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79-464: Pirates burying treasure was a rare occurrence, with the only known instance being William Kidd , who buried some of his wealth on Gardiners Island . The myth of buried pirate treasure was popularized by such 19th-century fiction as Wolfert Webber , The Gold-Bug , and Treasure Island . The idea of treasure maps leading to buried treasure is considered a fictional device. There are cases of buried treasure from different historical periods, such as

158-452: A causeway was built from the western end of the island to Crandall's Point on the mainland, two hundred metres away in order to bring heavy machinery onto the island. The most recent owners include a treasure hunter named Dan Blankenship, who initially partnered with "Oak Island Tours Inc.," run by David Tobias. Oak Island Tours eventually dissolved, and in February 2019 it was announced that

237-602: A privateer for England , but his behavior had strayed into outright piracy, and he hoped that his treasure could serve as a bargaining chip in negotiations to avoid punishment. His bid was unsuccessful, however, and Kidd was hanged as a pirate. In English fiction, there are three well-known stories that helped to popularize the myth of buried pirate treasure: " Wolfert Webber " (1824) by Washington Irving , " The Gold-Bug " (1843) by Edgar Allan Poe and Treasure Island (1883) by Robert Louis Stevenson . These stories differ widely in plot and literary treatment but are all based on

316-625: A royal pardon to pirates in the Indian Ocean, specifically exempted Kidd (and Henry Every ) from receiving a pardon, in Kidd's case due to his association with prominent Whig statesmen. Kidd became aware both that he was wanted and that he could not make use of the Act of Grace upon his arrival in Anguilla , his first port of call since St. Augustine's Bay. Prior to returning to New York City, Kidd knew that he

395-526: A "small black Man". If Van der Heul was of African ancestry, he would be considered the highest-ranking black pirate or privateer so far identified. Van der Heul later became a master's mate on a merchant vessel and was never convicted of piracy. In September 1696, Kidd weighed anchor and set course for the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa. A third of his crew died on the Comoros due to an outbreak of cholera ,

474-521: A 50-kilogram (110 lb) ingot expected to be silver was found in a wreck off the coast of Île Sainte-Marie in Madagascar by a team led by marine archaeologist Barry Clifford . It was believed to be part of Captain Kidd's treasure. Clifford gave the booty to Hery Rajaonarimampianina , President of Madagascar. But, in July 2015, a UNESCO scientific and technical advisory body reported that testing showed

553-629: A bargaining tool. Kidd landed in Oyster Bay to avoid mutinous crew who had gathered in New York City. To avoid them, Kidd sailed 120 nautical miles (220 km; 140 mi) around the eastern tip of Long Island, and doubled back 90 nautical miles (170 km; 100 mi) along the Sound to Oyster Bay. He felt this was a safer passage than the highly trafficked Narrows between Staten Island and Brooklyn . New York Governor Bellomont , also an investor,

632-445: A man-made shaft featuring wooden platforms every 10 feet (3.0 m) down to the 90-foot (27 m) level of depth. There is also a formation of boulders called "Nolan's Cross", named after a former treasure hunter, and a triangle-shaped swamp. Lastly, there has been activity on a beach at a place called "Smith's Cove". Various objects including non-native coconut fibre have been found there. More recent archaeological discoveries in

711-500: A new partnership had been formed with a company called the "Michigan Group". This group consisted of brothers Rick and Marty Lagina , Craig Tester, and Alan Kostrzewa who had been purchasing lots from Tobias. Blankenship owned the island with the Michigan Group until his death on March 17, 2019, at the age of 95. Oak Island is populated on a seasonal basis with two permanent homes and two cottages being occupied part-time. While

790-583: A pirate. Various naval commanders were ordered to "pursue and seize the said Kidd and his accomplices" for the "notorious piracies" they had committed. Kidd kept the French sea passes of the Quedagh Merchant , as well as the vessel itself. British admiralty and vice-admiralty courts (especially in North America) previously had often winked at privateers' excesses amounting to piracy. Kidd might have hoped that

869-404: A piratical crew who somehow preserved a chart showing where the treasure was buried, but unable to return himself, he transfers the map or information to a friend or shipmate, usually on his deathbed. This person would then go search in vain for the treasure, but not before transferring the legend down to another hapless seeker. The Roman historian Dio Cassius says that, in the early 2nd century,

