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Captain George Shelvocke (1675-1742) was an English privateer who wrote a famous 1723 book based on his exploits, A Voyage Round the World By Way of The Great South Sea. Year 1742 ( MDCCXLII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A privateer was a private Warship authorized by a country's Government by Letters of marque to attack foreign shipping Year 1723 ( MDCCXXIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a

Born into a farming family in Shropshire and christened at St Mary's, Shrewsbury on 1st April 1675,, Shelvocke joined the Royal Navy when he was 15. Shropshire (ˈʃrɒpʃɪə/ /-ʃə alternatively known as Salop or abbreviated in print only Shrops, is a county in the The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) During two long wars with France and Spain he rose through the ranks to become sailing master and finally second lieutenant of a flagship serving under Admiral John Benbow in the West Indies. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Captain is the traditional customary title given to the person in charge in command of a Ship at sea Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned officer Military rank in many Armed forces. John Benbow (1653? &ndash November 4, 1702) was an officer in the Royal Navy, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral. However, when war with France ended in 1713 he was beached without even half-pay support. In the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714 several European powers combined to stop French succession to the Spanish throne and what would likely have been a resulting The Treaty of Utrecht that established the Peace of Utrecht, rather than a single document comprised a series of individual peace treaties signed in the Dutch When he was commissioned as captain of the ship Speedwell, he was living in poverty.

Alongside the Success, captained by John Clipperton, the Speedwell was involved in a 1719 expedition to loot Spanish ships and settlements along the west coast of South America. John Clipperton (died 1722 was an English Pirate and Privateer who fought against the Spanish in the 18th century The English had just declared war with Spain, the 'War of the Quadruple Alliance', and the ships carried letters of marque, which gave them official permission to wage war on the Spanish and to keep the profits. The War of the Quadruple Alliance ( 1718 – 1720) was a result of the ambitions of King Philip V of Spain, his wife Isabella Farnese and his chief A letter of marque is an official warrant or commission from a Government authorizing the designated agent to search seize or destroy specified assets Shelvocke broke away from Clipperton shortly after leaving British waters and appears to have avoided contact as much as possible for the rest of the voyage.

Having been shipwrecked on Selkirk Island, now re-named Robinson Cruscoe Island by the Chilean authorities, Shelvocke and his crew managed to build a new vessel using some timber from wreck plus new timber from the island. Alejandro Selkirk Island, previously known as Isla Más Afuera, is the second largest and most westernly island of the Juan Fernández Islands. They then made their way up the west coast of South America from present-day Chile to Baja California soon transferring to a series of captured enemy vessels. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Baja California (pronounced ˈbɑːhɑː kælɨˈfɔrnjə in English is the northernmost state of Mexico. He then sailed for Macao before returning to England.

In England he was arrested on charges of piracy at the instigation of the principal shareholders of the voyage, though he was acquitted shortly after for want of evidence. Piracy is Robbery committed at sea or sometimes on shore without a commission from a sovereign Nation (as distinct from Privateering The shareholders suspected, probably with reason, that he had failed to let them know about a significant proportion of the loot from the voyage and planned to keep it for himself and some other members of his crew. In this he probably succeeded. The events portrayed in A Voyage Round the World By Way of The Great South Sea were disputed by a number of critics, in particular by his Captain of Marines, one William Betagh. Shelvocke nevertheless went on to re-establish his reputation and died on 30th November 1742 at the age of 67 years, a fairly wealthy man. His chest tomb (Now removed) was in the churchyard of St Nicholas Church, Deptford, London by the east wall. A wall tablet in the chancel commemorates his son, also George Shelvocke, died 1760, who accompanied his father on his Journey Round the World.

In his book, Captain Shelvocke stated that his Second mate, Simon Hatley, shot a black Albatross while they were rounding the Cape Horn and this episode in his book served to inspire the central image of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's famous poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large Seabirds allied to the procellariids, Storm-petrels and Diving-petrels Samuel Taylor Coleridge ( 21 October 1772 &ndash 25 July 1834) was an English Poet, Critic and philosopher The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (original The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere) is the longest major Poem by the English Poet

According to Wordsworth

There are several reminiscences by the poet William Wordsworth concerning the above:

"Written at Alfoxden in the spring of 1798, under circumstances somewhat remarkable. Year 1798 ( MDCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The little girl who is the heroine I met within the area of Goodrich Castle in the year 1793. Having left the Isle of Wight and crossed Salisbury Plain, as mentioned in the preface to "Guilt and Sorrow," I proceeded by Bristol up the river Wye, and so on to North Wales, to the Vale of Clwydd, where I spent my summer under the roof of the father of my friend, Robert Jones. The Isle of Wight is an English Island and county in the English Channel between three and five miles (8 km from the south coast of the Salisbury Plain is a Chalk Plateau in central southern England covering. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London This article is about the river that flows along or close to the Anglo-Welsh border North Wales (Gogledd Cymru is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England. The Vale of Clwyd is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

"In reference to this Poem I will here mention one of the most remarkable facts in my own poetic history and that of Mr. Coleridge. In the spring of the year 1798, he, my Sister, and myself, started from Alfoxden, pretty late in the afternoon, with a view to visit Lenton and the valley of Stones near it; and as our united funds were very small, we agreed to defray the expense of the tour by writing a poem, to be sent to the New Monthly Magazine set up by Phillips the bookseller, and edited by John Aikin. John Aikin ( January 15, 1747 &ndash December 7, 1822) was an English doctor and writer

"Accordingly we set off and proceeded along the Quantock Hills towards Watchet, and in the course of this walk was planned the poem of the "Ancient Mariner", founded on a dream, as Mr. The Quantock Hills are a range of Hills west of Bridgwater in Somerset, England. Watchet is a Harbour Town and Civil parish in the English county of Somerset, with an approximate Coleridge said, of his friend, Mr. Cruikshank.

"Much the greatest part of the story was Mr. Coleridge's invention; but certain parts I myself suggested: — for example, some crime was to be committed which should bring upon the old Navigator, as Coleridge afterwards delighted to call him, the spectral persecution, as a consequence of that crime, and his own wanderings. I had been reading in Shelvock's Voyages a day or two before that while doubling Cape Horn they frequently saw Albatrosses in that latitude, the largest sort of sea-fowl, some extending their wings twelve or fifteen feet. Cabo de Hornos redirects here for the Chilean commune see Cabo de Hornos Chile. Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large Seabirds allied to the procellariids, Storm-petrels and Diving-petrels "Suppose," said I, "you represent him as having killed one of these birds on entering the South Sea, and that the tutelary Spirits of those regions take upon them to avenge the crime. " The incident was thought fit for the purpose and adopted accordingly.

"I also suggested the navigation of the ship by the dead men, but do not recollect that I had anything more to do with the scheme of the poem. The Gloss with which it was subsequently accompanied was not thought of by either of us at the time; at least, not a hint of it was given to me, and I have no doubt it was a gratuitous afterthought. We began the composition together on that, to me, memorable evening. "

George Shelvocke, Senior, known bibliography

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