Bartholomew Sharp facts for kids

Bartholomew Sharp, a famous buccaneer, attacking La Serena.

Bartholomew Sharp (born around 1650 – died October 29, 1702) was an English buccaneer and privateer. A buccaneer was like a pirate, but often had some permission from a government to attack enemy ships. A privateer was a private ship or person given permission by a government to attack enemy ships during wartime. Sharp's career as a sea adventurer lasted for seven years, from 1675 to 1682.

He sailed in the Caribbean Sea, capturing many ships and raiding coastal towns like those in the Gulf of Honduras and Portobelo. Later, he led a big journey into the Pacific Ocean. For months, he raided towns along the Pacific coast of South America. One famous event was when he burned La Serena in 1680. His main ship, which he captured in Panama, was called the Trinity.

Early Adventures at Sea

Bartholomew Sharp was likely born in London, England, around 1650. He first worked on a privateer ship during the Third Anglo-Dutch War, a conflict between England and the Netherlands. He became a captain of his own ship in the West Indies, where he attacked Dutch vessels.

When the war ended, Sharp's permission to be a privateer ran out. He then became a buccaneer, continuing his adventures at sea. In 1679, a group of buccaneer ships sailed to the Bay of Honduras. On September 26, they captured a Spanish merchant ship. They took valuable goods like indigo, cacao, and money.

In December of that year, the buccaneers gathered again in Jamaica. Captains John Coxon, Robert Allison, Cornelius Essex, and Thomas Magott decided to attack Portobelo, a Spanish city. They chose John Coxon as their leader. They were joined by French buccaneers named Rose and Bournano. On January 17, 1680, the fleet attacked Portobelo and raided the city. After taking their treasures and some prisoners, they moved to Bastimentos, a nearby place, to share their loot. They then blocked the port for two weeks, capturing more merchant ships that didn't know they were there.

Journey to the Pacific Ocean

More captains, including Richard Sawkins, Edmund Cooke, and Peter Harris, joined the group. Some of the French buccaneers left, but the others decided to attack Panama City. They sailed to Golden Island and left their ships with small crews. Then, 350 buccaneers walked across the Isthmus of Panama. Among them were William Dampier, a scientist, and Lionel Wafer, a surgeon. Both would later write books about their journey.

The buccaneers met with King Goldecap of the Kuna people. He agreed to help them with guides and warriors, including his eldest son. In return, they had to rescue his daughter from a Spanish fort called Santa Maria. The buccaneers used canoes provided by the Kuna people to travel downriver. They attacked Santa Maria, captured the fort, and rescued the King's daughter.

The Kuna guides then led the buccaneers downriver to the Bay of San Miguel. They took two small boats and sailed towards Panama. There, they found three Spanish ships and five large warships. The buccaneers fought from their canoes and captured one of the Spanish ships. Another Spanish ship escaped, and a third caught fire and exploded.

The buccaneers lost only two men in the fight, with eleven injured. Captain Peter Harris was hurt and died two days later. Captain Coxon took command of the captured ship. The five warships in the harbor were empty, so the buccaneers took three of them and sank the other two. The biggest captured ship, La Santísima Trinidad, was renamed The Trinity and given to Captain Richard Sawkins. John Coxon was removed from command, and he left with 75 men to return to the Caribbean. The men then voted Sawkins as their new leader.

The buccaneers sailed to a nearby fishing village. They hoped to get a ransom for the captured Spanish soldiers and to capture more ships. They caught a Spanish ship carrying 60,000 pieces of eight, which was money for Panama's soldiers. The governor of Panama refused their ransom. Admiral Sawkins famously replied that they would show their "commissions on the muzzles of our guns."

Less than a week later, Richard Sawkins was killed in a battle. Seventy-five more men left the expedition. Command then fell to Bartholomew Sharp.

Under Admiral Sharp, the fleet sailed south along the coast of South America. They didn't find many ships to capture because word of their presence had spread. Spanish towns were ready for them. After weeks at sea, they finally captured a Spanish ship. Sharp's leadership was questioned by some of his crew. In January 1681, the crew voted to remove Bartholomew Sharp from command. They chose John Watling as their new captain. Watling led an attack on the rich city of Arica, but they were defeated, and Watling was killed. The men then reluctantly put Bartholomew Sharp back in charge.

Soon after, fifty more men left the journey, including William Dampier and Lionel Wafer.

The buccaneers continued their journey around South America and back up to the Caribbean. They captured 25 Spanish ships and raided many Spanish towns. Captain Sharp is known for being the first Englishman to travel eastwards around Cape Horn. He had planned to return to England through the Strait of Magellan, but a storm pushed his ship, the Trinity, too far south, forcing him to sail around the Cape.

An account of Sharp's adventures was published in a book called The Dangerous Voyage And Bold Assaults of Captain Bartholomew Sharp and Others by Basil Ringrose in 1684. Other accounts were also written by William Dampier and Lionel Wafer.

A Royal Pardon

Because England and Spain were not at war, Spain demanded that Sharp be punished for piracy. Sharp was arrested and brought to court. However, he presented the authorities with a special book of maps. These maps were taken from a Spanish ship called El Santo Rosario in July 1681.

The maps were very valuable to English sailors. Because of their importance, King Charles II gave Sharp a full pardon. These maps were later redrawn by William Hack and published as South Sea Waggoners.

Later Life and Death

In 1696, Sharp settled on the island of St. Thomas, which was then part of the Danish colonial lands. By 1700, he had a lot of debt and tried to leave the island to escape the Danish authorities. His attempt failed, and Sharp was put in prison. He died in prison on October 29, 1702.

See also

In Spanish: Bartolomé Sharp para niños

• William Dampier
• Lionel Wafer
• Chepo expedition