William Lamport was born in Ireland in 1615 to Catholic seafarers. He was a genius who spoke at least 14 languages by the age of 21. In 1627 Lamport was arrested in London for sedition from handing out Catholic pamphlets. He escaped and became a pirate for two years.
He also fought for the French at the Siege of La Rochelle against the Huguenots. Then he joined the Spaniards and fought with them. He allegedly had a hot love affair with a Spanish noblewoman and was exiled from the royal court.
At that point, he was sent to Mexico to spy for the Count-Duke of Olivares. It was there that he began to feel sorry for the native Indians who were slaves and began studying native medicine.
In 1642, just when he was about to be engaged to a Spanish noblewoman, Antonia Turcious, the Mexican Inquisition arrested him and accused him for plotting a war of independence against Spain. He was sentenced to ten years in jail, escaped, was caught, and sentenced to death in 1659. He was sentenced to burn at the stake.
He managed to get loose of the ropes he was tied up in before being burned and strangled himself by his iron collar. He was the inspiration of the Zorro character made famous by writer Johnston McCulley.