From the trial records The Trial of Captain Kidd, ed. G. Brooks (London, 1930), and ‘Captain Kid’s Farewel to the Seas, or, the Famous Pirate’s Lament, 1701’, W. H. Bonner, Pirate Laureate (New Brunswick, Maine, 1947)
Captain Kidd was a respected and respectable middle-aged family man making a successful living as a sea-captain in New York when he was hired by William III in 1695 as a government-commissioned privateer, and soon after authorized to seize ‘pirates, free-booters and sea-rovers of what nature soever’ in the name of the British government. The King referred to him as his ‘beloved friend, William Kidd’. A year later, Kidd’s ship, the Adventure, committed its first act of piracy off the Malabar Coast of India; this was reported to the English government in November 1698, and a warrant was issued for Kidd’s arrest. In July 1699, protesting his innocence, Kidd handed himself in to the British authorities in Boston, represented by the Earl of Bellomont – who had been a private backer of Kidd’s expedition three years earlier. Kidd claimed that his men had mutinied and forced him to lead them in acts of piracy; his cause divided MPs and public opinion with many believing, as Kidd insisted, that there had been a miscarriage of justice. But although there were accusations that the Admiralty had suppressed evidence in Kidd’s favour, and it was clear that the trial against Kidd in the House of Commons was intended to inculpate his important backers as well as him, Kidd’s demeanour on the witness stand did him no favours. Said one MP: ‘I had thought him only a knave. I now know him to be a fool as well.’ He was convicted of murder (of one of his crew, William Moore) and piracy on 9 May 1701 and hanged at Execution Dock, Wapping, the usual place of death for pirates. The rope broke, and Kidd, still conscious but very drunk, fell to the ground before being strung up again amid the exhortations of the Ordinary for him to confess and repent.
Testimony of Robert Bradinham, surgeon on board the Adventure Galley, the ship outfitted by Kidd with Bellomont &c’s money, in the House of Commons, on 9 May 1701, in the trial of Captain William Kidd for piracy and robbery.
Kidd’s first acts of piracy:
Some time in the year 1696, about the beginning of May, I and others were with Captain Kidd, and we sailed from Plymouth, designing for New York. We went with Captain Kidd in the Adventure Galley, and there were about 70 or 80 men aboard the ship, which had thirty guns. Captain Kidd was the commander of this ship. In May 1696, we left Plymouth, and went to New York, and on the way met with the French ship, and took her. When we came to New York Captain Kidd put up articles that if any men would enter themselves on board his ship they should have their shares of what should be taken; and he himself was to have forty shares. He carried away from New York 155 men. From New York we sailed to the Madeiras, from thence to Bonavista, from thence to St Jago, from thence to Madagascar, from thence to Johanna, from thence to Mohilla, from Mohilla to Johanna again, and from thence to the Red Sea; and there we waited for the Mocha fleet. They passed us one night, and we pursued them, and went among them, but he found they were too strong for him, and was fain to leave them. We lay in wait for that fleet for about a fortnight or three weeks. As far as I know, Captain Kidd did not lie in wait for any French effects in that fleet, but only for the Moorish fleet. By the Moorish fleet I mean the natives of India, the Mahometans. Kidd said he intended to make a voyage out of them. We lay in the mouth of the Red Sea, where several sail of ships may lie. During the first night there Captain Kidd sent his boat three times to Mocha, to see if they could make any discovery. The two first times they could make none; but the third time they brought word that fourteen or fifteen ships were ready to sail. Accordingly they came, and we sailed after them, and fell in with them, and Captain Kidd fired at them. What colours the boats had I cannot tell. When Captain Kidd had fetched them up, he found they were under convoy, and so he left them. Captain Kidd fired divers guns at the Mocha fleet.
After we left the Mocha fleet we set sail for the Malabar coast, and on the way we took a ship that Captain Parker was commander of, between Carawar and the Red Sea. She was a Moorish ship; she came from Bombay, and Captain Parker was the master. Captain Kidd took out Parker, and a Portuguese for a linguister. By linguister I mean an interpreter. Kidd also took out of her a bale of coffee, a bale of pepper, about twenty pieces of Arabian gold, and ordered some men to be taken and hoisted up by their arms, and drubbed with a naked cutlace. He did this to make them confess what money they had. The men whom he treated thus were not Frenchmen, but Moors. While we were at Carawar the English factory sent for Captain Parker and the Portuguese, but Kidd denied that he had any such persons on board, for he kept them in the hold. Then we went to sea, and that night we met with a Portuguese man of war. The next morning we came up with her, and the Portuguese first fired at Captain Kidd, and he at him again; they fought four or five hours. Captain Kidd had ten men wounded.
