The value at that time, in July of 1699, put Kidd’s treasure at 5,453.6 British pounds. It was a strategic way of paying for war costs and subduing the enemy at the same time. Legends say that he buried his treasure along the coasts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The whereabouts of William Kidd's treasure was a mystery to many. They were displeased and began undermining Kidd’s credibility. Captain Kidd was a real pirate! At first he thought that he might be dreaming, for Hell Gate was a place of such repute that one might readily have bad dreams there, and the legends of the spot passed quickly through his mind: the skeletons that lived in the wreck on Hen and Chickens and looked out at passing ships with blue lights in the eye-sockets of their skulls; the brown fellow, known as “the pirate’s spuke,” that used to cruise up and down the wrathful torrent, and was snuffed out of sight for some hours by old Peter Stuyvesant with a silver bullet; a black-looking scoundrel with a split lip, who used to brattle about the tavern at Corlaer’s Hook, and who tumbled into East River while trying to lug an iron chest aboard of a suspicious craft that had stolen in to shore in a fog. Kidd temporarily boxed-up his sexton and settled into land-based businesses. Captain Kidd's treasure chest is the most sought-after bounty on the coast. Lion Gardiner moved his wife, children, and a few workers to the island and began subsistence farming. My suspicion (and that’s all it is) is the British Crown was okay with getting currency from Kidd and didn’t worry about the manufactured artifacts. DEFUND (ELEMENTS) OF THE POLICE — BUT LET COPS BE COPS, BESIDE THE ROAD — NEW BASED-ON-TRUE-CRIME SERIES BOOK #4, THE TRUE STORY ABOUT WHO REALLY STOLE JFK’S BRAIN, WHY IT TAKES SO LONG TO MAKE A CORONAVIRUS VACCINE, WHY CASEY ANTHONY GOT AWAY WITH MURDERING HER DAUGHTER, FROM THE SHADOWS — NEW CRIME BOOK RELEASE FROM GARRY RODGERS. What an intriguing, fascinating and educational blog post. Thanks, Debbie. Captain Kidd, a Scottish privateer, was tried and hung in 1701 for piracy. In 1639, he bought the island from the chief of the Montaukett tribe for (reportedly) “a large black dog, some powder and shot, and a few Dutch blankets”. Though it is 200 feet up the cliff, inaccessible either from above or below, and weighs many tons, still, as pirates and devils have always been friendly, it may be that the corking of the cave was accomplished with supernatural help, and that if blasts or prayers ever shake the stone from its place a shower of doubloons and diamonds may come rattling after it. Whether Kidd ever visited the island is unknown, but there is a story, backed up by considerable evidence, that a Captain Jonathan Chase found a large treasure on the island, killing his helper and burying him during the recovery. The king is persuaded by Kidd that the captain of The Twelve Apostles was that pirate, who has disappeared with its treasure. Back in the days before the American Revolution, a black man called Mud Sam, who lived in a cabin at the Battery of New York City, was benighted at about the place where 100th Street now touches East River while waiting there for the tide to take him up the Sound. But the legend of his remaining treasure lives on, and there may be some real truth to folklore that the bulk of Kidd’s bounty was never seized by authorities. This is one of your best, Garry! The 1701 broadside song Captain Kid's Farewell to the Seas, or, the Famous Pirate's Lament lists "Two hundred bars of gold, and rix dollars manifold, we seized uncontrolled". I wonder if you heard of the McGinnis story of finding 3 boxes of treasure on Oak Island back in 1795? The 1701 broadside song "Captain Kid's Farewell to the Seas, or, the Famous Pirate's Lament" lists "Two hundred bars of gold, and rix dollars manifold, we seized uncontrolled". It told of his disdain for decency and his bloodthirsty character, and was eventually taught to the crew of Edward Kenway's ship, the Jackdaw, by its captain. Captain William Kidd fell for it, and he was arrested on July 6, 1699, as soon as he set foot on Massachusetts land. (Last Privacy Policy Update July 2020), Byways & Historic Trails – Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History, Snow Bound, Alone, and Surrounded by Wild Varmints. It takes no less than half a dozen ghosts to guard what is hidden in Money Hill, on Shark River, New Jersey, so there must be a good deal of it. The same couldn’t be said for precious stones or man-made artifacts embedding their beauty in artwork. The engagement was peaceful. This pissed off the Indian Grand Mughal to no end. No, Captain Kidd was a gentleman of high status who got sucked into the job by the British King and got screwed in the end. No, the Gardiners are more in line with the names Forbes, Rockefeller, Astor, and DuPont. This belief made its contributions to literature in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Gold-Bug"; Washington Irving's "The Devil and Tom Walker"; Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island and Nelson DeMille's Plum Island. The Treasure Hunt in New Jersey. Estimators say the island property is worth several billion dollars, and no one publically knows the Gardiner family fortune’s mass. