
He learnt his art with the pirate Captain Lowther, afterwards serving as
quartermaster with Captain Low and taking an active part in all the
barbarities committed by the latter.
About 1720 Low took a prize, a man-of-war called the _Squirrel_. This he
handed over to some of the crew, who elected Spriggs their captain. The
ship they renamed the _Delight_, and in the night altered their course and
left Low. They made a flag, bearing upon it a white skeleton, holding in
one hand a dart striking a bleeding heart, and in the other an hourglass.
Sailing to the West Indies, Spriggs took several prizes, treating the
crews with abominable cruelty. On one occasion the pirates chased what
they believed to be a Spanish ship, and after a long while they came
alongside and fired a broadside into her. The ship immediately
surrendered, and turned out to be a vessel the pirate had plundered only a
few days previously. This infuriated Spriggs and his crew, who showed
their disappointment by half murdering the captain. After a narrow escape
from being captured by a French man-of-war near the Island of St. Kitts,
Spriggs sailed north to the Summer Isles, or Bermudas. Taking a ship
coming from Rhode Island, they found her cargo to consist of horses.
Several of the pirates mounted these and galloped up and down the deck
until they were thrown. While plundering several small vessels of their
cargo of logwood in the Bay of Honduras, Spriggs was surprised and
attacked by an English man-of-war, and the pirates only escaped by using
their sweeps. Spriggs now went for a cruise off the coast of South
Carolina, returning again to Honduras. This was a rash proceeding on
Spriggs's part, for as he was sailing off the west end of Cuba he again
met the man-of-war which had so nearly caught him before in the bay.
Spriggs clapped on all sail, but ran his ship on Rattan Island, where she
was burnt by the _Spence_, while Captain Spriggs and his crew escaped to
the woods.
SPRINGER, CAPTAIN.
He fought gallantly with Sawkins and Ringrose in the Battle of Perico off
Panama on St. George's Day in 1680. He gave his name to Springer's Cay,
one of the Samballoes Islands. This was the rendezvous chosen by the
pirates, where Dampier and his party found the French pirate ship that
rescued them after their famous trudge across the Isthmus of Darien.
STANLEY, CAPTAIN. Buccaneer.
With a few other buccaneers in their stronghold at New Providence Island
in 1660, withstood an attack by a Spanish fleet for five days. The three
English captains, Stanley, Sir Thomas Whetstone, and Major Smith, were
carried to Panama and there cast into a dungeon and bound in irons for
seventeen months.
STEDMAN, CAPTAIN. Buccaneer.
In 1666, with Captain Searle and a party of only eighty men, he took and
plundered the Dutch island of Tobago. Later on, after the outbreak of war
with France, he was captured by a French frigate off the Island of
Guadeloupe. Stedman had a small vessel and a crew of only 100 men, and
found himself becalmed and unable to escape, so he boldly boarded the
Frenchman and fought for two hours, being finally overcome.
STEPHENS, WILLIAM.
Died on January 14th, 1682, on board of Captain Sharp's ship a few days
before their return to the Barbadoes from the South Seas. His death was
supposed to have been caused by indulging too freely in mancanilla while
ashore at Golfo Dulce. "Next morning we threw overboard our dead man and
gave him two French vollies and one English one."
STEPHENSON, JOHN.
Sailed as an honest seaman in the _Onslow_ (Captain Gee) from Sestos.
Taken in May, 1721, by the pirate Captain Roberts, he willingly joined the
pirates. When Roberts was killed on board the _Royal Fortune_, Stephenson
burst into tears, and declared that he wished the next shot might kill
him. Hanged in 1722.
STILES, RICHARD.
Hanged in Virginia in 1718 with the rest of Captain Teach's crew.
STOREY, THOMAS.
One of William Coward's crew which stole the ketch _Elinor_ in Boston
Harbour. Condemned to be hanged on January 27th, 1690, but afterwards
reprieved.
ST. QUINTIN, RICHARD.
A native of Yorkshire.
One of M'Kinlie's crew that murdered Captain Glass and his family in the
Canary ship. Afterwards arrested at Cork and hanged in chains near Dublin
on March 19th, 1765.
STURGES, CAPTAIN.
