Site Where Captain Kidd was Held Prisoner - Old Prison - Boston, MA - Pirates on Waymarking.com

In Boston's Financial District, about a block west of the Old State House, is a white building with massive columns on the front. To the left, by the corner, is a plaque for the Old Prison, which used to stand on that location.

The plaque states the following:

"The first prison in Boston stood on this site, close to the center of government and trade in the early settlement. In the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne describes its appearance: 'The rust on the ponderous iron-work of its oaken door looked more antique than anything else in the New World...But on one side of the portal, was a wild rose-bush.

"Did you know? Captain Kidd was brought here in 1699 after he was captured, and before he was shipped to England to be executed."

As with many of these pirate stories, the truth behind these legends is murky at best. The Wikipedia article indicates that he may have been actually a Privateer seizing French ships and property. I won't try to elaborate on the facts - that is for some other waymark to present. Here, I'll lay out some of the details and circumstances of his capture.

Captain Kidd was born as William Kidd in Scotland in 1654. In 1695, Governor Bellowmont, then in control of New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, requested Kidd to command a ship to attack other men known to be pirates and also French ships. Kidd obtained a new ship, the Adventure Galley. On the way from London to New York, his ship captured a French ship, which was legal under his commission. He had sailed around the Cape of Good Hope, but, though he had a few skirmishes, he was not very successful. On the way, he killed William Moore, one of his gunners. According to English Law, captains had a lot of leeway in how they treated their crew, but murder was not generally allowed. The incident involved Moore talking back at Kidd for not attacking a Dutch ship, and Kidd throwing an iron bucket at Moore which struck him, where he died of a fractured skull a day later. His greatest prize was an Armenian ship, the Quedahg Merchant, which Kidd had deemed legal since it had French passes (protection from French attack) on it.

But, many men who escaped Kidd began to tell tales of his brutality and the legend grew. However, Kidd's luck changed when all but 13 of his crew abandoned him for another captain, Culliford, and ship, the Mocha Frigate. He sailed back on the way back to New York. Kidd, however, learned that he was wanted as a pirate. He stopped in the Caribbean and boarded a sloop to continue the journey. Bellomont was afraid of being implicated in Kidd's accusations and decided that the best thing was to present Kidd to England in chains, himself. So, Bellomont led Kidd to believe that he would try to get clemency for him in Boston. Kidd was, instead, arrested on July 6, 1699. Kidd was locked up in the stone prison for over a year, in harsh conditions that likely made him insane. His wife was also locked up. He was shipped to England and brought before the Parliament. He was tried and found guilty of one count of murder (Moore) and five counts of piracy. He was hanged on May 23, 1703 - after two attempts.

Nothing is left of the old prison. In its place is a building that was once a courthouse and is now used for commercial purposes. But the sign is there to remind us of where Captain Kidd once slept here - against his will.

Site Description: Historical Marker Date of Pirate Activity (Estimated): 1695-1699 Reference Web-link or Book Title: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Kidd Site Admission (If needed): 0 Hours Available (If needed): Sign is available on public walkway. Additional Information (optional): One thing that can be done is to get on a tour ferry that has an interpreter giving the histoy of Boston Harbor, especially Nix's Mate, a rock outcrop that was the site where pirates were hung in effigy to warn what happens to pirates if they are caught.

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