A single volume titled A New Voyage Round the World, published in 1697, shifted the reputation of William Dampier from that of a common seafaring pirate to a scientific authority recognized by the British Admiralty. He bridged the eras of Sir Francis Drake and James Cook, becoming the first person to circumnavigate the globe three separate times.
Early Maritime Career
Born in 1651 at Hymerford House in East Coker, Somerset, Dampier was educated at King's School, Bruton. His early experience included merchant voyages to Newfoundland and Java before he enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1673. He served during the Battles of Schooneveld that June but saw his initial service terminated by severe illness. After recuperating, he managed a Jamaican plantation and worked in Mexican logging before marrying his wife Judith in 1679 and returning to the sea shortly thereafter.
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Dampier joined Captain Bartholomew Sharp in 1679 to raid the Spanish Main. This journey involved crossing the Isthmus of Darién and attacking Spanish ships along the Pacific coast of Panama and Peru. Following a failed raid on Arica in 1681, he eventually joined the privateer John Cooke in Virginia. The subsequent expedition targeted Spanish assets across the Galápagos Islands and Mexico. Under later leadership, he served on the Cygnet, sailing to the Philippines and Vietnam before reaching the northwest coast of Australia in early 1688.
Scientific Observation and New Holland
While anchored near King Sound, Australia, in 1688, Dampier recorded observations on the flora, fauna, and indigenous population. His documentation of foreign foods like manatee, flamingo, and avocado introduced these items to English readers, as did his early use of terms like barbecue and chopsticks. In 1691, he returned to London with his journals and a tattooed man named Jeoly, whom he eventually exhibited at a Fleet Street inn. His writing eventually secured him command of the HMS Roebuck under a royal commission.
Final Expeditions and Death
Tasked by King William III to explore the coast of New Holland, Dampier departed in January 1699. He later faced a court-martial for cruelty during his naval service. On a subsequent voyage, he facilitated the rescue of Alexander Selkirk, a sailor whose survival story is credited as the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe. Dampier remained a central influence on later navigators and scientists, including George Anson and Charles Darwin, until his death in London in March 1715.
Fast facts
- Born: 1651, East Coker
- Died: March 1715, London
- Nationality: Kingdom of Great Britain
- Education: King's School, Bruton
- Key Command: HMS Roebuck
- Famous Associate: Alexander Selkirk
- Primary Occupations: Naturalist, privateer, explorer
Questions readers ask
Was William Dampier a pirate or a scientist?
He was both, operating as a privateer and pirate during his early career while simultaneously serving as a pioneering naturalist and scientific collector.
What is his connection to the Robinson Crusoe story?
Dampier led the voyage that rescued Alexander Selkirk, whose solitary life on an island provided the basis for Daniel Defoe's novel.
Achievements
- Recorded as seafarer, naturalist and explorer
