Captain William Kidd is among the most notorious and controversial pirates in history. His demise came about after he was given a commission as a privateer by the Crown. He was born in aseaport town called Dundee, Scotland in 1654. Later, he settled in New York and became a pillar of society. He even had a pew named after him at Trinity Cathedral. Kidd was a self-made man who married a wealthy woman named Sarah Bradley Cox Oort, which contributed greatly to his prominence and prosperity. So why did the forty-one-year-old family man return to the sea? Many believe he had grown bored and was looking for some excitement (sounds like he was suffering from a mid-life crisis). He found that and much more when he set sail in 1696 with his commission to capture French ships and pirates. His partners, which includes Lord Bellomont (Richard Coote), King William III, and other famous men, provided the ship. The 287-ton Adventure Galley was fitted with sails and oars and thirty-four cannons. She was sturdy but fast and maneuverable.
Captain Kidd was pleased as he set sail. He had a good crew and a good ship and the king’s best wishes. However, things soon got off to a bad start. He lost many of his best men when they were “commandeered” by the navy and more were lost to illness. He was forced to accept pirates and inexperienced sailors to replace them. The crew was hired with the understanding that “no prey, no pay.” This meant that they didn’t get paid unless they met with success. Their success, however, depended upon their captain. And luck wasn’t with Captain Kidd. No matter where he sailed, he had trouble finding French ships to plunder. His men were getting restless. There was talk of mutiny.
The ship began leaking and was not in good shape. By this time, Kidd and his men had been at sea for more than a year with little to show for it. They needed supplies and Kidd needed to regroup. They careened at the Maldive Islands to repair the hull and lay in supplies. Captain Kidd kept coming across ships that were not French, although some raised French colors. But when Kidd boarded them, he discovered they were not French. After repeatedly letting these East India and English ships go, his crew got fed up. They threatened mutiny if Captain Kidd let the latest ship go, as it looked like he intended. According to Kidd, he had no choice but to take the ship in order to keep control of his ship.
The Crown may have overlooked these incidents if not for two events. One was when Kidd seized the Quedagh Merchant, an Armenian-owned ships loaded with fine muslin cloth and silk, opium, salt, calico cotton, and much more. A few weeks later, he begged his crew to let him return the Quedagh Merchant (according to Kidd). He was afraid this act wouldn’t be forgiven. And he was right.
The Adventure Galley was no longer seaworthy, so Kidd went to Sainte-Marie Island, which was a favorite hang out for pirates. This is where nearly 100 men deserted their captain. He was left with only a dozen or so men. He had no choice but to sink the cumbersome Adventure Galley and to continue his journey in the Quedagh Merchant. It was time to go home.
Kidd felt confident he could straighten everything out once he got home. After all, he was partners with the most powerful men in America and England and he had all the paperwork to prove it. What he didn’t know was alot had changed while he had been gone. The Great Mogul had demanded that England do something about piracy or they were going to cut off trade. Pirate Captain Henry Avery’s violent assault on the Ganj-i-Sawai was the final straw. England had to distance itself from piracy to protect its relationship with the Great Mogul. This meant that Captain Kidd was in real trouble.
Furthermore, there was a second incident that cinched it for Kidd. He got into a dispute with a crew member, William Moore. He became so enraged at the gunner’s insubordination that he threw a bucket at him. His luck had been so bad throughout his trip that it shouldn’t have surprised him that the bucket caused a head injury that eventually killed Moore. This was witnessed by most of his crew and was considered to be murder.
Knowing he was in trouble, Kidd dumped the Quedagh Merchant and bought a sloop, the San Antonio. Reportedly, along the way Kidd hid some of his treasure. He planned to use it as leverage to help bail him out of trouble. He figured that his greedy partners would overlook alot if the price was right. Kidd went to his trusted friend, Lord Bellomont, who promised to help him. Instead, he betrayed Kidd. When Kidd arrived for their meeting, Bellomont had him arrested. He was held in Boston’s Stone Prison. Later, he was transferred to England’s Newgate Prison. He sat in this rotten place for more than a year awaiting trial. During this time, he was not allowed any visitors or proper preparation for trial.
The Crown didn’t want him to win his court case. Kidd needed to be sentenced for piracy and used as an example (and to placate the Great Mogul). During his three years at sea, everyone’s attitude regarding piracy had changed. It was no longer acceptable and must be punished. Kidd was a scab on the Monarchy and all the men he kept claiming were his partners. His request for more time to obtain his commission papers, which had been taken by Lord Bellomont, was denied. He argued that he had not been access to his defense council until trial and that he needed more time to prepare. All his requests were denied. He was quickly found guilty of all charges, including murder and piracy. He was hanged on May 23, 1701.
The crowd sang as Kidd was led into the gallows.
Some thousands they will flock when we die, when we die,
Some thousands they will flock when we die,
Some thousands they will flock to Execution Dock,
Where we must stand the shock and we must die.
So did Captain Kidd become a pirate or was he a victim of circumstances? There lies the controversy. Some experts believe that Kidd went willingly from privateer to pirate while others swear he had no choice. Some ask a very good question, “If Kidd had lost control of his crew, he surely wouldn’t have made it home intact and with so much loot?” That begs another question, “Has all the treasure that Captain Kidd hid on his way home been found?” Many believe some of it remains hidden to this day.
