William Dampier. William Dampier (baptised 5 September 1651[1] – March 1715) was the first Englishman to explore parts of what is today Australia, and the first person to circumnavigate the world three times. He has also been described as Australia's first natural historian,[2] as well as one of the most important British explorers of the period between Sir Walter Raleigh and James Cook.[3] After impressing the British Admiralty with his book, A New Voyage Round the World, Dampier was given command of a Royal Navy ship and made important discoveries in western Australia, but was court-martialled for cruelty. On a later voyage, he rescued Alexander Selkirk, a former crewmate who may have inspired Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe.
Others influenced by Dampier include James Cook, Lord Nelson, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. Early life[edit] William Dampier was born at Hymerford House in East Coker, Somerset, in 1651. He was baptised on 5 September, but his precise date of birth is not recorded. Walking the Berkshires: Captain Gideon Olmsted, Privateer (part I) The Olmsted family were among the first settlers of the Connecticut Colony.
One branch went on to help establish towns like Norwalk and Ridgefield, and we descend from them. Another remained in central Connecticut, and can claim such notables as Frederick Law Olmsted in their pedigree. They can also claim this dour looking fellow, a Connecticut privateer during the Revolution whose exploits lead to one of the most notable legal battles in the early maritime of America. Gideon Olmsted (b. 1748-49 d. 1845) began his Revolutionary service as a private soldier in George Pitkin's East Hartford Company of Spenser's militia regiment, and marched to the defense of Boston in the Spring of 1775.
In early 1776, however, Olmsted , previously an apprenticed seaman, took to the sea. Seaflower was a trim craft, but she lacked the one essential without which no privateer could flourish; she was without armament, and had great difficulty attracting a crew. William Kidd. Captain William Kidd (c. 22 January 1645 – 23 May 1701)[1] was a Scottish sailor who was tried and executed for piracy after returning from a voyage to the Indian Ocean. Some modern historians deem his piratical reputation unjust, as there is evidence that Kidd acted only as a privateer. Kidd's fame springs largely from the sensational circumstances of his questioning before the English Parliament and the ensuing trial. His actual depredations on the high seas, whether piratical or not, were both less destructive and less lucrative than those of many other contemporary pirates and privateers.
Biography[edit] Captain William Kidd was either one of the most notorious pirates in the history of the world or one of its most unjustly vilified and prosecuted privateers in an age typified by the rationalisation of empire. Despite the legends and fiction surrounding this character, his actual career was punctuated by only a handful of skirmishes followed by a desperate quest to clear his name. Portrait NPG 6353; Gerlach Flicke; Henry Strangwish (or Strangways) The online database contains information on 194,493 works, 109,108 of which are illustrated; the National Portrait Gallery's collection includes over 330,000 works. We are expanding this database regularly - last updated September 2013.
General Tips Searches are not case sensitive. The title of a portrait often contains the name of a sitter. If you are having problems finding the portraits you require try entering just one whole or partial word from the name or title, e.g. try using 'churchill' instead of 'winston churchill'. Simple Search To perform a simple search first enter: a whole or partial name, e.g. church, churchill, Sir Winston Spencer Churchill or winst church a whole or partial portrait title, e.g. flow, flower, Flower Girl or flow gir the NPG number of a specific portrait (with or without the NPG prefix) e.g. Advanced Search The Advanced search enables you to place further restrictions on a search. Jean Lafitte. Jean Lafitte (c. 1776 – c. 1823) was a French pirate and privateer in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century.
He and his elder brother, Pierre, spelled their last name Laffite, but English-language documents of the time used "Lafitte". The latter has become the common spelling in the United States, including for places named for him. Lafitte is believed to have been born either in France or the French colony of Saint-Domingue. By 1805, he operated a warehouse in New Orleans to help disperse the goods smuggled by his brother Pierre Lafitte. Though Lafitte tried to warn Barataria of a British attack, the American authorities successfully invaded in 1814 and captured most of Lafitte's fleet.
Lafitte continued attacking merchant ships as a pirate around Central American ports until he died around 1823 trying to capture Spanish vessels. Origins[edit] A number of details about Jean Lafitte's early life remain obscure - often they contradict each other. Saint-Domingue[edit] France[edit] Google Image Result for.