Captain Kidd walks the plank
At Londons Execution Dock British privateer William Kidd popularly known as Captain Kidd is hanged for piracy and murder.Born in Strathclyde Scotland Kidd established himself as a sea captain before settling in New York in 1690 where he bought property and married.At various times he was commissioned by New York and other American colonies to rid the coast of enemy privateers.In 1695 while on a trip to London the recently appointed governor of New York commissioned him to defend English ships from pirates in the Red Sea.
In 1696 Kidd sailed to New York aboard the Adventure Galley enlisted men for the mission and set sail for the Indian Ocean.The expedition met with little success and failed to capture a major prize until February 1698 when the Quedagh Merchant an Indian vessel allegedly sailing under a French pass was taken.Word of Kidds capture of the boat which was loaded with gold jewels silk sugar and guns aroused significant controversy in Britain as the ship had an English captain.Suspicions that he had turned to piracy were apparently confirmed when he sailed to St.
Marys Madagascar an infamous pirate haven.From there he traveled to the West Indies on the Quedagh Merchant where he learned of the piracy charges against him.Intending to clear his name he sailed to New York and delivered himself to the colonial authorities claiming that the vessels he had attacked were lawful prizes.
He was arrested and taken to London.In 1701 he was tried on five charges of piracy and one charge of murdering a crewman.The Tories used the trial as a political opportunity to embarrass his Whig sponsors and the latter chose to give up Kidd as a scapegoat rather than back his possibly correct claims to legitimacy.Convicted on all counts he was executed by hanging on May 23 1701.
In later years a colorful legend grew up around the story of William Kidd including reports of lost buried treasure that fortune seekers have pursued for centuries.