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Legends, Ghosts, Myths and Mysteries Main Page. His goods were now gone, and he loudly complained to the British High Commission that, in turn, reported back to the King. (ONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS MAKING YOU WANT TO PUNCH SOMEONE IN THE FACE). You probably don’t need to look further than those privy to Kidd’s treasure on Gardiners Island—the Lion Gardiner family. Kidd was a wary sort, so he took treasures from the Quedagh Merchant’s cargo that could be easily converted into negotiable currency—gold, silver, gems, and elaborate jewelry and ornaments. There was a piece in The Hampton speculating that the Long Island Historical Foundation would dearly love Gardiners Island because it’s a close to pristinely preserved land as there is. In recent years there has been an ongoing expedition to recover the treasure and other artifacts from the wreck of the Adventure Galley near Madagascar.Adventure Galley was the ship used by William Kidd when he decided to quit hunting pirates and become one himself. WAS PRINCESS DIANA REALLY A HOMICIDE VICTIM? Kidd was born in New York, began his naval career as a chaser of pirates, became a robber himself, was captured in Boston, where he was ruffling boldly about the streets and was hanged in London in 1701. It was an interesting research, and I hope other folks will get some good from it. After 319 years, Captain William Kidd speaks out about the conspiracy and events that labeled him a pirate rather than the successful privateer that he was, and ended in a trial and execution steeped in injustice. Kidd hit Moore on the head with an iron-strapped bucket, and Moore died the next day of a brain injury. On the other hand, this was the first chance Kidd’s crew had at getting paid, and they threatened to cut Kidd adrift if he didn’t seize the ship and its contents. The figure leaped into the pit that had been dug, and blue flames poured out of it. He was also a shrewd operator. By Charles M. Skinner, 1896. Here, Captain William Kidd arranged with the Gardiners to offload treasure and bury it on Gardiners Island. I’ve never though of teaching schoolkids, but I’ve done quite of bit of adult instruction. A year passed. The shore for several hundred feet around Dighton Rock, Massachusetts, has been examined, for it was once believed that the inscriptions on it were cut by Kidd to mark the place of burial for part of his hoard. William Kidd (c. 1654–May 23, 1701) was a Scottish ship’s captain, privateer, and pirate. Your email address will not be published. He was going home late from the tavern when a light in a pine thicket caused him to turn from the road. Captain William Kidd Gardiner’s Island, New York, a famous rendezvous for pirates, is the only place known to have been used as a bank of deposit, for in 1699 the Earl of Bellomont recovered from it 783 ounces of gold, 633 ounces of silver, cloth of gold, … That proved problematic. Library of Congress. I appreciate this. AGES: 3-10 (Separate areas for 3-4, 5-7, 8-10 Year Olds) Captain Kidd yarns and the treasure seeking craze do not begin to account for the development of the claims of the miraculous discovery of the golden plates, etc. Once Kidd was doomed, the remaining crew disbursed what was left and burned the ship. Kidd wasn’t a swashbuckling Johnny Depp—Jack Sparrow character, nor was he a homicidal psychopath like Blackbeard or Black Bart. Captain William Kidd Stories had been in existence since the 1600’s that Captain William Kidd had buried a hoard of treasure to be found on an island “east of Boston”. Exactly what was buried or how many burial spots Kidd used remain unknown. Quest of the treasure of Capt. Quest of the treasure of Capt. Improve this question. Crucifixes? Realizing that the Adventure Prize was a marked vessel, he cached it in the Caribbean Sea and continued toward New York aboard a sloop. Why aren’t you teaching history? He retired to his chamber and made his will, but on learning that a new street had been run across his farm and that it would presently be worth ten times as much for building-lots as it ever had been for cabbages, he leaped out of bed, dressed himself, and prospered for many a day after. Lucky treasure seekers will follow Captain Kidd to his secret site in search of the elusive buried treasure. BTW, the island is patrolled by a private security force who chase off lookie-loos – at least those that come closer to land than an ox can wade without getting its belly wet. Your email address will not be published. I’m a retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police homicide detective and investigator with the British Columbia Coroners Service. INTERCONNECT — FINDING YOUR PLACE, PURPOSE AND MEANING IN THE UNIVERSE. At Lion’s Rock, near Lyme, Connecticut, a part of his treasure is said to be under the guard of a demon that springs upon intruders unless they recite Scripture while digging for the money. Searchers found within it a heavy chest, which they were about to lift when one of the party — contrary to orders — spoke. During Kidd’s capture, there was reportedly a reference to his buried treasure. Children’s escape party print and play. Kidd’s Treasure. He died in 2004 with no biological heirs. William Kidd is already a clever, ruthless pirate when, in 1699, he tricks the king into commissioning him as escort for a treasure ship from India. Wow! And religious figurines? Kidd’s Treasure. He weighed anchor in September 1696 in the Adventure Galley, a 284-ton hybrid ship equipped with sails and oars as well as 34 cannons. The bar is said to be from the wreckage of Capt Kidd's ship, the Adventure Galley Underwater explorers in Madagascar say they have discovered treasure belonging to the notorious 17th-Century Scottish pirate William Kidd. Captain Kidd was born in Scotland in 1645 and had a long and colorful career as a privateer and pirate, working the coast of the American colonies, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. On January 30, 1698, Captain Kidd and the Adventure Galley finally found a victim. The ship had a written