The Historical Prototype of Wiltner in Pirates of the Caribbean

From Anti-bandit Captain to Jiang Yang Thief William Kidd {1645-1701}

Captain Kidd is the most legendary pirate in the Caribbean. In modern western pirate literature, he is a typical romantic pirate image, but his nickname is not very romantic, so he is called "Captain Kidd" in Jianghu.

Captain Kidd's private wealth is also the only pirate treasure that can be tested in history. Today, many people are tirelessly looking for the so-called Kidd treasure.

William kidd is a controversial captain.

He is a wealthy Scottish immigrant. He used to be a war hero, then became a bounty hunter, and was finally executed for piracy, but he refused to admit that he was a pirate until his death.

He is the most famous guy in the history of pirates and has the title of "King of Pirates". To this day, there are still people who are tirelessly looking for the legendary treasure belonging to Captain Kidd. His name has been repeatedly mentioned in various movies and novels, and even became synonymous with "pirates". But in fact, he is an unprecedented unlucky guy in the history of pirates, and no one is more unlucky than him. He is famous because all this once again proves the famous saying that tragedy is more shocking than comedy.

William kidd was born about 1645, the son of a priest in greenock. Like Ebri, he sailed with the ship when he was a child. When he immigrated to the United States at the age of 20, he was already an experienced and highly skilled captain. 1689 When Britain and France went to war, he was already a wealthy businessman, but he was still recruited as the captain of a pro-democracy armed ship in Wudang. In the West Indies and the Caribbean, he fought against the French, made many meritorious deeds, and even won a personal award from the Queen of England. After returning home, I got married and had children in new york, and bought real estate. (In Manhattan, there is still the former residence of Captain Kidd. Everything is so smooth, without any ominous signs.

1695, Kidd passed through London on his business trip. By chance, he was introduced by an acquaintance to the new governor of New York, Lord Irish aristocracy Belomon, and his unfortunate old age began. At that time, Britain was worried about pirates in the East. Although the East India Company repeatedly urged the Royal Navy to come, it was an Anglo-French war and the Royal Navy really couldn't come. In some cases, Belomon proposed to gather some powerful people to invest in the operation of a pro-democracy armed ship. The task of the ship is to attack the pirate ship, recapture the robbed property, let the public fight against the arrogance of pirates, and privately wash the robbed money and put it in their pockets. Why not? As for the captain, we need to find someone who is honest and reliable and has rich sailing experience. They chose Kidd, and Kidd also said that they could "try".

In June of 5438+ 10, all investors have been found. Four dignitaries, including the Minister of the Navy, jointly launched the operation. Belomon and Kidd signed an agreement in the summer, stipulating that 65% of Kidd's "income" will go to investors, Kidd himself will get 15%, and the rest will go to sailors. Kidd also got a "power of attorney for civilian ships" and an imperial decree. Among them are Henry Every and thomas tew (in fact, Thomas died a month ago, but the news didn't come). Kidd hesitated at first, but Belomon threatened him that if he didn't go to sea, he would be disloyal to the king, and the secretary of the navy promised to support him. So in 65438+February, Kidd embarked on an "adventure" journey. He was filled with joy, thinking that he had a strong backer and would succeed soon. Little did he know that the ship caused the first trouble before it sailed out of the Thames. His crew offended the Royal Navy because they behaved rudely. As a result, a large group of soldiers flocked to the boat and took Kidd's best sailors away, but Kidd had to temporarily recruit a mob and rush on the road.

For a whole year, the "Adventure" floated in the Atlantic Ocean without encountering any pirate ships, and was bullied by the Royal Navy everywhere. Kidd is in a bad mood. To make matters worse, the sailors began to complain, and some even incited everyone to be pirates. In order to stabilize the situation, Kidd was forced to sail to the Red Sea, where he secretly robbed several Indian merchant ships and distributed the property to sailors, unintentionally violating the first agreement between him and his patron, and from.

/kloc-On the night of August, 0/4, he sailed the Expedition into a "French fleet" outside the port of Muha (at least he thought so), and the Expedition began to attack the next morning. He first destroyed the main mast of a merchant ship, and then exchanged fire with the oncoming escort. To his great surprise, the other party actually raised the M flag. Unfortunately, Kidd did it.

The East India Company and the Royal Navy also submitted reports to * * *. Kidd's backstage bosses were afraid of a scandal, but no one stood up for him. The admiralty responded quickly. On the one hand, he sent a fleet to catch the adventure, on the other hand, he informed Kidd of his behavior in the colony, demanding that "the princes should catch it as soon as they saw it." Ironically, Kidd also gave a general order. Moreover, Henry Every, which he has been pursuing unremittingly, has been ranked in the top two. Kidd, who is hard to argue, can only seek non-British ports and make a living by robbery, but he always believes that with the documents in his hand, as long as he can return to England, he will definitely clarify the facts.

In this way, Kidd's fleet sailed into a small port in Madagascar in April 1, 6698. This small port is a gathering place of pirates in St. Mary's, and the pirate ship "Mocha" of Captain Robert Carver is anchored here. Naive Kidd still thinks he is a pirate catcher, and even orders to open fire on pirates, but his sailors refuse to do so. Desperate Kidd chose the latter and officially became a pirate, but he always thought he was innocent and firmly believed that "as long as he returned to England, everything would be easy."

On June 1699, 10, three years after Kidd left home, his ship docked at Oster Bay in North America, where he wrote a letter to Belomon in Boston asking for his support. Belomon readily promised to swindle Kidd to the port, and immediately ordered Kidd to be arrested and his home copied after taking back several documents that could be used as evidence.

Kidd was sent to Newgate Prison in London. Because all the evidence was taken away by Belomon, he could not prove his innocence. On the contrary, a large number of ship owners who had been robbed by him testified against him. On May 9th, 170 1, in a "formal trial", he was found guilty and hanged. In this way, the famous captain Kidd, a former naval hero, became a victim of politics. In order to warn other pirates, Kidd's body was tarred and hung by the Thames with iron rings for years. Seagulls pecked at his eyes, wild dogs barked at his rotting body, but his treasure was never found, which became an eternal legend with his bumpy legendary experience.

1701On May 23rd, Kidd London Wharf was hanged.

The rope broke the first time I went to the gallows.

But the executor ignored it and hanged him for the second time.

William kidd's body was tarred, chained, put in an iron cage and placed on the river bank to warn others who want to be pirates in the next twenty years.

There are different opinions about william kidd's deeds after his trip to the Indian Ocean.

Put yourself in his shoes. He must deal with all kinds of enemies.

Including jealous British naval officers, difficult East India Company officials and mutinous sailors.

The story that he was framed is not completely unbelievable, but the charges against him seem to be conclusive.

How much background does he have? Whether it's a patriot, a wealthy businessman, a bounty hunter, a coerced pirate or a pure pirate captain, I'm afraid no one can tell.

Today, many Scots still regard him as one of the great figures in Scottish history and a hero.

Kidd's words before his death:

When I was riding a horse at sea, everyone called me Captain Kidd.

When I was riding on the sea, I did all the bad things and broke God's law.

When I galloped on the sea, I wandered around looking for prey and burning and killing prisoners;

When I was riding a horse on the sea not far from the shore, I killed William Moore and watched him bleed to death.

Farewell, sailors, old and young, they are drinking and having fun. I have to go now. Come and find my treasure!

Farewell, beautiful Lunong Town girl. I have to go. No one will forgive me.

Goodbye, I'm leaving, suffering endlessly and being buried. ...