I haven't figured out his age yet since I wanted to gage how old everyone else's characters are but asically, he grew up being something of a nuisance and when he began to court a girl of equal/higher standing, her parents disapproved and so in an attempt to straighten him out he was sent to serve the King's navy. The ship he's on is attacked and he has a choice of dying or joining the crew, he joins. Since no word would have reached the family, they would presume he died until in turn the pirates are captured by the navy. Once he was captured by the Navy, he would have identified himself or was recognized by a family friend, and sent back home after some strings were pulled to receive pardon for taking up with a band of pirates.