William Kidd

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For the musician, orchestrator, and composer, see William Kidd (composer).
William Kidd
c.1645 — May 23, 1701
Image:William Kidd.jpg
Place of birth: Flag of Scotland Greenock, Scotland
Place of death: Flag of England Wapping, England
Allegiance: Flag of England Kingdom of England

William "Captain" Kidd (c.1645 – May 23, 1701) is often remembered in infamy as a cruel, bloody pirate. Indeed, he, along with his crew, has been accused of every crime in pirate history by popular tradition. He achieved perhaps more fame in song, story, and legend than any other pirate to sail the seven seas. However, historical record calls this characterization into question, as there is evidence that Kidd acted only as a privateer.

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[edit] Early life

William Kidd was born into a reputable family in Greenock, Scotland in 1645. However, after the death of his father when he was five, Kidd's family's income was severely reduced. As a young man he chose to head out to sea, and bounced around freely from ship to ship for three decades. After war broke out between England and France, he showed courage and a bit of lucky timing in winning a English ship and taking actions against the French. With his newfound prestige, he finally settled in New York in 1691, at age 45 or 46. There he married the 20-year-old twice widow, Sarah Bradley Cox Oort. They had two daughters: Elizabeth and Sarah Kidd. The marriage eventually brought to Kidd a considerable amount of property (after the legal dispute around her inheritance from her first husband was resolved). During this time, Kidd was respected as an honest, hard-working ship captain. He befriended many prominent colonial citizens, including three governors.

Later that year, on orders from the province of New York, Massachusetts, he captured an enemy privateer on the New England coast. Shortly thereafter, Kidd was awarded GBP150 for successful privateering in the Caribbean. One year later, "Captain" Culliford, a notorious pirate, stole Kidd's ship while he was ashore at Antigua in the West Indies. In 1695, William III of England replaced the corrupt governor Benjamin Fletcher, known for accepting bribes of one hundred dollars to allow illegal trading of pirate loot, with Richard Coote, Earl of Bellomont.

[edit] Preparing his expedition

On December 11 that same year, Coote, who was now governing New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, asked the "trusty and well beloved Captain Kidd" (Hamilton, 1961) to attack Thomas Tew, John Ireland, Thomas Wake, William Maze, and all others who associated themselves with pirates, along with any enemy French ships. This preceded the voyage which established his reputation as a pirate, and cemented his image in history and folklore.

Four-fifths of the cost for the venture was paid for by noble lords, who were amongst the most powerful men in England; the Earl of Orford, The Baron of Romney, the Duke of Shrewsbury and Sir John Somers. According to Henry Gilbert writing in The Book of Pirates, Kidd's backers were rumored to include King William himself. In fact, according to a time-honored practice, the King would receive a tenth share of everything captured. Kidd and an acquaintance, Colonel Robert Livingston, who orchestrated the whole thing, paid for the rest. Kidd had to sell his ship the Antigua to raise funds.

The new ship, the Adventure Galley, was well suited to the task of catching pirates; weighing over 284 tons, it was equipped with 34 cannons, oars, and 150 men. The oars were a key advantage as it would enable him to maneuver in a battle when the winds had calmed and other ships were floating free. Kidd took pride in personally selecting the crew, choosing only those he deemed to be the best and most loyal officers. Unfortunately, soon after setting sail he was stopped by the HMS Duchess, whose captain pressed much of Kidd's crew for service in the navy, despite rampant protestation. To make up for the lack of officers, Kidd was sent replacement crew, the vast majority of whom were known and hardened criminals, some undoubtedly former pirates.

[edit] Hunting for pirates

In September 1696, Kidd set sail again. However, more bad luck struck, and a third of his crew soon perished due to the uncontrolled spread of cholera. To make matters worse, the brand-new ship developed many leaks. According to Gilbert, after taking a single French ship (which was legal under his commission) on the first leg of his voyage, he proceeded eastward to Madagascar but was not able to find pirates to take in that vicinity. Kidd then sailed to the Malabar Coast. During this time Kidd never attacked a single richly-laden Indian ship that passed before him, and probably was not yet pirate at the time. However, as it became obvious his ambitious enterprise was failing he became understandably desperate to cover its costs. But, once again, Kidd failed to attack several ships when given a chance, including a Dutchman and New York privateer. Some of the crew deserted Kidd the next time the Adventure Galley anchored offshore, and those who decided to stay behind made constant open-threats of mutiny.

Howard Pyle's fanciful painting of Kidd and his ship, the Adventure Galley, in a New York City harbor.
Howard Pyle's fanciful painting of Kidd and his ship, the Adventure Galley, in a New York City harbor.

