William Stewart (skipper)
William Stewart (fl. c. 1580–1610) was a Scottish sea captain from Dundee. He sailed as the skipper of the Bruce, a ship owned by George Bruce of Carnock. In 1589 the Bruce carried James VI to Norway to meet Anne of Denmark, and the king gave Stewart a small gift of 20 Danish dalers from his dowry.
In 1593 Stewart was involved in a tense incident off the coast of Spain while commanding the Bruce. The ship had gone to Ferrol to load wine, figs, and raisins. There they encountered English privateers — the Julian of London, owned by John Newton and captained by John Clarke, along with another English ship. The Julian attacked the Bruce and forced Stewart to take 52 men aboard the Bruce. These men were Portuguese sailors and possibly enslaved Africans.
A week later the English warship Fortunatus captured the Bruce, thinking it was a Spanish prize because of the number of captives on board. The Bruce was taken to Portsmouth. Stewart complained to the Vice-Admiral of Portsmouth, and back in Scotland he sought James VI’s help to confiscate an English ship. Ludovic Stewart, Duke of Lennox, gave Daniel Leyne a warrant to seize James Keeler’s ship at Prestonpans.
The Bruce was returned to George Bruce, but the cargo of Spanish wine was lost, either wasted by the captives or spoiled. Witness statements were taken by the Provost of Edinburgh and by the English diplomat Robert Bowes.
The fate of the Portuguese and African men aboard the Bruce is not recorded. In 1601 Elizabeth I issued proclamations about deporting Africans and other foreigners who had been brought to England during the wars with Spain, including orders to transport African people to Spain and Portugal.
William Stewart is sometimes confused with other Scots named William Stewart, such as William Stewart of Caverston or William Stewart of Houston.
This page was last edited on 1 February 2026, at 21:26 (CET).