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948-542: A result of election by the ship's crew, or by appointment of Christopher Codrington , governor of the island of Nevis. Kidd was an experienced leader and sailor by that time, and the Blessed William became part of Codrington's small fleet assembled to defend Nevis from the French, with whom the English were at war. The governor did not pay the sailors for their defensive service, telling them instead to take their pay from

1027-613: A seaman's apprentice on a pirate ship during this time, before beginning his more famous seagoing exploits as a privateer . By 1689, Kidd was a member of a French–English pirate crew sailing the Caribbean under Captain Jean Fantin . During one of their voyages, Kidd and other crew members mutinied, ousting the captain and sailing to the British colony of Nevis . There they renamed the ship Blessed William , and Kidd became captain either as

1106-563: Is a cultural concept and not the same as a hoard , which is typically found by archaeologists and metal detectors. The Fenn treasure , reportedly buried by millionaire Forrest Fenn in 2010, was found in 2020 in Wyoming. Pirates burying treasure was rare. The only pirate known to have actually buried treasure was William Kidd , who is believed to have buried at least some of his wealth on Gardiners Island near Long Island before sailing into New York City . Kidd had originally been commissioned as

1185-617: Is as much a cultural concept as an objective thing. It is related to pirates and other criminals who leave stolen artifacts behind for later retrieval, typically in remote places like islands, sometimes with maps leading back to the treasure. The Fenn treasure was reportedly buried by millionaire Forrest Fenn around 2010 and found in 2020, somewhere in Wyoming . William Kidd William Kidd ( c.  1654 – 23 May 1701), also known as Captain William Kidd or simply Captain Kidd ,

1264-632: Is made up of a temperate broadleaf and mixed forest , known regionally as the New England/Acadian forests . Wildlife in the Mahone Bay area includes great blue herons , black guillemots , osprey , Leach's storm petrels , and razorbills . Non-specific eagles and puffins are also mentioned. The roseate tern is considered an endangered species in the area and is protected by the Canadian government . Efforts to restore their habitat, such as curbing

1343-407: Is the rural community of Western Shore which faces the island, while the nearest village is Chester . The island is best known for various theories about buried treasure or historical artifacts, and the associated attempts to explore the site. The majority of Nova Scotia is a humid continental climate with hot and humid summers, and cold or frigid winters. While there is no weather station on

1422-656: The Adventure Galley behind, ordering her to be burnt because she had become worm-eaten and leaky. Before burning the ship, he salvaged every last scrap of metal, such as hinges. With the loyal remnant of his crew, he returned to the Caribbean aboard the Adventure Prize , stopping first at St. Augustine's Bay for repairs. Some of his crew later returned to North America on their own as passengers aboard Giles Shelley 's ship Nassau . The 1698 Act of Grace , which offered

1501-511: The Caribbean . One year later, Captain Robert Culliford , a notorious pirate, stole Kidd's ship while he was ashore at Antigua in the West Indies . In New York City , Kidd was active in financially supporting the construction of Trinity Church, New York . On 16 May 1691, Kidd married Sarah Bradley Cox Oort, who was still in her early twenties. She had already been twice widowed and

1580-580: The Dacian king Decebalus had changed the course of the river Sargetia and buried tons of gold and silver in the riverbed. Later, he ordered the river to be restored, and the slaves involved in the works to be executed. However, one of his nobles revealed the treasure's location to the Romans. The Byzantine historian Jordanes tells a similar story of the burial of the Visigoth king Alaric I and his treasure under

1659-816: The Expulsion of the Acadians during the Seven Years' War , the British authorities encouraged British colonists from New England to settle in Nova Scotia. Land was made available to settlers in 1759 through the Shorham grant , and Chester was officially founded that same year. The first major group of settlers arrived in the Chester area from Massachusetts in 1761, and Oak Island was officially surveyed and divided into 32 four-acre lots in

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1738-542: The Indian Ocean . He received a letter of marque and set sail on a new ship, Adventure Galley , the following year. On his voyage he failed to find many targets, lost much of his crew and faced threats of mutiny. In 1698, Kidd captured his greatest prize, the 400-ton Quedagh Merchant , a ship hired by Armenian merchants and captained by an Englishman. The political climate in England had turned against him, however, and he

