St Nick

The Skull and Crossbones of St. Nicholas Church, Deptford, London. This church is a short walk down from the ship yards on the Thames. The sailors would come here to pray before embarking on a new voyage. Some of their voyages were to plunder from any ship they found on the high seas. Since they could not fly the flag of their nationality they chose to fly the Skull and Crossbones flag of St. Nicholas, that way other Deptford ships would not attack them.