We then went to the coast of Malabar, to one of the Malabar Islands for wood and water, and Captain Kidd went ashore, with several of his men. He plundered several boats, burnt several houses and ordered one of the natives to be tied to a tree, and one of his men to shoot him. One of Kidd’s men, that was his cooper, had been ashore, and some of the natives had cut this man’s throat, and that was the reason Kidd ordered his men to serve this man so. Then we came back again to the Malabar coast and cruised; and in October 1697, Kidd killed his gunner, William Moore. Some time in November Kidd took a Moorish ship belonging to Surat: there were two Dutchmen belonging to her, the rest were Moors. Captain Kidd chased this ship under French colours; and when the Dutchman saw that he put out French colours too. And Captain Kidd came up with them, and commanded them on board; and he ordered a Frenchman to come upon deck, and to pretend himself captain. So this commander comes aboard, and comes to this Monsieur Le Roy that was to pass for the captain, and he shows him a paper, and said it was a French pass. Captain Kidd said, ‘By God, have I catched you? You are a free prize to England.’ We took two horses, some quilts and other things, and the ship he carried to Madagascar.
In December 1697, he took a Moorish ketch; she was taken by the boat. We had one man wounded in taking of her. Our people took the vessel ashore, and Captain Kidd took out of her thirty tubs of sugar, a bale of coffee, and then he ordered the vessel to be turned adrift. On 20th January 1698, Captain Kidd took a Portuguese that came from Bengal; he took out of her two chests of opium, some East India goods and bags of rice. He kept this Portuguese ship about seven days; he kept her till he was chased by seven or eight sail of Dutch, and then he left her. Some time in January, Captain Kidd took the Quedagh Merchant; he gave her chase under French colours. He came up with her, and commanded the master aboard, and there came an old Frenchman in the boat. After he had been aboard a while he told Captain Kidd he was not the captain, but the gunner; and Captain Kidd sent for his captain on board his ship. He was an Englishman named Wright. He was sent for aboard, and he came; and Captain Kidd told him he was his prisoner. He ordered his men to go aboard and take possession of the ship, and disposed of the goods on that coast, to the value of £7000 or £8000. On board this ship there were Captain Wright, two Dutchmen, a Frenchman and some Armenians; the rest were Moors. Captain Kidd told the Armenians they should be ransomed if they made an offer that he liked of; so they offered him 20,000 rupees. He told them that was but a small parcel of money, and the cargo was worth a great deal more. I was informed by Captain Wright that the cargo belonged to these Armenians. Kidd sold some of the goods on the coast and shared the money out amongst the crew. Each of the prisoners at the bar had a share. Captain Wright came aboard Kidd’s ship. I am sure that Captain Wright was an Englishman.
While Captain Kidd was off this part of the coast he boarded several ships, and took out of them what was for his turn. As to the people he traded with, some of them came aboard several times, and he traded with them; but some of them came aboard when he was going away, and he plundered them, and sent them ashore without any goods. These people were Mahometans. They had dealt with him before considerably. He took from them about 500 pieces of eight. I saw it told afterwards. We went to Madagascar afterwards, and by the way met with a Moorish ship, and took out of her several casks of butter, and other things…
When we came to Madagascar there came a canoe to us with some Englishmen in her; they were formerly acquainted with Captain Kidd, and they told him they had heard that he was come to take them and hang them. They belonged to the Mocha Frigate. Captain Culliford was the commander; and there were some white men in her that had formerly been acquainted with Captain Kidd. They heard that he was come to take them, and hang them. He told them it was no such thing, for he was as bad as they. They were pirates. Captain Kidd assured them it was no such thing; and afterwards went aboard with them, and swore to be true to them. He took a cup of bumbo1 and swore to be true to them and assist them; and he assisted this Captain Culliford with guns, and an anchor, to fit him to sea again…
At Madagascar the goods were divided among us. When we came there Captain Kidd ordered the goods to be carried ashore, and shared; and he had forty shares himself.