1817-468: The Mi'kmaq , who have lived in present-day Nova Scotia and Newfoundland for several thousand years. The area that encompasses Oak Island was once known as the "Segepenegatig" region. While it is unknown when Europeans first encountered Oak Island, the earliest confirmed European residents date back to the 1750s when French fishermen built a few houses on the future site of the nearby village of Chester . Following

1896-515: The Vietnamese island of Phú Quốc . Knight and Graham were caught, convicted of illegally landing on Vietnamese territory, and each assessed a $ 10,000 fine . They were imprisoned for 11 months until they paid the fine. For years, people and treasure hunters tried to locate the Quedagh Merchant . It was reported on 13 December 2007 that "wreckage of a pirate ship abandoned by Captain Kidd in

1975-405: The bedrock are mainly made up of "Lawrencetown" and slate till. The former of these two is considered a type of clay till which is made up of 50% sand, 30% silt , and 20% clay. In the main area that has been searched for treasure along with the till lie bits of anhydrite which become more competent deeper down. Researchers Les MacPhie, and John Wonnacott concluded that the deep deposits at

2054-423: The 1666 Great Fire of London , wealthy residents of the city buried luxury goods such as gold and wine in the ground to protect them from the raging flames above. Samuel Pepys , the noted diarist, buried a wheel of cheese in his garden to protect it from the fire. Buried treasure is not the same as a hoard , of which there have been thousands of examples found by archaeologists and metal detectors. Buried treasure

2133-476: The 1690s, Kidd visited Block Island where he was supplied with provisions by Mrs. Mercy (Sands) Raymond, daughter of the mariner James Sands. It was said that before he departed, Kidd asked Mrs. Raymond to hold out her apron, which he then filled with gold and jewels as payment for her hospitality. After her husband Joshua Raymond died, Mercy moved with her family to northern New London, Connecticut (later Montville), where she purchased much land. The Raymond family

2212-690: The 17th century has been found by divers in shallow waters off the Dominican Republic ". The waters in which the ship was found were less than ten feet deep and were only 70 feet (21 m) off Catalina Island , just to the south of La Romana on the Dominican coast. The ship is believed to be "the remains of the Quedagh Merchant ". Charles Beeker, the director of Academic Diving and Underwater Science Programs in Indiana University (Bloomington) 's School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation,

2291-627: The Baron of Romney, the Duke of Shrewsbury , and Sir John Somers . Kidd was presented with a letter of marque , signed personally by King William III of England , which authorized him as a privateer. This letter reserved 10% of the loot for the Crown, and Henry Gilbert's The Book of Pirates suggests that the King fronted some of the money for the voyage himself. Kidd and his acquaintance Colonel Robert Livingston orchestrated

2370-669: The Dacian king Decebalus and Visigoth king Alaric I , who both changed the course of rivers to hide their treasures. Legends of buried pirate treasure have existed for centuries, but authenticated discoveries are rare. For example, extensive excavations on Oak Island, Nova Scotia have not yielded any treasure. The only authenticated treasure chest in the United States is kept at the Pirate Soul Museum in St. Augustine, Florida. Buried treasure

2449-588: The Dutchman, an act that would have been considered piratical, since the nation was not at war with England, but also certain to anger Dutch-born King William. Kidd refused, calling Moore 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." Kidd reportedly dropped an ironbound bucket on Moore, fracturing his skull. Moore died the following day. Seventeenth-century English admiralty law allowed captains great leeway in using violence against their crew, but killing

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2528-581: The French. Kidd and his men attacked the French island of Marie-Galante , destroying its only town and looting the area, and gathering around 2,000 pounds sterling. Later, during the War of the Grand Alliance , on commissions from the provinces of New York and Massachusetts Bay , Kidd captured an enemy privateer off the New England coast. Shortly afterwards, he was awarded £150 for successful privateering in

2607-505: The Navy vessel's captain retaliated by pressing much of Kidd's crew into naval service , despite the captain's strong protests and the general exclusion of privateer crew from such action. Short-handed, Kidd sailed for New York City, capturing a French vessel en route (which was legal under the terms of his commission). To make up for the lack of officers, Kidd picked up replacement crew in New York,

2686-496: The Pyrates , published more than 25 years after the event by an author whose identity is disputed by historians, Kidd made peaceful overtures to Culliford: he "drank their Captain's health", swearing that "he was in every respect their Brother", and gave Culliford "a Present of an Anchor and some Guns". This account appears to be based on the testimony of Kidd's crewmen Joseph Palmer and Robert Bradinham at his trial. The other version

