William Dampier (son of George and Ann Dampier) was born in 1651 at East Corker, Somerset, England. William Dampier became famous after his epic pirating travels were published in A New Voyage Around the World in 1697.

William Dampier (1651 - 1715) was an English pirate, explorer and navigator who became the first Englishman to explore parts of what is today Australia, and …

William Dampier The English privateer and author William Dampier (1652-1715) explored the Western Australian coastline and stimulated interest in the Pacific through popular travel books. William Dampier, (born August 1651, East Coker, Somerset, Eng.—died March, 1715, London), buccaneer who later explored parts of the coasts of Australia, New Guinea, and New Britain for the British Admiralty. "William Dampier (1652 - 1715) - English navigator, pirate, merchant, and scientist, who made three round-the-world trips, discovered many islands in the Pacific Ocean. William Dampier was an English navigator, explorer, privateer and writer who lived from 1651 to 1715. Dampier, William.

William Dampier was born the son of a Somerset farmer in June 1652. He had numerous adventures around Central and South America and the Pacific, and in 1688 spent a short time in northwest Australia.

A keen observer of natural phenomena, he was, in some respects, a pioneer in scientific exploration. The British Admiralty promised him a ship to examine the uncharted eastern coast of new Holland via the Pacific Ocean round Cape Horn. William Dampier did not discover the continent of Australia (as that had been discovered by the Portuguese and Dutch sometime earlier). Log in | Sign Up

Some books quote 1652 but this was a cousin - also named William - who was born to George's brother William Sr. Dampier was well educated and decided early in life that he wanted a life of exploration.

A voyage to New Holland : the English voyage of discovery to the South Seas in 1699 - Folger Shakespeare Library - Digital Asset Platform The Miranda digital asset platform is the new home for the Folger's collections online.