Captain Kidd Timeline

The timeline showing who-what-where-when demonstrates that the events in the life of Captain William Kidd do not support the story you have been told.

Early Events

Before the 1696 Journey

• 1654 Birth in Dundee, Scotland
• 1689 Sailor onboard Sainte Rose/Blessed William - a privateer ship in West Indies
• Feb 1689 - crew with 110 Frenchmen, 7 British, 1 Scott
• July 1689 - Kidd leads the British to take over the ship when the French attack lead an attack on an English port
• Aug to Jan 1689 - Kidd & Co fought for British in Carribean, Kidd commands Blessed William
• Feb 1690 - Culliford stole ship & crew from Kidd to become a pirate
• Dec 1690 - Culliford sails Blessed William to New York, then leaves on a larger ship
• Feb 1691 - Kidd arrives in New York City as owner/commander of Antigua
• 1691 - married wealthy Sarah Oort, large house on Wall Street

London, 1695

The Plan

• Sails to London with hopes of getting commission in the British Navy
• Approached to be the captain of a new warship and private venture
• Governor of New York and four lords of the British court are the financial backers
• Adventure Galley is built with oars per Kidd's recommedation; allowing ship to sail when others are becalmed
• King William issues two commissions to Kidd:
• “Commission of Reprials” allowing him to attack any French ship (This was during Nine Year War between Britain and England)
• Commission to hunt pirates
• Names of anonymous court backers are left off of commission - though they will get a percentage of the take.
• (Kidd reported to another captain that he became suspicious of the terms and wanted out. He was threatened with the loss Antigua if he bailed.

Journey to East Indies

1696-1699

• Preparations before leaving New York: April to September 1696
  • April 1696 Adventure Galley leaves Plymouth, England to sail for New York
  • GET DATES - Signs sailors in New York on No Purchase/No Pay agreement
  • Sept 1696 - Adventure Galley leaves New York City
• Voyage to Indies - Sept 1696 to January 1698
  • Oct 8, 1696 - reaches Madeira Islands west of Europe
  • Dec 19 1696 - escapes from the Royal Navy Windsor, commanded by Commodore Warren, who wanted 30 men from Kidd. Warren subsequently claimed Kidd was a pirate.
  • Jan 28, 1997 - reaches Madagasgar
  • Aug 15?/ 1997 - Capt Barlow of Scepter fires shots at them near Mocha/Red Sea
  • Aug 28, 1997 - takes Captain Parker and Portugese interpreter from Mary
  • Sept 3, 1997 - Reaches Carawar
  • Sept 13, 1997 -Chased by Portugeses ships
  • Oct 7, 1997 - refused to dock for water and wood in Callicut
  • Oct 15ish - boarded by Howe of the Loyal Captain
  • Oct 30, 1697 - Kidd throws bucket at the gunner William Moore during conflict about Moore's mutinous plan to attack Dutch ship. Moore dies from head injuries.
  • Nov 18, 1997 - takes Rouparelle/November near Callicult
  • Jan 30, 1998 - near Cochin Adventure Galley seizes Qudah Merchant (an Armenian ship employed by French at the time)
• Wintering Near Madagascar April to September - stuck off Madagascar due to seasonal winds and currents
  • Arrived in St Mary's island off of Madagascar in April
  • Culliford's crew already there
  • Careen ship on "Careen Key"
  • Almost all of Kidd’s crew joined the pirates because they had taken so few ships.
  • June 16, 1698 - Culliford sailed north
  • Kidd abandoned the Adventure Galley and Rouparelle/November since he didn't have the crew to sail three ships
  • Late Sept - sailed out in Qudah Merchant/Adventure Prize
  • Also that month
    • Culliford captures Great Mohammed, pilgrim ship
    • 60 women raped

    Reaction in India and England

    • Reaction in India
      • Qudah Merchant - Kidd had shown his commission to the captain, who reported to India that the British king had authorized the seizure - angry reaction
      • Great Mohammed - fury when Culliford's pirates raped and tortured
      • India responded by imprisoning the British and ordering the East India Company to depart
    • Nov 23, 1668 Order from London to seize Kidd
    • Dec 8, 1668 Pardon for all pirates but Avery and Kidd issued

    Westward Return

    September 1698 to June 1699

    • St Mary’s to Tulear (SW Africa) to Annobon
    • Caribbean - March to May
    • March 1699 - Reached Anguilla island and discovered he had been branded a pirate
    • sailed to St Thomas, Mona, and Santa Catalina Islands, changed ships, resupplied
    • bought St. Antonio and sold Qudah Merchant/Adventure Prize
    • May 15, 1699 left Caribbean to return to New England
  • May 26, 1699 Culliford’s crew made it to Cape May ahead of Kidd
  • New York - June -July
  • June 3, 1699 - Kidd reached Cape Henlopen in St. Antonio
  • June 9, 1699 - docked St. Antonio on Oyster Bay
  • June 11, 1699 - met with his lawyer James Emott, who traveled to Boston on his behalf
    
  •         same day - sailed to agreed meeting place on Block Island
  • June 15, 1699 - sailed to Narragansett Bay to see Thomas Paine.
  • June 17, 1699 - sailed to Gardiner's Island, left goods
  •         same day - returned to Block Island
  • June 24, 1699 - receives letter from Bellomont; writes and sends letter to him
  • June 25, 1699 - reunited with wife, Sarah, on St. Antonio
  •         same day - returned to Gardiner's Island, leaves chest
  • July 1, 1699 - sails for Boston

  Arrest, Imprisonment, Trial, Execution

  July 1699 - May 1701

  • July 3, 1699 - met Bellomont in Boston
  • July 6, 1699 - arrest in Boston arrest
  • March 1700 - sailed on Advicee, from Boston to England
  • April 1700 - arrived in England in April
  • April 1700 to May 1701 - prisoner in Newgate
  • April 23, 1701 (est) - charged with piracy
  • May 7, 1701, late evening - lawyer assigned to case
  • May 8, 1701 - trial without lawyer or access to evidence
  • May 23, 1701 - Hung