2765-809: The Seas, or, the Famous Pirate's Lament" lists "Two hundred bars of gold, and rix dollars manifold, we seized uncontrolled". It also inspired numerous treasure hunts conducted 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 ; the Thimble Islands in Connecticut and Cockenoe Island in Westport, Connecticut . Kidd

2844-578: The Smith's Cove area have included an allegedly pre-15th-century lead cross and various wooden earthworks. More than fifty books have been published recounting the island's history and exploring competing theories. Several works of fiction have also been based upon the Money Pit, including The Money Pit Mystery , Riptide , The Hand of Robin Squires , and Betrayed: The Legend of Oak Island . In January 2014,

2923-460: The William Kidd legend. David Cordingly states that "The effect of Treasure Island on our perception of pirates cannot be overestimated," and says the idea of treasure maps leading to buried treasure "is an entirely fictional device". Stevenson's Treasure Island was directly influenced by Irving's "Wolfert Webber," Stevenson saying in his preface, "It is my debt to Washington Irving that exercises my conscience, and justly so, for I believe plagiarism

3002-451: The belief that one or more pirate captains had hidden large amounts of valuables there. These excavations were said to have been prompted by still older legends of buried pirate treasure in the area. No treasure has yet been reported found. The Treasure of Lima is a supposed buried treasure on Cocos Island in the Pacific abandoned by pirates. The treasure, estimated to be worth £160 million,

3081-423: The brand-new ship developed many leaks, and he failed to find the pirates whom he expected to encounter off Madagascar . With his ambitious enterprise failing, Kidd became desperate to cover its costs. Yet he failed to attack several ships when given a chance, including a Dutchman and a New York privateer. Both were out of bounds of his commission. The latter would have been considered out of bounds because New York

3160-479: The charges of piracy on high seas and the murder of William Moore. Whilst awaiting trial, Kidd was confined in the infamous Newgate Prison , regarded even by the standards of the day as a disgusting hellhole, and was held there for almost 2 years before his trial even began. Kidd had two lawyers to assist in his defense. However, the money that the Admiralty had set aside for his defense was misplaced until right before

3239-599: The death of the father. The myth that his "father was thought to have been a Church of Scotland minister" has been discounted, insofar as there is no mention of the name in comprehensive Church of Scotland records for the period. Others still hold the contrary view. As a young man, Kidd settled in New York City , which the English had taken over from the Dutch. There he befriended many prominent colonial citizens, including three governors. Some accounts suggest that he served as

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3318-458: The east end of the Island make up the drumlin formations. There are two types of bedrock that lie under Oak Island; the southeastern portion consists of " Mississippian Windsor Group limestone " and gypsum , and the northwestern part is Cambro-Ordovician Halifax Formation slate . Oak Island and the area that is now Mahone Bay was once a lagoon 8,000 years BP , before the sea level rose with

3397-402: The effort to convict him by depriving him of the money and information which might have provided him with some legal defence. In particular, the two sets of French passes he had kept were missing at his trial. These passes (and others dated 1700) resurfaced in the early 20th century, misfiled with other government papers in a London building. These passes confirm Kidd's version of events, and call

3476-458: The extent of his guilt as a pirate into question. A broadside song, "Captain Kidd's Farewell to the Seas, or, the Famous Pirate's Lament" , was printed shortly after his execution. It popularised the common belief that Kidd had confessed to the charges. The belief that Kidd had left buried treasure contributed greatly to the growth of his legend. The 1701 broadside song "Captain Kid's Farewell to

3555-460: The first attempt, the hangman's rope broke and Kidd survived. Although some in the crowd called for Kidd's release, claiming the breaking of the rope was a sign from God, Kidd was hanged again minutes later, and died. His body was gibbeted over the River Thames at Tilbury Point, as a warning to future would-be pirates, for three years. Kidd remains were either buried in the riverbank near where he

3634-567: The following centuries. Kidd was born in Dundee , Scotland prior to 15 October 1654. While claims have been made of alternative birthplaces, including Greenock and even Belfast , he said himself he came from Dundee in a testimony given by Kidd to the High Court of Admiralty in 1695. There have also been records of his baptism taking place in Dundee. A local society supported the family financially after