Captain Kid’s Farewel to the Seas,
or,
the Famous Pirate’s Lament, 1701.
My name is Captain Kid, who has sail’d [who has sail’d],
My name is Captain Kid, who has sail’d;
My name is Captain Kid,
What the laws did still forbid
Unluckily I did while I sail’d [while I sail’d, etc.].
Upon the ocean wide, when I sail’d, [when I sail’d],
Upon the ocean wide, when I sail’d,
Upon the ocean wide
I robbed on every side,
With the most ambitious pride, when I sail’d.
My faults I will display while I sail’d, [while I sail’d],
My faults I will display while I sail’d,
My faults I will display,
Committed day by day
[A line lost.]
Many long leagues from shore when I sail’d, [when I sail’d],
Many long leagues from shore when I sail’d,
Many long leagues from shore
I murdered William Moore,
And laid him in his gore, when I sail’d.
Because a word he spoke when I sail’d, [when I sail’d],
Because a word he spoke when I sail’d,
Because a word he spoke,
I with a bucket broke
His scull at one sad stroke, when I sail’d.
I struck with a good will when I sail’d, [when I sail’d],
I struck with a good will when I sail’d,
I struck with a good will,
And did a gunner kill
As being cruel still when I sail’d.
A Quida merchant then while I sail’d, [while I sail’d],
A Quida merchant then while I sail’d,
A Quida merchant then
I robbed of hundreds ten,
Assisted by my men, while I sail’d.
A banker’s ship of France, while I sail’d, [while I sail’d],
A banker’s ship of France, while I sail’d,
A banker’s ship of France
Before us did advance:
I seized her by chance, while I sailed.
Full fourteen ships I see when I sailed, [when I sailed],
Full fourteen ships I see when I sailed,
Full fourteen ships I see
Merchants of high degree;
They were too hard for me when I sailed.
We steered from sound to sound while we sailed, [while we sailed],
We steered from sound to sound while we sailed,
We steered from sound to sound,
A Moorish ship we found;
Her men we stripped and bound while we sailed.
Upon the ocean seas while we sailed, [while we sailed],
Upon the ocean seas while we sailed,
Upon the ocean seas
A warlike Portuguese
In sport did us displease, while we sailed.
At famous Malabar when we sailed, [when we sailed],
At famous Malabar when we sailed,
At famous Malabar
We went ashore, each tar,
And robbed the natives there, when we sailed.
Then after this we chased, while we sailed, [while we sailed],
Then after this we chased, while we sailed,
Then after this we chased
A rich Armenian, graced
With wealth, which we embraced, while we sailed.
Many Moorish ships we took while we sailed, [while we sailed],
Many Moorish ships we took while we sailed,
Many Moorish ships we took;
We did still for plunder look;
All conscience we forsook while we sailed.
I, Captain Culliford, while I sailed, [while I sailed],
I Captain Culliford, while I sailed,
I, Captain Culliford,
Did many merchants board,
Which did much wealth afford, while we sailed.
Two hundred bars of gold, while we sail’d, [while we sail’d],
Two hundred bars of gold, while we sail’d,
Two hundred bars of gold
And rix dollars manifold
We seized uncontrolled, while we sailed.
St John, a ship of fame, when we sailed, [when we sailed],
St John, a ship of fame, when we sailed,
St John, a ship of fame
We plundered when she came,
With more than I could name, when we sailed.
We taken was at last, and must die, [and must die],
We taken was at last, and must die,
We taken were at last
And into prison cast:
Now, sentence being past, we must die.
Tho’ we have resigned while we must die, [while we must die],
Tho’ we have resigned while we must die,
Tho’ we have resigned awhile,
While fortune seemed to smile,
Now on the British isle we must die.
Farewel the ocean main, we must die, [we must die],
Farewel the ocean main, we must die,
Farewel the ocean main:
The coast of France or Spain
We ne’er shall see again; we must die.
From Newgate now in carts we must go, [we must go],
From Newgate now in carts we must go,
From Newgate now in carts,
With sad and heavy hearts,
To have our due deserts we must go.
Some thousands they will flock when we die, [when we die],
Some thousands they will flock when we die,
Some thousands they will flock
To Execution Dock,
Where we must stand the shock and must die.