Nathaniel Butler (1578-16??) was an English privateer who later served as the colonial governor of Bermuda during the early 17th-century. He had built many structures still seen in Bermuda today including many of the island's coastal fortresses and the Old State House (the oldest stone house in Bermuda [1]). He also has the distinction of introducing the potato, the first seen in North America, to the early English colonists of Jamestown, Virginia. Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... A privateer was a private ship (or its captain) authorized by a countrys government to attack and seize cargo from another countrys ships. ... Old State House is the name of more than one building formerly used as a seat of government: Old State House (Boston), in the U.S. state of Massachusetts Old State House (Little Rock), in the U.S. state of Arkansas This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid... Binomial name Solanum tuberosum L. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, commonly grown for its starchy tuber. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

First serving in the service of the Earl of Warwick during his early sailing career, he was later appointed as governor of the Bermuda, a post which he served from 1619 to 1622. During this time, he salvaged guns from a shipwrecked vessel and used them to fortify the island forts then under construction including Southampton Fort [2] and those of Smith's and Paget Island in 1620 (the incident would later be recorded by John Smith in 1624 [3]). He would also be the first to introduce the potato to North America when, in 1621, he had a cargo of potatoes shipped to Governor Francis Wyatt of Jamestown [4]. The Earl of Warwick is one of the oldest English earldoms. ... // The name John Smith often is regarded as the archetype of a common personal name in most English-speaking countries. ... Binomial name Solanum tuberosum L. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, commonly grown for its starchy tuber. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Wyatt, Sir Francis, (* 1588 – 1644), English colonial governor of Virginia. ...

After a brief stay in Jamestown the following year, during which he published a report entitled "Unmasked Face of Our Colony in Virginia as it was in the winter of the Year 1622" later presented to the Privy Council upon his return to London [5], Butler was made an Admiral of the island of Providence, at the age of 61. He later found employ with the Providence Island Company during 1639 and 1640. A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, especially in a monarchy. ... full of cockneys. ... Providence may mean: Divine Providence Providence College in Rhode Island, USA Providence, television series Providence, a 1977 film Providence, a 1991 film starring Keanu Reeves Providence, 1970s-era Providence may also refer to: Providence, Rhode Island (in Providence County) Providence, Alabama Providence, Kentucky Providence, New York It is also the...

While on a privateering expedition in mid-1639, he successfully captured a Spanish frigate at the harbor of Trujillo, and was later paid 16,000 pesos in ransom. However, the frigate alone was considered a poor prize by the standards of the time and, suffering from inexperienced officers unfamiliar with the region (including future privateer James Riskinner), the expedition followed a very erratic course throughout the Caribbean and failed to capture anything else of value by the time of their return to Providence in September 1639. The name Trujillo is shared by several different places: Trujillo, Colombia, a municipality in the Valle del Cauca department. ...

Further reading

• Kupperman, Karen Ordahl. Providence Island, 1630-1641: The Other Puritan Colony. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993. ISBN 0-521-55835-2
• Rogozinski, Jan Pirates!: Brigands, Buccaneers, and Privateers in Fact, Fiction, and Legend. New York: Da Capo Press, 1996. ISBN 0-306-80722-X

External links

• Pirates and Privateers by Rick Vermunt
• Selected Pre-1700 Imprints in the Navy Department Library