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Captain William Death was an 18th-century privateer from Middlesex, England^[1] who died in battle in December 1756, in the first year of the Seven Years' War.

Captain Death was in command of the Terrible, a ship equipped with twenty-six carriage guns, and manned with 200 sailors.^[2] On 23 December 1756, the Terrible engaged the Alexandre le Grande, a large French ship sailing from Saint-Domingue. The Alexandre le Grande was captured, but 4th Lieutenant John Death, Captain Death's brother, died in battle,^[3] and 16 other men were lost. Captain Death assigned 40 men to secure the French ship, and they made for Plymouth, England.^[4]

As the ships entered the English Channel on 27 December,^[4] they met the French Vengeance, a privateer from Saint-Malo, with 36 large cannon and 360 men.^[2] The Vengeance sailed towards the Terrible under an English ensign,^[5] but hoisted the French colours when she came near, sailing between the faster Terrible and the slower Alexandre le Grande. The French retook the Alexandre and doubled up on the Terrible, which lost her main-mast in the first broadside.^[2] When the battle ended, the French commander, his second in command, and 2/3 of his company were lost.^[2] The French boarded the Terrible and found only 26 men alive, 16 of whom were severely wounded.^[2] John Withy, the 3rd Lieutenant of the Terrible and a survivor of the battle, claimed that Captain Death initially survived the battle, but was shot after he had struck the colours.^[6] His body was tossed into the sea.^[7]

The badly damaged Terrible was towed to Saint-Malo.^[8] When word of the battle reached England, funds were raised for William Death's widow, as well as the survivors.^[8] Captain Death's battles against the French were cited as examples of English courage against superior odds.^[8]

A young Thomas Paine had intended to join Captain Death's crew,^[9] but was dissuaded by his father.^[10]^[11] In his 1776 pamphlet Common Sense, Paine cited Captain Death's battles in his argument that the American colonies should raise a naval fleet.^[12] An English folk ballad titled "Captain Death" was printed as early as 1783, and laments the loss of the "brave Captain Death."^[13]

It is said that the Terrible was equipped at Execution Dock, commanded by Captain Death, Lieutenant Devil, and had a surgeon named Ghost.^[8]

In popular culture

Perhaps coincidentally, recurring a Golden Age Captain Marvel supervillain is also named Captain Death. The character, a captain of a gigantic submarine, engaged in kidnapping, smuggling and piracy.^[14]

References

^ Mulligan, Hercules (15 June 2007). "John Jay: The Forgotten Federalist". Retrieved 11 July 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Smollett, 201
^ The Gentleman's and London magazine. 1757. p. 490.
^ ^a ^b Long, 44
^ Long, 45
^ Long, 46
^ The Gentleman's and London magazine. 1757. p. 491.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Smollett, 202
^ Vickers, Vikki J. (2006). My pen and my soul have ever gone together: Thomas Paine and the American Revolution. Routledge. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-415-97652-7.
^ Katz, Jon. The Age of Paine Wired Digital, Inc.
^ Wells, Steven. Bring the Paine! Archived 2013-01-31 at archive.today 8 February 2006, Philadelphia Weekly
^ See Wikisource document Common Sense
^ Kidson, Frank (2008). Traditional Tunes - A Collection of Ballad Airs. Read Books. pp. 104–106. ISBN 978-1-4437-7290-7.
^ The Shazam Archives, vol. 1 (1999)

Long, William H. (1899). Naval yarns of sea fights and wrecks, pirates and privateers from 1616-1831: as told by men of wars' men. F. P. Harper.
Smollett, Tobias George (2009). The History of England, Part 3. BiblioBazaar, LLC. ISBN 978-0-559-11130-3.

[1] Mulligan, Hercules (15 June 2007). "John Jay: The Forgotten Federalist". Retrieved 11 July 2010.

[S201-2] Smollett, 201

[3] The Gentleman's and London magazine. 1757. p. 490.

[L44-4] Long, 44

[5] Long, 45

[6] Long, 46

[7] The Gentleman's and London magazine. 1757. p. 491.

[S202-8] Smollett, 202

[9] Vickers, Vikki J. (2006). My pen and my soul have ever gone together: Thomas Paine and the American Revolution. Routledge. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-415-97652-7.

[10] Katz, Jon. The Age of Paine Wired Digital, Inc.

[11] Wells, Steven. Bring the Paine! Archived 2013-01-31 at archive.today 8 February 2006, Philadelphia Weekly

[12] See Wikisource document Common Sense

[13] Kidson, Frank (2008). Traditional Tunes - A Collection of Ballad Airs. Read Books. pp. 104–106. ISBN 978-1-4437-7290-7.

