Pirate Tales

Captain William Kidd

     The most famous pirate associated with South Jersey is Captain William Kidd. Captain Kidd was born in Greenock, Scotland. He was hired to fight pirates and eventually became a pirate himself. Kidd came to Brigantine in 1698. He buried a treasure chest in a sand dune in Brigantine. Later he returned with his crew and his first mate Timothy Jones. They dug up the treasure. Jones and Captain Kidd fought and Kidd killed Jones. Kidd buried Jones with the treasure. Supposedly the treasure is still buried in the sand in Brigantine.

     In 1699, Kidd also buried a treasure at Cape May Point. It is believed that the treasure is still there. There is one more story involving Captain Kidd and South Jersey. While waiting for his ship to be repaired, Kidd met and fell in love with a woman from Barneget named Amanda. Kidd decided he wanted to settle down with Amanda and leave the pirating life behind him. He decided to become a fisherman. Needing money to start a new life, Kidd stole treasure from his crew. He buried the treasure in the vicinity of Oyster Creek. The crew found out about Amanda and the stolen treasure. The crew fled to New York and told authorities about the whereabouts of Captain Kidd. Three British vessels discovered Captain Kidd near the mouth of the Little Egg Harbor River and were about to capture him. Kidd somehow escaped the vessels and made it to open waters. In May 1701, Kidd was captured off the coast of New England. He was brought back to England and hanged. No one knows what became of Amanda and the treasure.