In the annals of piracy, few figures are as enigmatic and controversial as Captain William Kidd. His journey from a reputable seaman to one of the most infamous pirates encapsulates the blurred lines and moral ambiguities of 17th-century piracy and privateering. But he also lived through seismic times in the history of England, Scotland, the Caribbean and of the Americas, especially New York. It's an incredible journey, scuppered by those in high places with wealth and power that all began with maritime tradition dating before Julius Caesar.
But, in 1696, it's Kidd's maritime career that takes a decisive turn. He was entrusted with the command of the Adventure Galley. His task was to hunt down pirates and French vessels in the Indian Ocean, a region notorious for piracy. This mission, sponsored by some of the most powerful men in England, and New York, seemed to be a golden opportunity but it all goes horribly wrong.
Captain Kidd's legacy, a mixture of vilification and romanticisation, also begs the question, was his execution legal and was he innocent of the crimes as charged. Is the treasure still out there?
In the following pages we cover each of the charges, and show that Captain Kidd was not a pirate, nor a murderer but a man who tried his best to serve his King and country only to be punished by the very same men who professed to support him.