William Kidd was born in Scotland in 1654 to John Kidd, and his wife Bessie Butchart, and even as a young lad yearned for the sea. His first voyage was to take control of a ship as a privateer that he called the Blessed William in 1689 under the consent of officials from New York and Massachusetts. His task was to deter any pirate attacks and this gained him support from those states to which he in term repaid their trust in his participation in the construction of Trinity Church, New York. He later wed the widow Sarah Bradley Cox Oort who was a prominent and financially secure woman from a previous husband's estate in 1691. His next task at the requesting governor of both states Richard Coote, was to remove from the region the pirates of Thomas Tew, John Ireland, Thomas Wake, William Maze, and anyone else of interest plus French vessels. With a new ship to command was called Adventure Galley, it was well equipped for the task at hand and with a new crew at his disposal headed for the Cape of Good Hope but was not a successful voyage as some became sick with cholera and the ship itself had structural issues.

To make matters worse the excursion was a failure as no pirates could be found in the region and after a few ships he chose not to engage in the talk of mutiny circulated among the crew. When they stopped for supplies some left his command and grew more frustrated and when one of them went against his decision to attack what Kidd considered off-limits, murdered him to exercise his authority as captain. With claims now of torture by his crew was declared a pirate. The ship that elevated him in the region was a ship from India filled with silver, gold, and other items of trade, and since the captain of it was English and had permission from France to sail it when this account reached England a bounty was put on the head of Kidd and his crew. After taking this ship for his command set sail for New York to spend time with his wife and family and hopes to attain leniency by bribing local officials, but failed in the attempt. He was detained in prison for over a year sent to England for trial and found guilty and executed in 1701 he remained displayed in a cage as a deterrent to other pirates.


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