[14] The Shazam Archives, vol. 1 (1999)

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+{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
-Captain '''William Death''' was an 18th-century [[privateer]] from [[Middlesex]], [[England]]<ref>{{cite web |author=Mulligan, Hercules |title=John Jay: The Forgotten Federalist |url=http://thefoundationforum.com/2007/06/john-jay-the-forgotten-federalist.html |date=15 June 2007 |accessdate=11 July 2010}}</ref> who died in battle December 1756, in the first year of the [[Seven Years' War]].
+Captain '''William Death''' was an 18th-century [[privateer]] from [[Middlesex]], [[England]]<ref>{{cite web |author=Mulligan, Hercules |title=John Jay: The Forgotten Federalist |url=http://thefoundationforum.com/2007/06/john-jay-the-forgotten-federalist.html |date=15 June 2007 |accessdate=11 July 2010}}</ref> who died in battle in December 1756, in the first year of the [[Seven Years' War]].
 Captain Death was in command of the ''Terrible'', a ship equipped with twenty-six carriage guns, and manned with 200 sailors.<ref name=S201>Smollett, 201</ref>  On 23 December 1756, the ''Terrible'' engaged the ''Alexandre le Grande'', a large French ship sailing from [[Saint-Domingue]].  The ''Alexandre le Grande'' was captured, but 4th Lieutenant John Death, Captain Death's brother, died in battle,<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Gentleman's and London magazine |year=1757 |page=490 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SmFFAAAAYAAJ&q=1756+%22william+death+%22+-%22william%27s+-death%22&pg=PA491}}</ref> and 16 other men were lost.  Captain Death assigned 40 men to secure the French ship, and they made for [[Plymouth]], England.<ref name=L44>Long, 44</ref>
-As the ships entered the [[English Channel]] on 27 December,<ref name=L44 /> they met the French ''[[HMS Vengeance (1758)|Vengeance]]'', a privateer from [[Saint-Malo]], with 36 large cannon and 360 men.<ref name=S201 />  The ''Vengeance'' sailed towards the ''Terrible'' under an English ensign,<ref>Long, 45</ref> but hoisted the French colours when she came near, sailing between the faster ''Terrible'' and the slower ''Alexandre le Grande''.  The French retook the ''Alexandre'' and doubled up on the ''Terrible,'' which lost her main-mast in first broadside.<ref name=S201 />  When the battle ended, the French commander, his second in command, and 2/3 of his company were lost.<ref name=S201 />  The French boarded the ''Terrible'' and found only 26 men alive, 16 of whom were severely wounded.<ref name=S201 />  John Withy, the 3rd Lieutenant of the ''Terrible'' and a survivor of the battle, claimed that Captain Death initially survived the battle, but was shot after he had struck the colours.<ref>Long, 46</ref>  His body was tossed into the sea.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Gentleman's and London magazine |year=1757 |page=491 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SmFFAAAAYAAJ&q=1756+%22william+death+%22+-%22william%27s+-death%22&pg=PA491}}</ref>
+As the ships entered the [[English Channel]] on 27 December,<ref name=L44 /> they met the French ''[[HMS Vengeance (1758)|Vengeance]]'', a privateer from [[Saint-Malo]], with 36 large cannon and 360 men.<ref name=S201 />  The ''Vengeance'' sailed towards the ''Terrible'' under an English ensign,<ref>Long, 45</ref> but hoisted the French colours when she came near, sailing between the faster ''Terrible'' and the slower ''Alexandre le Grande''.  The French retook the ''Alexandre'' and doubled up on the ''Terrible,'' which lost her main-mast in the first broadside.<ref name=S201 />  When the battle ended, the French commander, his second in command, and 2/3 of his company were lost.<ref name=S201 />  The French boarded the ''Terrible'' and found only 26 men alive, 16 of whom were severely wounded.<ref name=S201 />  John Withy, the 3rd Lieutenant of the ''Terrible'' and a survivor of the battle, claimed that Captain Death initially survived the battle, but was shot after he had struck the colours.<ref>Long, 46</ref>  His body was tossed into the sea.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Gentleman's and London magazine |year=1757 |page=491 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SmFFAAAAYAAJ&q=1756+%22william+death+%22+-%22william%27s+-death%22&pg=PA491}}</ref>
 The badly damaged ''Terrible'' was towed to Saint-Malo.<ref name=S202>Smollett, 202</ref>  When word of the battle reached England, funds were raised for William Death's widow, as well as the survivors.<ref name=S202 />  Captain Death's battles against the French were cited as examples of English courage against superior odds.<ref name=S202 />
