Captain William Kid

At a Glance

• Born: 1645
• Died: 1701
• Active period: 1645-1701

A Scottish-American who captained the Blessed William, sailing the Indian Ocean, the Caribbean, and the coast of North America. He was hired by England to catch pirates, but after returning from his voyages, he was, perhaps falsely, charged with piracy himself. When he was first hanged, the noose broke, and he had to be hanged a second time. It is believed that Kidd had so much wealth from his plunder that he buried many of his riches before his death. The act of bringing on board a boy or woman was also punishable by death or marooning which contradicted Calico Jack’s practices.