An Elizabethan pirate, who had his headquarters at Rochelle. In company
with the notorious pirate Calles, he in one year pillaged two Portuguese,
one French, one Spanish, and also a Scotch ship. His end is not known.
O'SULLIVAN, LORD. Receiver of pirate plunder.
The Sulivan Bere, of Berehaven in Ireland.
A notorious friend of the English pirates, he bought their spoils, which
he stored in his castle. He helped to fit out pirate captains for their
cruises, and protected them when Queen Elizabeth sent ships to try and
arrest them.
SUTTON, THOMAS.
Born at Berwick in 1699.
Gunner in Roberts's ship the _Royal Fortune_. At his trial he was proved
to have been particularly active in helping to take a Dutch merchantman,
the _Gertruycht_. Hanged in chains at Cape Coast Castle in April, 1722, at
the age of 23.
SWAN, CAPTAIN.
Commanded the _Nicholas_, and met Dampier when in the _Batchelor's
Delight_ at the Island of Juan Fernandez in 1684. The two captains cruised
together off the west coast of South America, the _Nicholas_ leaving
Dampier, who returned to England by way of the East Indies.
SWAN, CAPTAIN. Buccaneer.
Of the _Cygnet_. Left England as an honest trader. Rounded the Horn and
sailed up to the Bay of Nicoya, there taking on a crew of buccaneers who
had crossed the Isthmus of Darien on foot. Dampier was appointed pilot or
quartermaster to the _Cygnet_, a post analogous to that of a navigating
officer on a modern man-of-war, while Ringrose was appointed supercargo.
Swan had an adventurous and chequered voyage, sometimes meeting with
successes, but often with reverses. Eventually he sailed to the Philippine
Islands, where the crew mutinied and left Swan and thirty-six of the crew
behind. After various adventures the _Cygnet_, by now in a very crazy
state, just managed to reach Madagascar, where she sank at her anchorage.
SWITZER, JOSEPH.
Of Boston in New England.
Tried for piracy at Rhode Island in 1723, but found to be "not guilty."
SYMPSON, DAVID.
Born at North Berwick.
One of Roberts's crew. Tried and hanged at Cape Coast Castle in 1722. On
the day of execution Sympson was among the first six prisoners to be
brought up from the ship's hold to have their fetters knocked off and to
be fitted with halters, and it was observed that none of the culprits
appeared in the least dejected, except Sympson, who "spoke a little faint,
but this was rather imputed to a Flux that had seized him two or three
days before, than Fear." There being no clergyman in the colony, a kindly
surgeon tried to take on the duties of the ordinary, but with ill-success,
the hardened ruffians being quite unmoved by his attempts at exhortation.
In fact, the spectators were considerably shocked, as indeed they well
might be, by Sympson, suddenly recognizing among the crowd a woman whom he
knew, calling out "he had lain with that B----h three times, and now she
was come to see him hanged."
Sympson died at the age of 36, which was considerably above the average
age to which a pirate might expect to live.
TAYLOR, CAPTAIN.
This formidable South Sea pirate must indeed have looked, as well as
acted, the part, since his appearance is described by Captain Johnson as
follows: "A Fellow with a terrible pair of Whiskers, and a wooden Leg,
being stuck round with Pistols, like the Man in the Almanack with Darts."
This man Taylor it was who stirred up the crew of the _Victory_ to turn
out and maroon Captain England, and elect himself in his place. He was a
villain of the deepest dye, and burnt ships and houses and tortured his
prisoners.
The pirates sailed down the West Coast of India from Goa to Cochin, and
returned to Mauritius. Thence sailing to the Island of Mascarine they
found a big Portuguese ship, which they took. In her they discovered the
Conde de Eviceira, Viceroy of Goa, and, even better, four million dollars
worth of diamonds.
Taylor, now sailing in the _Cassandra_, heard that there were four
men-of-war on his tracks, so he sailed to Delagoa Bay and spent the
winter of the year 1722 there. It was now decided that as they had a huge
amount of plunder they had better give up piracy, so they sailed away to
the West Indies and surrendered themselves to the Governor of Porto Bello.
The crew broke up and each man, with a bag of diamonds, went whither he
would; but Captain Taylor joined the Spanish service, and was put in
command of a man-of-war, which was sent to attack the English logwood
cutters in the Bay of Honduras.