3713-466: The following year. A large part of the island was owned at the time by the Monro, Lynch, Seacombe, and Young families who had been granted the land in 1759. In the early days of British settlement, the island was known locally as "Smith's Island," after an early settler of the area named Edward Smith. Cartographer Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres renamed the island "Gloucester Isle" in 1778. Shortly thereafter,

3792-572: The ingot consisted of 95% lead, and speculated that the wreck in question was a broken part of the Sainte-Marie port constructions. Oak Island Oak Island is a privately owned island in Lunenburg County on the south shore of Nova Scotia , Canada . The tree-covered island is one of several islands in Mahone Bay , and is connected to the mainland by a causeway . The nearest community

3871-498: The island or along Mahone Bay , there is one towards the west in the town of Bridgewater . The average annual temperature given in Bridgewater is 7.1 °C (44.8 °F), while the precipitation runs at 1,536.7 millimetres (60.50 in). The island and surrounding coasts can be hidden in fog for as many as 90 days a year. These coasts are also vulnerable to powerful storms which include nor'easters and hurricanes . Oak Island

3950-708: The island remains private property, public access is granted to those who schedule tours ahead of time. Oak Island has been a subject for treasure hunters ever since the late 1700s, with rumours that Captain Kidd 's treasure was buried there. While there is little evidence to support what went on during the early excavations, stories began to be published and documented as early as 1856. Since that time there have been many theories that extend beyond that of Captain Kidd which include stories of religious artifacts, manuscripts, and Marie Antoinette 's jewels. The "treasure" has also been prone to criticism by those who have dismissed search areas as natural phenomena. Areas of interest on

4029-421: The island with regard to treasure hunters include a location known as the "Money Pit", which is allegedly the original searchers’ spot. Located on the east side of Oak Island, the Money Pit is—or was—a shaft more than 100 feet (30 m) deep. According to island lore, it first drew the attention of a local teenager in 1795, who noticed an indentation in the ground and, with some friends, started to dig—only to find

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4108-645: The locally used name "Oak Island" was officially adopted for the Island. Early residents included Edward Smith in the 1760s and Anthony Vaughn Sr. in the early 1770s. In 1784, the government made additional land grants , this time to former soldiers, which included parts of Oak Island. It was not until July 6, 1818, that the original lot owners' names were mapped for the Nova Scotia Crown Lands office . Oak Island has been intermittently owned by treasure hunters ever since old legends were first published in 1857. The hunt for treasure got so extensive that in 1965

4187-529: The melting glaciers. Dr. Ian Spooner of Acadia University has stated that the current triangular swamp on Oak Island was once a cove . Analysis done of core samples taken from the swamp show that a "significant saltwater intrusion" occurred as recently as the late 1300s or early 1400s. While Spooner said that this was likely from "human manipulation", he did not rule out the possibility of an enormous storm. The first known indigenous people in Nova Scotia are

4266-602: The new Tory ministry hoped to use Kidd as a tool to discredit the Whigs who had backed him, but Kidd refused to name names, naively confident his patrons would reward his loyalty by interceding on his behalf. There is speculation that he could have been spared had he talked. Finding Kidd politically useless, the Tory leaders sent him to stand trial before the High Court of Admiralty in London, for

4345-630: The passes would provide the legal fig leaf that would allow him to keep Quedagh Merchant and her cargo. Renaming the seized merchantman as Adventure Prize , he set sail for Madagascar . On 1 April 1698, Kidd reached Madagascar. After meeting privately with trader Tempest Rogers (who would later be accused of trading and selling Kidd's looted East India goods), he found the first pirate of his voyage, Robert Culliford (the same man who had stolen Kidd's ship at Antigua years before) and his crew aboard Mocha Frigate . Two contradictory accounts exist of how Kidd proceeded. According to A General History of

4424-499: The population of other bird species, have been undertaken. The geology of Oak Island was first mapped in 1924 by J. W. Goldthwait of the Geological Survey of Canada , who interpreted the island as a composite of four drumlins . These drumlins are "elongated hills" which consist of multiple layers of till resting on bedrock and are from different phases of glacial advance that span the past 75,000 years. The layers on top of

4503-497: The river Busento in 410. The burial places of the Khazar kings ( qoruq ) and other inner Asian people were also under a rerouted river. There are a number of reports of supposed buried pirate treasure that surfaced much earlier than these works, indicating that the idea was around for more than a century before those stories were published. For example, extensive excavation has taken place on Oak Island (in Nova Scotia ) since 1795 in

