William Davis, a rather unsucsessful Welsh pirate.

All we really know of his origins is that he was a Welshman working aboard 'The Ann', a galley captained by Joseph Spackman. As a pathetic twenty-three year old pirate his only claim to fame seems to be, he persuaded Black Bart to allow him on board!

At Sierra Leone Davis quarelled with a shipmate, whom he beat and then deserted his ship to live ashore with the natives, one of whom he married and settled with.

One evening, the weather being hot and Davis being very thirsty, he sold his bride for some punch. His wife's relations, being indignant, seized Davis, who told them, being, perhaps, still a little under the influence of the punch, that he did not care if they took his head off.


Above: An 18th Century Sloop sporting Barts Flaming Sword Jolly Roger.
Illustration © Wayne Stock, 2007

But his "in-laws" knew a more profitable way of being revenged than that, and sold him to Seignior Joffee, a Christian native. Soon afterwards Captain Roberts (Black Bart), in the Royal Fortune arrived in the bay and Davis ran away, joining that pirate crew.

At the age of just twenty-three he was arrested by Captain Ogle of the Swallow and in April 1722 one of the 52 men tried for piracy and hanged at Cape Coast Castle, West Africa. The Ann came to a sticky end too, she was catptured and taken by the Spanish, her owners Samuel Bonham, Christopher Astley, Benjamin Weal, and Joseph Crowcher all petitoined the king to press the Spanish government for her return but to no avail.

connection: Was known to be a Welshman.


Related information...
      Henry Morgan, Buccaneers, Freebooters and Pirates.
      David Williams, Buccaneers, Freebooters and Pirates.
      the Hump Murray, Wrong side of the law.
      John Callice, Buccaneers, Freebooters and Pirates.
      Black Bart, Buccaneers, Freebooters and Pirates.
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