TAYLOR, WILLIAM.
One of Captain Phillips's crew. Wounded in the leg while attempting to
desert. There being no surgeon on board, a consultation was held over the
patient by the whole crew, and these learned men were unanimous in
agreeing that the leg should be amputated. Some dispute then arose as to
who should act the part of surgeon, and at length the carpenter was chosen
as the most proper person. "Upon which he fetch'd up the biggest saw, and
taking the limb under his Arm, fell to Work, and separated it from the
Body of the Patient in as little Time as he could have cut a Deal Board in
two." This surgeon-carpenter evidently appreciated the importance of
aseptics, for, "after that he had heated his Ax red hot in the Fire,
cauteriz'd the Wound but not with so much Art as he perform'd the other
Part for he so burnt the Flesh distant from the Place of Amputation that
it had like to have mortify'd." Taylor was tried and condemned to death at
Boston on May 12th, 1714, but for some reason not explained was reprieved.
TEACH, CAPTAIN EDWARD, or THATCH, or THACH, _alias_ DRUMMOND, _alias_
BLACKBEARD. Arch-pirate.
A Bristol man who settled in Jamaica, sailing in privateers, but not in
the capacity of an officer.
In 1716, Teach took to piracy, being put in command of a sloop by the
pirate Benjamin Hornigold. In 1717, Hornigold and Teach sailed together
from Providence towards the American coast, taking a billop from Havana
and several other prizes. After careening their vessels on the coast of
Virginia, the pirates took a fine French Guineaman bound to Martinico;
this ship they armed with forty guns, named her the _Queen Ann's Revenge_,
and Blackbeard went aboard as captain. Teach now had a ship that allowed
him to go for larger prizes, and he began by taking a big ship called the
_Great Allen_, which he plundered and then set fire to. A few days later,
Teach was attacked by H.M.S. _Scarborough_, of thirty guns, but after a
sharp engagement lasting some hours, the pirate was able to drive off the
King's ship.
The next ship he met with was the sloop of that amateur pirate and
landsman, Major Stede Bonnet. Teach and Bonnet became friends and sailed
together for a few days, when Teach, finding that Bonnet was quite
ignorant of maritime matters, ordered the Major, in the most high-handed
way, to come aboard his ship, while he put another officer in command of
Bonnet's vessel. Teach now took ship after ship, one of which, with the
curious name of the _Protestant Cæsar_, the pirates burnt out of spite,
not because of her name, but because she belonged to Boston, where there
had lately been a hanging of pirates.
Blackbeard now sailed north along the American coast, arriving off
Charleston, South Carolina. Here he lay off the bar for several days,
seizing every vessel that attempted to enter or leave the port, "striking
great Terror to the whole Province of Carolina," the more so since the
colony was scarcely recovered from a recent visit by another pirate, Vane.
Being in want of medicines, Teach sent his lieutenant, Richards, on shore
with a letter to the Governor demanding that he should instantly send off
a medicine chest, or else Teach would murder all his prisoners, and
threatening to send their heads to Government House; many of these
prisoners being the chief persons of the colony.
Teach, who was unprincipled, even for a pirate, now commanded three
vessels, and he wanted to get rid of his crews and keep all the booty for
himself and a few chosen friends. To do this, he contrived to wreck his
own vessel and one of his sloops. Then with his friends and all the booty
he sailed off, leaving the rest marooned on a small sandy island. Teach
next sailed to North Carolina, and with the greatest coolness surrendered
with twenty of his men to the Governor, Charles Eden, and received the
Royal pardon. The ex-pirate spent the next few weeks in cultivating an
intimate friendship with the Governor, who, no doubt, shared Teach's booty
with him.
A romantic episode took place at this time at Bath Town. The pirate fell
in love, not by any means for the first time, with a young lady of 16
years of age. To show his delight at this charming union, the Governor
himself married the happy pair, this being the captain's fourteenth wife;
though certain Bath Town gossips were heard to say that there were no
fewer than twelve Mrs. Teach still alive at different ports up and down
the West India Islands.
In June, 1718, the bridegroom felt that the call of duty must be obeyed,
so kissing good-bye to the new Mrs. Teach, he sailed away to the Bermudas,
meeting on his way half a dozen ships, which he plundered, and then
hurried back to share the spoils with the Governor of North Carolina and
his secretary, Mr. Knight.