pass from the French East India Company and all was in good order. Legend told of a dying sailor in the New England Colonies who confessed to being a part of Kidd’s notorious crew, but he never named an exact location for the hidden booty. Captain Kidd was in a quandary, for sure. This event is free and open to children ages 3 – 10 years old. Burying treasure, too, was almost entirely unheard of, impractical, and counter-productive as such a practice would tend to be. William Kidd started out as a privateer, hired by European royals to attack foreign ships. Gardiner’s Island, New York, a famous rendezvous for pirates, is the only place known to have been used as a bank of deposit, for in 1699 the Earl of Bellomont recovered from it 783 ounces of gold, 633 ounces of silver, cloth of gold, silks, satins, and jewels. Monhegan Island, off the Maine coast, contains a cave, opening to the sea, where it was whispered that treasure had been stored in care of spirits. From the time Kidd was a kid and could put on boots and a slicker, he was onboard sailing ships that crossed the Atlantic. It also gave impetus to the constan… The Rock Hill estate in Medford, Massachusetts, was plagued by a specter that some thought to be that of a New Hampshire farmer who was robbed and murdered there, but others say it is the shade of Kidd, for iron treasure chests were found in the cellar that behaved like that on the Piscataqua River, sinking out of sight whenever they were touched by shovels. Our cookies are delicious. Old Gardiner even got the King to sign-off on foreshore rights with the interesting measure of owning all sea shore out from land “as far as a large ox can wade before his belly gets wet”. Thank you! Captain Kidd Maps. 7,147 33 33 gold badges 76 76 silver badges 117 117 bronze badges. One of the most famous lost pirate treasures may have just been found. Throughout Kidd’s time on this three-year privateer voyage, he firmly believed he was acting according to his royal Commission and his noble backers would soundly support him. Plum Island Map: Harold Wilkins' maps were quite clearly drawn by him, but contain transcriptions of instructions on maps that were in a file in the possession of a group of dilettante treasure hunters that came to light in the 1920s. The pirate who, before the action of the story begins in 1727, buried treasure in the swamp near which Tom Walker and his wife live. Kidd’s gold has been sought for 200 years. HAS MADELEINE MCCANN’S MURDERER FINALLY BEEN CAUGHT? I wonder what happens to the island and (alleged) treasure once the niece dies. Shortly after Captain Kidd died, the Gardiner family showed signs of unusual income. He arrived at Catalina Island off the south side of the Dominican Republic in late 1698. Over the years, the heads of the Gardiner dynasty (who got a royal peerage “Lord of the Manor”) held lavish parties on Gardiners Island. In a clearing among the trees, pervaded by a pale shine which seemed to emanate from its occupants, a strange company was playing at bowls. Once I found this story, I knew it had to be shared. With Charles Laughton, Randolph Scott, Barbara Britton, Reginald Owen. Legends persist about Captain Kidd and the treasure some believe he buried in the Caribbean, and he remains one of history's most famous and fascinating pirates. After 319 years, Captain William Kidd speaks out about the conspiracy and events that labeled him a pirate rather than the successful privateer that he was, and ended in a trial and execution steeped in injustice. Candlesticks? Misery Islands, near Salem, Massachusetts, were dug over, and under spiritual guidance, too, for other installments of Mr. Kidd’s acquisitions, but without avail. The peerage “Lord of the Manor” is a man-thing so the chain was broken with Robert Lion Gardiner’s death. The arrangement was still profitable for Kidd and his crew, provided they could locate plunderable targets. The buried treasure of Captain Kidd is one of the greatest myths of modern times. THE PSYCHO-BATES MOTEL ON VANCOUVER ISLAND, THE MOOSE HIDE CAMPAIGN—ENDING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN & CHILDREN. It is a projecting knob, like a bung closing an orifice, which is believed to conceal a cavern where the redoubtable captain placed a few barrels of his wealth. Still on the Thames, Kidd’s Adventure Galley passed a British Naval frigate whose commander knew not of Kidd’s mission. Now, I’m a best-selling crime writer and blogger here and with the HuffPost. The British Lords decreed (with the King’s royal assent) that all goods aboard French, Spanish, and pirate vessels could be commandeered for the financial benefit of the Crown. Kidd’s treasure was inventoried, forfeited to the British Crown, and entered as evidence during his trial for murder and piracy. They acquired large land tracts and secured lucrative lending arrangements. Maybe this wealth is what really became of Captain Kidd’s buried treasure. Part of Kidd’s defense strategy was to offset his predicament by buying his way out. As you reach the shore, climb onto the nearest rocks and jump from them onto the wreck on the right. Captain Kidd is long dead. Lion Gardiner was a British immigrant to Connecticut. Kidd was wrong. , Your email address will not be published. A broadside song Captain Kidd’s Farewell to the Seas, or, The Famous Pirate’s Lament was printed shortly after his execution enhancing his legend and that of his buried treasure. He was simply a victim of changing times when France and Spain were tiring of war and their interests in the Indian Ocean dried up. Kidd cautiously approached the American Atlantic coast in June 1699. 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