4582-449: The trials start, and he had no legal counsel until the morning that the trial started and had time for just one brief consultation with them before it began. He was shocked to learn at his trial that he was charged with murder. He was found guilty on all charges (murder and five counts of piracy) and sentenced to death. He was hanged in a public execution on 23 May 1701, at Execution Dock , Wapping , in London. He had to be hanged twice. On

4661-499: The vast majority of whom were known and hardened criminals, some likely former pirates. Among Kidd's officers was quartermaster Hendrick van der Heul . The quartermaster was considered "second in command" to the captain in pirate culture of this era. It is not clear, however, if Van der Heul exercised this degree of responsibility because Kidd was authorised as a privateer. Van der Heul is notable because he might have been African or of Dutch descent. A contemporary source describes him as

4740-500: The weight of the Crown behind it, and Kidd would have been considered disloyal, carrying much social stigma, to refuse Bellomont. This request preceded the voyage that contributed to Kidd's reputation as a pirate and marked his image in history and folklore . Four-fifths of the cost for the 1696 venture was paid by noble lords, who were among the most powerful men in England: the Earl of Orford ,

4819-409: The whole plan; they sought additional funding from merchant Sir Richard Blackham . Kidd also had to sell his ship Antigua to raise funds. The new ship, Adventure Galley , was well suited to the task of catching pirates, weighing over 284 tons burthen and equipped with 34 cannon , oars, and 150 men. The oars were a key advantage, as they enabled Adventure Galley to manoeuvre in a battle when

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4898-540: The winds had calmed and other ships were dead in the water. Kidd took pride in personally selecting the crew, choosing only those whom he deemed to be the best and most loyal officers. As the Adventure Galley sailed down the Thames , Kidd unaccountably failed to salute a Navy yacht at Greenwich, as custom dictated. The Navy yacht then fired a shot to make him show respect, and Kidd's crew responded with an astounding display of impudence – by turning and slapping their backsides in [disdain]. Because of Kidd's refusal to salute,

4977-483: Was a Scottish privateer . Conflicting accounts exist regarding his early life, but he was likely born in Dundee and later settled in New York City . By 1690, Kidd had become a highly successful privateer, commissioned to protect English interests in North America and the West Indies . In 1695, Kidd received a royal commission from the Earl of Bellomont , the governor of New York , Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire , to hunt down pirates and enemy French ships in

5056-410: Was also alleged to have buried treasure on the Rahway River in New Jersey across the Arthur Kill from Staten Island. Captain Kidd did bury a small cache of treasure on Gardiners Island off the eastern coast of Long Island, New York, in a spot known as Cherry Tree Field. Governor Bellomont reportedly had it found and sent to England to be used as evidence against Kidd in his trial. Some time in

5135-439: Was also arrested and imprisoned. They were separated and she never saw him again. The conditions of Kidd's imprisonment were extremely harsh, and were said to have driven him at least temporarily insane. By then, Bellomont had turned against Kidd and other pirates, writing that the inhabitants of Long Island were "a lawless and unruly people" protecting pirates who had "settled among them". The civil government had changed and

5214-425: Was away in Boston, Massachusetts. Aware of the accusations against Kidd, Bellomont was afraid of being implicated in piracy himself and believed that presenting Kidd to England in chains was his best chance to survive. He lured Kidd into Boston with false promises of clemency, and ordered him arrested on 6 July 1699. Kidd was placed in Stone Prison , spending most of the time in solitary confinement . His wife, Sarah,

5293-479: Was declared a pirate very early in his voyage by a Royal Navy officer, to whom he had promised "thirty men or so". Kidd sailed away during the night to preserve his crew, rather than subject them to Royal Navy impressment . The letter of marque was intended to protect a privateer 's crew from such impressment. On 30 January 1698, Kidd raised French colours and took his greatest prize, the 400-ton Quedagh Merchant , an Indian ship hired by Armenian merchants. It

5372-414: Was denounced as a pirate. Bellomont engineered Kidd's arrest upon his return to Boston and sent him to stand trial in London. He was found guilty and hanged in 1701. Kidd was romanticized after his death and his exploits became a popular subject of pirate-themed works of fiction. The belief that he had left buried treasure contributed significantly to his legend, which inspired numerous treasure hunts in

