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James Skyrm sailed from Bristol in the summer of 1720 as First Mate on the sloop Greyhound. Bartholomew Roberts captured the Greyhound, off Africa in October 1720.
Skrym joined the pirates and was later put in charge of a ship renamed the Ranger. In the next year, in consort with the Royal Fortune they attacked many ships, including the Phoenix, the York, the Jason and the Mercy from Bristol.
Skyrm's ship the Ranger was eventually captured by H.M.S. Swallow, commanded by Captain Ogle. In the fight with HMS Swallow, he was very active with a drawn sword in his hand, with which he beat any of his crew who were at all backward. One of his legs was shot away in this action, but he refused to leave the deck and go below as long as the action lasted and is reputed to have quaterized the wound by placing the stump on one of the hot cannons.
He was hanged at Cape Corso Castle, Guinea in March 1722 at the age of 44, along with 51 members of his crew.