The Pirates' Who's Who Part 44

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 s.h.i.+p _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."

s.h.i.+RLEY, 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.

s.h.i.+VERS, CAPTAIN.

This South Sea pirate cruised in company with Culliford and Nathaniel North in the Red Sea, preying princ.i.p.ally on Moorish s.h.i.+ps, 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 s.h.i.+p 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.

Commanded a pirate s.h.i.+p, in which he sailed in company with Captain 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 s.h.i.+ps that cruised in 1721 and 1722 off the West Coast of Africa. In the fight with the King's s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+pped at Buenos Ayres as mate in a slaver, named the _Defenser de Pedro_, and plotted to seize the s.h.i.+p off the African coast.