For several months, Blackbeard remained in the river, exacting a toll from
all the shipping, often going ashore to make merry at the expense of the
planters. At length, things became so unbearable that the citizens and
planters sent a request to the Governor of the neighbouring colony of
Virginia for help to rid them of the presence of Teach. The Governor,
Spotswood, an energetic man, at once made plans for taking the pirate, and
commissioned a gallant young naval officer, Lieutenant Robert Maynard, of
H.M.S. _Pearl_, to go in a sloop, the _Ranger_, in search of him. On
November 17, 1718, the lieutenant sailed for Kicquetan in the James River,
and on the 21st arrived at the mouth of Okerecock Inlet, where he
discovered the pirate he was in search of. Blackbeard would have been
caught unprepared had not his friend, Mr. Secretary Knight, hearing what
was on foot, sent a letter warning him to be on his guard, and also any of
Teach's crew whom he could find in the taverns of Bath Town. Maynard lost
no time in attacking the pirate's ship, which had run aground. The fight
was furious, Teach boarding the sloop and a terrific hand-to-hand struggle
taking place, the lieutenant and Teach fighting with swords and pistols.
Teach was wounded in twenty-five places before he fell dead, while the
lieutenant escaped with nothing worse than a cut over the fingers.
Maynard now returned in triumph in his sloop to Bath Town, with the head
of Blackbeard hung up to the bolt-spit end, and received a tremendous
ovation from the inhabitants.
During his meteoric career as a pirate, the name of Blackbeard was one
that created terror up and down the coast of America from Newfoundland to
Trinidad. This was not only due to the number of ships Teach took, but in
no small measure to his alarming appearance. Teach was a tall, powerful
man, with a fierce expression, which was increased by a long, black beard
which grew from below his eyes and hung down to a great length. This he
plaited into many tails, each one tied with a coloured ribbon and turned
back over his ears. When going into action, Teach wore a sling on his
shoulders with three pairs of pistols, and struck lighted matches under
the brim of his hat. These so added to his fearful appearance as to strike
terror into all beholders. Teach had a peculiar sense of humour, and one
that could at times cause much uneasiness amongst his friends. Thus we are
told that one day on the deck of his ship, being at the time a little
flushed with wine, Blackbeard addressed his crew, saying: "Come let us
make a Hell of our own, and try how long we can bear it," whereupon Teach,
with several others, descended to the hold, shut themselves in, and then
set fire to several pots of brimstone. For a while they stood it, choking
and gasping, but at length had to escape to save themselves from being
asphyxiated, but the last to give up was the captain, who was wont to
boast afterwards that he had outlasted all the rest.
Then there was that little affair in the cabin, when Teach blew out the
candle and in the dark fired his pistols under the table, severely
wounding one of his guests in the knee, for no other reason, as he
explained to them afterwards, than "if he did not shoot one or two of them
now and then they'd forget who he was."
Teach kept a log or journal, which unfortunately is lost, but the entries
for two days have been preserved, and are worth giving, and seem to smack
of Robert Louis Stevenson in "Treasure Island." The entries, written in
Teach's handwriting, run as follows:
"1718. Rum all out--Our Company somewhat sober--A damn'd Confusion amongst
us!--Rogues a plotting--great Talk of Separation--so I look'd sharp for a
Prize.
"1718. Took one, with a great deal of Liquor on Board, so kept the Company
hot, damned hot, then all Things went well again."
TEAGUE, ROBERT.
A Scotch pirate, one of Captain Gow's crew. On May 26th, 1725, the crew
were tried in London and found guilty and sentenced to death, except
Teague and two others who were acquitted.
TEMPLETON, JOHN.
One of Captain John Quelch's crew of the ship _Charles_. Tried for piracy
at Boston in 1704, but, being discovered to be not yet 14 years of age and
only a servant on board the pirate ship, was acquitted.
TEW, Captain THOMAS, or Too.
A famous pirate, whose headquarters were at Madagascar. He was mentioned
by name in King William III.'s Royal Warrant to Captain Kidd to go hunting
for pirates, as a specially "wicked and ill-disposed person."