Captain Kidd was born in Dundee, Scotland about 1654. He resided in Massachusetts where he owned a large house and first began his career as a privateer. He would not have become famous except that he was ultimately known as a pirate on the high seas.
Although most people think of privateers as pirates, they were not. The privateer engaged in maritime warfare under the commission of war. As robbery was a common aspect of seaborne trade, all merchant ships carried arms. Hence, during wartime, a sovereign or delegated authority issued Letters of Marque. Such authority included attacking foreign vessels as prizes. Captured ships were subject to condemnation and sale under the “prize law” when the proceeds were divided by percentage between the privateer’s sponsors, shipowners, captains, and crews. Also, a percentage share went to the issuer or sovereign.
Privateering allowed sovereigns to raise revenue for war, while privateers benefited as fortune hunters.
Captain Kidd, who began his career with Letters of Marque, took his first prize in 1689. It was a French vessel that he renamed the Blessed William. Kidd sailed into New York where he married a wealthy widow. His riches enabled him to become well-connected, especially when he became friends with Lord Bellomont, the Governor of New York. It was Lord Bellomont who suggested that Kidd be given a privateering contract that would allow him to attack pirates or French vessels on the open seas. His friends, in their excitement, funded the expedition. In May of 1696, Captain Kidd was given a 34-gun ship called Adventure Galley. But, after eighteen months at sea, Kidd had not encountered a French ship. His crew spoke of mutiny.
The luck of Captain Kidd did not change until January 20, 1698, when he captured the Queddah, a Moorish ship with cargo. The Queddah was a vessel owned by Armenians but captained by an Englishman named Wright. When Kidd sold off and divided the cargo, he maintained that the vessel had French papers.
Ultimately, Kidd had troubles, when several crew members signed affidavits against him in Charleston, South Carolina. The charges were that he had abandoned them on an island. Such affidavits served as evidence against Captain Kidd in the death of James Moore, for which he was hanged on May 23, 1701.
Researchers might be interested to know that the above affidavits are online and available to members of southcarolinapioneers.net