5451-494: Was executed or more probably taken for the ignominious process of public dissection by surgeons a common fate for executed persons. (i.e. Hogarth's Tom Nero ) Of Kidd's associates, Gabriel Loffe, Able Owens, and Hugh Parrot were also convicted of piracy. They were pardoned just prior to hanging at Execution Dock. Robert Lamley, William Jenkins and Richard Barleycorn were released. Kidd's Whig backers were embarrassed by his trial. Far from rewarding his loyalty, they participated in

5530-405: Was loaded with satins , muslins , gold, silver, and a variety of East Indian merchandise , as well as extremely valuable silks. The captain of Quedagh Merchant was an Englishman named Wright, who had purchased passes from the French East India Company promising him the protection of the French Crown. When news of his capture of this ship reached England, however, officials classified Kidd as

5609-440: Was not permitted. Kidd said to his ship's surgeon that he had "good friends in England, that will bring me off for that". Escaped prisoners told stories of being hoisted up by the arms and "drubbed" (thrashed) with a drawn cutlass by Kidd. On one occasion, crew members sacked the trading ship Mary and tortured several of its crew members while Kidd and the other captain, Thomas Parker, conversed privately in Kidd's cabin. Kidd

5688-410: Was one of the experts leading the Indiana University diving team. He said that it was "remarkable that the wreck has remained undiscovered all these years given its location", and that the ship had been the subject of so many prior failed searches. Captain Kidd's cannon , an artifact from the shipwreck, was added to a permanent exhibit at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis in 2011. In May 2015,

5767-449: Was one of the wealthiest women in New York, based on an inheritance from her first husband. On 11 December 1695, Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont , who was governing New York, Massachusetts , and New Hampshire , asked the "trusty and well beloved Captain Kidd" to attack Thomas Tew , John Ireland , Thomas Wake , William Maze , and all others who associated themselves with pirates, along with any enemy French ships. His request had

5846-430: Was part of the territories of the Crown, and Kidd was authorised in part by the New York governor. Some of the crew deserted Kidd the next time that Adventure Galley anchored offshore. Those who decided to stay on made constant open threats of mutiny . Kidd killed one of his own crewmen on 30 October 1697. Kidd's gunner William Moore was on deck sharpening a chisel when a Dutch ship appeared. Moore urged Kidd to attack

5925-778: Was presented by Richard Zacks in his 2002 book The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd . According to Zacks, Kidd was unaware that Culliford had only about 20 crew with him, and felt ill-manned and ill-equipped to take Mocha Frigate until his two prize ships and crews arrived. He decided to leave Culliford alone until these reinforcements arrived. After Adventure Prize and Rouparelle reached port, Kidd ordered his crew to attack Culliford's Mocha Frigate . However, his crew refused to attack Culliford and threatened instead to shoot Kidd. Zacks does not refer to any source for his version of events. Both accounts agree that most of Kidd's men abandoned him for Culliford. Only 13 remained with Adventure Galley . Deciding to return home, Kidd left

6004-455: Was rarely carried farther... the whole inner spirit and a good deal of the material detail of my first chapters... were the property of Washington Irving." In 1911, American author Ralph D. Paine conducted a survey of all known or purported stories of buried treasure and published them in The Book of Buried Treasure . He found a common trait in all the stories: there was always a lone survivor of

6083-475: Was said by family acquaintances to have been "enriched by the apron". On Grand Manan in the Bay of Fundy , as early as 1875, there were searches on the west side of the island for treasure allegedly buried by Kidd during his time as a privateer . For nearly 200 years, this remote area of the island has been called "Money Cove". In 1983, Cork Graham and Richard Knight searched for Captain Kidd's buried treasure off

6162-545: Was stolen by British Captain William Thompson in 1820 after he was entrusted to transport it from Peru to Mexico. The only authenticated treasure chest in the United States, once owned by Thomas Tew , is kept at the Pirate Soul Museum in St. Augustine, Florida . Pirate Olivier Levasseur , also known as "The Buzzard" (La Buse), was rumored to have hidden treasure before his death in 1730. No such treasure has been found. During

6241-463: Was wanted as a pirate and that several English men-of-war were searching for him. Realizing that Adventure Prize was a marked vessel, he cached it in the Caribbean Sea , sold off his remaining plundered goods through pirate and fence William Burke , and continued towards New York aboard a sloop. He deposited some of his treasure on Gardiners Island , hoping to use his knowledge of its location as

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