He killed one of his first crew mates on October 30, 1697. An argument developed between Kidd and his gunner William Moore, a strong follower of the mutinous crew. While Moore was on deck sharpening a chisel, Kidd called him a lousy dog. Moore retorted, "If I am a lousy dog, you have made me so; you have brought me to ruin and many more." After an exchange of strong words, Kidd snatched up and heaved an ironbound bucket at Moore. Moore fell to the deck with a fractured skull and died the following day. (Cordingly 1995).

[edit] Accusations of piracy

Acts of savagery on Kidd’s part were reported by escaped prisoners, who told of being hoisted up by the arms and drubbed with a naked cutlass. In truth, many of these acts were committed by his disobedient and mutinous crew. On one occasion, crewmembers ransacked the trading ship, Mary and tortured several crewmembers while Kidd and the other captain, Thomas Parker conversed privately in Kidd's cabin. When Kidd found out what had happened, he was outraged and forced his men to return most of the stolen property.

Kidd was declared a pirate very early in his voyage by a Royal Navy officer to whom he had promised "thirty men or so" (Hamilton, 1961). Kidd sailed away during the night to preserve his crew, rather than subject them to Royal Navy impressment. The British East India Company happily took care of the task of spreading rumors of Kidd's exploits, where his actions grew more vicious with each retelling.

On January 30, 1698, he raised French colors and took his greatest prize, an Armenian ship, the 400 ton Quedagh Merchant, which was loaded with satins, muslins, gold, silver, an incredible variety of East Indian merchandise, as well as extremely valuable silks. The captain of the Quedagh Merchant was an Englishman named Wright, who was sailing under the promised protection of the French government. However, after realizing the captain of the taken vessel was an Englishman, Kidd tried to persuade his crew to return the ship to its owners, but they refused, knowing that their prey was perfectly legal as Kidd was commissioned to take French ships. In an attempt to maintain his tenuous control over his crew, Kidd relented and kept the prize. Unfortunately, when news of the deed reached England, along with rumors of torture, the British East India Company declared Kidd a pirate. Various naval commanders were ordered to “pursue and seize the said Kidd and his accomplices” for the "notorious piracies" (Hamilton, 1961) they had committed. All the while Kidd believed that he was still following his commission, for he kept the French commission of the Quedagh Merchant and was still on the lookout for pirates.

On April 1, 1698, Kidd reached Madagascar. Here Kidd found the first pirate of his voyage, Robert Culliford, (the same man who had stolen Kidd’s ship years before) and his crew sailing the Mocha Frigate. Kidd ordered his men to capture the Mocha Frigate. Instead his men mutinied and joined the pirates of the Mocha Frigate. Only 13 of Kidd’s men remained loyal to him.

Deciding to return home, Kidd left the Adventure Galley behind ordering her to be burnt because she had become worm-eaten and leaky. By burning the ship, he was able to salvage every last scrap of metal, for example hinges. With the loyal remnant of his crew, he returned home.

[edit] Trial

Prior to Kidd returning to New York City, he learned that he was a wanted pirate, and that several English men-of-war were searching for him. The governor (an investor) was away in Boston, Massachusetts. With the help of his lawyer, he negotiated with the governor in Boston and eventually agreed to come into town. Nevertheless, (on July 6, 1699) he was arrested with his crew and placed in Stone Prison, spending most of the time in solitary confinement.

He was eventually (after over a year) sent to England to stand trial, and on May 8 he was tried by High Court of Admirality in London for the charges of piracy on high seas and the murder of William Moore. Whilst awaiting trial, Kidd was imprisoned in the infamous Newgate Prison and wrote several letters to the joint sovereigns, William III of England and Mary II of England, requesting clemency.

Kidd's body on display over the Thames River in London as a warning to future pirates.
Kidd's body on display over the Thames River in London as a warning to future pirates.

He stood trial without representation and was shocked to learn at trial that he was charged with murder. He was found guilty on all charges (murder and five counts of piracy) and was hanged on May 23, 1701, at 'Execution Dock', Wapping, in London. During the execution, the hangman's rope broke and Kidd was hanged on the second attempt. His body was gibbeted — left to hang in an iron cage over the River Thames, London, as a warning to future would-be pirates for two years. His associates Richard Barleycorn, Robert Lamley, William Jenkins, Gabriel Loffe, Able Owens, and Hugh Parrot were convicted, but pardoned just prior to hanging at Execution Dock.