-A young [[Thomas Paine]] had intended to join Captain Death's crew,<ref>{{cite book |last=Vickers |first=Vikki J. |title=My pen and my soul have ever gone together: Thomas Paine and the American Revolution |year=2006 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-97652-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ruD0Ri-SDN4C&q=piracy+%22william+death%22+1756&pg=PA51 |page=51}}</ref> but was dissuaded by his father.<ref>Katz, Jon. [https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/3.05/paine_pr.html The Age of Paine] Wired Digital, Inc.</ref><ref>Wells, Steven. [http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/cover-story/bring_the_paine-38411579.html Bring the Paine!] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.is/20130131101543/http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/cover-story/bring_the_paine-38411579.html# |date=2013-01-31 }} 8 February 2006, ''[[Philadelphia Weekly]]''</ref>  In his 1776 pamphlet [[Common Sense (pamphlet)|Common Sense]], Paine cited Captain Death's battles in his argument that the American colonies should raise a naval fleet.<ref>See Wikisource document [[s:Common Sense#Of the Present Ability of America, with some miscellaneous Reflections|Common Sense]]</ref>  An English folk ballad titled "Captain Death" was printed as early as 1783, and laments the loss of the "brave Captain Death."<ref>{{cite book |last=Kidson |first=Frank |title=Traditional Tunes - A Collection of Ballad Airs |year=2008 |publisher=Read Books |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yYLuE1Lew9QC&q=%22Frank%20Kidson%22%20%22captain%20death%22&pg=PA105 |isbn=978-1-4437-7290-7  |pages=104–106}}</ref>
+A young [[Thomas Paine]] had intended to join Captain Death's crew,<ref>{{cite book |last=Vickers |first=Vikki J. |title=My pen and my soul have ever gone together: Thomas Paine and the American Revolution |year=2006 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-97652-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ruD0Ri-SDN4C&q=piracy+%22william+death%22+1756&pg=PA51 |page=51}}</ref> but was dissuaded by his father.<ref>Katz, Jon. [https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/3.05/paine_pr.html The Age of Paine] Wired Digital, Inc.</ref><ref>Wells, Steven. [http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/cover-story/bring_the_paine-38411579.html Bring the Paine!] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130131101543/http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news-and-opinion/cover-story/bring_the_paine-38411579.html# |date=2013-01-31 }} 8 February 2006, ''[[Philadelphia Weekly]]''</ref>  In his 1776 pamphlet [[Common Sense (pamphlet)|Common Sense]], Paine cited Captain Death's battles in his argument that the American colonies should raise a naval fleet.<ref>See Wikisource document [[s:Common Sense#Of the Present Ability of America, with some miscellaneous Reflections|Common Sense]]</ref>  An English folk ballad titled "Captain Death" was printed as early as 1783, and laments the loss of the "brave Captain Death."<ref>{{cite book |last=Kidson |first=Frank |title=Traditional Tunes - A Collection of Ballad Airs |year=2008 |publisher=Read Books |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yYLuE1Lew9QC&q=%22Frank%20Kidson%22%20%22captain%20death%22&pg=PA105 |isbn=978-1-4437-7290-7  |pages=104–106}}</ref>
 It is said that the ''Terrible'' was equipped at [[Execution Dock]], commanded by Captain Death, Lieutenant Devil, and had a surgeon named Ghost.<ref name=S202 />
 ==In popular culture==
-In the [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Shazam!]] [[Golden Age comics]], a recurring [[supervillain]] is named after Captain Death. He is captain of a gigantic [[submarine]] and specialises in [[kidnapping]], [[smuggling]] and modern day [[piracy]].<ref>The Shazam Archives, vol. 1 (1999)</ref>
+Perhaps coincidentally, recurring a [[Golden Age]] [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Captain Marvel]] [[supervillain]] is also named Captain Death. The character, a captain of a gigantic [[submarine]], engaged in [[kidnapping]], [[smuggling]] and [[piracy]].<ref>The Shazam Archives, vol. 1 (1999)</ref>
 ==References==
@@ Line 22: / Line 23: @@
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Death, William}}
 [[Category:British people of the Seven Years' War]]
-[[Category:British privateers]]
+[[Category:English privateers]]
+[[Category:Sailors from London]]
 [[Category:18th-century births]]
 [[Category:1756 deaths]]
-[[Category:Sailors from London]]
+[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]