In a time when most sailors don't know how to swim, I have two pirates that do. I can maybe justify it for the ex-fisherman; if you drop a net off the pier, you darn well better be able to retrieve it before you get in trouble! The ex-farmhand/poacher might be a problem. Swimming comes in handy for poaching (if there's a river between you and the gamekeeper), but it's not exactly an agricultural skill. How or why would he learn how to swim? From what I've found on the web, recreational swimming wasn't popular in my period. He grew up in rural England, if that helps.
Thanks!
P.S. If I'm mistaken about the ex-fisherman, feel free to correct me.
Thanks!
P.S. If I'm mistaken about the ex-fisherman, feel free to correct me.