Kidd's Whig backers were embarrassed by his trial. Gilbert indicates that they participated in the effort to convict him by depriving him of the money and information which might have provided him with some legal defense. In particular, his two sets of papers that showed that the two ships he had taken were French, were missing at his trial. These French papers (and others dated 1700) resurfaced in the early 20th century, misfiled with other government papers in a London building. These papers call the extent of Kidd's guilt into question. Along with the papers, many goods were brought from the ships and soon auctioned off as "pirate plunder." They were never mentioned in the trial.

[edit] Mythology and legend

The belief that Kidd left a buried treasure somewhere contributed considerably to the growth of his legend. This belief made its contribution to literature in Edgar Allan Poe's The Gold Bug, Washington Irving's The Devil and Tom Walker , Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island and Nelson DeMille's Plum Island. It also gave impetus to the never-ending treasure hunts on Oak Island in Nova Scotia, in Suffolk County, Long Island in New York where Gardiner's Island is located, Charles Island in Milford, Connecticut, and in the Thimble Islands in Connecticut.

Captain Kidd did bury a small cache of treasure on Gardiner's Island in a spot known as Cherry Tree Field; however, it was removed by Governor Bellomont and sent to England to be used as evidence against him. [1][2][3]

Kidd also visited Block Island around 1699, where he was supplied by Mrs. Mercy (Sands) Raymond, daughter of the mariner James Sands. The story has it that, for her hospitality, Mrs. Raymond was bid to hold out her apron, into which Kidd threw gold and jewels until it was full. After her husband Joshua Raymond died, Mercy removed with her family to northern New London, Connecticut (later Montville), where she bought much land. The Raymond family was thus said to have been "enriched by the apron".

[edit] In popular culture

  • Anthony Dexter and Eva Gabor starred in the 1954 film Captain Kidd and the Slave Girl.
  • Captain Kidd's legend is also the subject of a traditional English song, "Captain Kidd", which takes the form of Kidd reminiscing about a rather inaccurate version of his life. One recording of it may be found on the Waterson:Carthy album Fishes and Fine Yellow Sand. Another may be found on the Great Big Sea album The Hard and the Easy.
  • Children's author Robert Lawson wrote Captain Kidd's Cat (Little, Brown 1956), in which Kidd's cat McDermot tells the tale of Kidd's adventures on the high seas, arguing that Kidd was no pirate but was rather a victim of circumstances - and politics - beyond his control.
  • There are three heavy metal songs based on Kidd's adventures; two by Running Wild called "The Ballad of William Kidd" and "Adventure Galley", released on The Rivalry album (1998); and also by Scissorfight called "The Gibbetted Captain Kidd" on the album Balls Deep.
  • The time-travel card game Early American Chrononauts includes a card called Captain Kidd's Treasure Chest which players can symbolically acquire from the year 1699.
  • The 1980s British band Bucks Fizz recorded "The Land of Make Believe", a 1981 chart-topping song called which contains the line, "Captain Kidd's on the sand, with treasure close at hand".
  • The first single of the 2005 album The Hard and the Easy by Great Big Sea is "Captain Kidd" which chronicles the story of Captain William Kidd. The lyrics are derived from a traditional Newfoundland folk song supposedly sung during Kidd's time.
  • In the video game "Sid Meier's Pirates", Captain Kidd is one of the nine other notorious pirates with whom the player competes.
  • In Wildwood, New Jersey, the third weekend in May is known as "Captain Kidd's Weekend". During this weekend, children dig up small candy filled plastic treasure chests buried on the beach. Here, the name Kidd is a pun to the word kid, meaning child.
  • Kidd is mentioned in Bob Dylan's 1965 song "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream". In the fictional song, the Coast Guard asks Dylan/narrator his name, to which he replies: "And I said, 'Captain Kidd'/They believed me but they wanted to know what exactly that I did/I said for the Pope of Eruke I was employed/They let me go right away/They were very paranoid."

[edit] Publications

  • Campbell, An Historical Sketch of Robin Hood and Captain Kidd (New York, 1853)
  • Dalton, The Real Captain Kidd: A Vindication (New York, 1911)

[edit] References

  • Hamilton, Cochran. et al. (1961) Pirates of the Spanish Main, 1st Edition, American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc., New York.
  • Cordingly, David (1995). Under The Black Flag : The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates. Harcourt Brace & Company.
  • Gilbert, H. (1986). The Book of Pirates. London: Bracken Books.
  • Zacks, Richard (2002). The Pirate Hunter : The True Story of Captain Kidd. Hyperion Books (ISBN 0-7868-8451-7).

[edit] See also

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