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
  - Murder, Torture, Rape, Theft, Destruction

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