Kidd
WILLIAM, an American pirate; born probably in Greenock, Scotland. He is supposed to have been the son of a worthy Covenanting minister.
The lad went early to sea, saw much hard service privateering against the French, and gained a high reputation for stubborn courage, and in 1691 a reward of $900 from the council of New York City. At this time the American colonies were supposed to be nests of the India Bellomont, 8 govern etts with s the pest. d out by and given French anuary, the chie but ere lon t Captain of pirate uise he re a few mon go to Bos to Englan racy, foun ation Dock ad buried s Island, ed, amoun where to S mat. BorD service 1888 wa German e ris, and C foreign of e minist Rumanis il bis doct deat red all of H Busing a ged to se concessions en for a re Morocco. act of for uman bei ting orga T, situate on their Yis from ut two an to five o layer of , the righ ng somewh terior suri fiat. ne genus ean is P. an, the sca scarlet ru ots are no KIDERLEN pirates who_infested the Indian Ocean, and Coote, Earl of Bellomont, was sent out by William III. as governor of New York and Massachusetts with special instructions to suppress the pest. A ship of 30 guns was fitted out by a private company in London and given to Kidd to act against the French and capture pirates. In January, 1697, he reached Madagascar, the chief rendezvous of the pirates, but ere long reports reached England that Captain Kidd was playing the game of pirate himself.
After a two years' cruise he returned to the West Indies, and a few months later had the temerity to go to Boston. He was arrested and sent to England, where he was tried for piracy, found guilty, and hanged at Execution Dock, London, May 24, 1701. He had buried a store of treasure on Gardiner's Island, off Long Island, which was seized, amounting with what was found elsewhere to $70,000.