For 40 years, Corunna has celebrated Captain Kidd.
As the St. Clair Township community marked the anniversary, we took a look at who Kidd was.
Though his end was grim, Captain Kidd’s story has become legend, one of high seas adventure, betrayal, treasure, and rebellion.
Captain William Kidd (1645–1701) was a Scottish privateer — a kind of legal pirate —originally commissioned by the English crown to protect shipping interests in the Thirteen Colonies and the West Indies. A seasoned sailor and respected commander, Kidd captained numerous vessels and fought against enemies of the crown and suspected pirates.
However, his career took a dramatic turn when political tensions and maritime mishaps placed him on the wrong side of history. After failing to deliver on his mission and allegedly seizing a valuable Indian ship chartered by Armenian merchants, Kidd was branded a pirate by the British government. The capture, considered a diplomatic disaster, pushed his reputation into dangerous waters.
Kidd’s crew began to abandon him in favour of other captains operating under the law. In an attempt to clear his name, Kidd planned to return to New York, hoping to secure a pardon under the recently issued 1698 Act of Grace. Unfortunately, the act specifically excluded him from clemency.
Kidd, now aware that he was a wanted man and that his ship, the Adventure Prize, was a wanted vessel, disposed of it in the Caribbean Sea, sold off his remaining loot, and traveled long, roundabout paths before arriving in New York. But fate was not on his side.
New York Governor Richard Bellomont, a previous investor in Kidd, feared being implicated in the scandal. To protect his own reputation, Bellomont lured Kidd to Boston under false promises of a pardon, only to have him arrested upon arrival.
He was imprisoned and sent to stand trial before the High Court of Admiralty in London, for the charges of piracy on high seas and murder. He was found guilty on all charges (murder, and five counts of piracy) and sentenced to death. On May 23, 1701, at London’s Execution Dock, Kidd was hanged. In a twist befitting a pirate tale, the rope snapped during the first attempt. He was hanged again minutes later, this time successfully.
Captain Kidd Days in Corunna marked its 40th anniversary with a four day event earlier this month.
by Randi Palmer