| Hello to all you Marmaduke Mister descendants, family members and pirate aficionados out there!
If you attended the Mister Family Reunion a couple of years back at St. John’s Church in Chance, Maryland, you may remember Billy Mister’s outstanding presentation on our Mister ancestry. His narrative explored Marmaduke Mister (1660–1725), his son Marmaduke Mister (1722–1798) tory pirate, and other family members, tracing their connections to England, Accomack County, Virginia, Smith Island, Deal Island, Maryland, Delaware, and beyond.
We have added Billy Mister's written narrative (part 2), addendum if you will to the first part he wrote on his/our Mister ancestry to his credit on our website. It is quite the story and tale. We great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces and nephews who attended his and Aaron Horner's presentations were all astounded at the history narrative that was given and appreciate all Billy's and Aaron's hard work for sharing with us original islanders (myself included) some excellent and personal history of one of our ancestors and anyone who is fond of reading about one of the Chesapeake Bays most notable residents.
We also have Marmaduke Mister in our MENU under HISTORY where he is easy to find. (See link below)
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*Marmaduke Mister on the Revenge and the Bachelors Delight*
The Circumstantial Case for John Fitzhugh Millars Account
A family history of two probable buccaneering journeys
https://www.skipjackheritage.com/content/marmaduke/Marmaduke%20Mister%20Page%202.cfm
by Billy J. Mister 12 October 2026
Thank you Billy Mister!!
Marmaduke Mister was a Revolutionary War–era Chesapeake Bay Loyalist associated with the “Tory picaroons,” commonly called Tory pirates. The Calvert Marine Museum identifies him and his nephew, Stephen Mister, as an uncle-and-nephew partnership: by 1779, Stephen raided vessels and plantations while Marmaduke sold the confiscated goods, operating along the Annemessex River. calvertmarinemuseum.com
For “1780,” distinguish Marmaduke from Stephen: the museum dates Stephen’s capture near Virginia to 1780. That date should not automatically be assigned to Marmaduke’s capture. calvertmarinemuseum.com
Maryland’s original records provide these useful details:
• 1776: A deposition places Marmaduke at Richard Evans’s house on Smith Island during an account involving Joseph Wheeland, seized vessels, and the division of plunder. This documents his presence in that setting, although the passage alone does not establish his precise role. msa.maryland.gov
• May 9, 1782: The Maryland Council permitted Marmaduke to return home after he brought American prisoners from the Tangier Islands. aomol.msa.maryland.gov
• May 10, 1782: The Council ordered a payment of nine pounds to him. The entry records an approved account but does not explicitly state what the payment covered. msa.maryland.gov
His later assistance to American prisoners makes his history more complicated than a simple, lifelong allegiance to the British. “Chesapeake Bay Tory Picaroon, circa 1780” is a reasonable descriptive label; a specific event dated 1780 needs its own supporting record. |
