Captain Kidd, a Jersey Shore Pirate

"Yargh! Me orders to you are to travel from seaport to filthy seaport in search of stolen treasure! A Black Spot be upon ye who lays me to rest near a place without water! Wherever the wind may blow across the mighty seas and rivers, bring me there, and pirates gold will be Yours... for a time...."

This Pirate Travel Bug was launched at the Jersey Shore. The most famous pirate to ever trawl the New Jersey waters was the notorious Captain Kidd.It was cold and rainy on the morning of May 23, 1701 in London, England; perfect weather for an execution. The convicted, William Kidd, was lead to the gallows, defiant to the end. The noose was placed around his neck and the wood block kicked out below him. But, instead of a hanging body, only the dangling end of a rope appeared above the gallows. The rope had broken and Kidd had fallen below to the ground. Unlike in the movies, this was not looked upon as an act of divine providence. It was looked upon as a sign of a poorly strung rope. Kidd was promptly brought back to the gallows platform and the ritual was repeated. This time the rope held, and the career of the most famous, and probably ineffective, pirate in history died. The end of Kidd's life was only the beginning of his legend, for what most people remember him for are not his adventures, but his legendary buried treasure.Although many places in New Jersey have been advanced as the site of Kidd's hidden treasure, four have a particularly strong claim. One site is Cape May, where pirate and other ships often stopped because it was a source of fresh water. Another possible location is an island that was located at the mouth of the Toms River an area that provided protection for pirates from the ocean elements. A third area is Sandy Hook, near where Kidd anchored on his final voyage in Raritan Bay. This spot where the treasure was supposedly buried was marked by a grove of pine trees. These trees vanished long ago, as well as all memories of where they once stood. Probably the most famous and plausible burial site was just north of Sandy Hook near Whales (Wales) Creek, which today is the Southeast border of Middlesex and Monmouth counties. Just off the shoreline was a small island where some 17th century Spanish gold coins were found. This island became known as Money Island, and was located off the coast where Cliffwood Beach is today. It has long since disappeared under the eroding waters of the Raritan Bay, aided by extensive excavation over the centuries. Just inland from this location is a small body of water once called Duck Pond, but now known as Treasure Lake, where some additional gold coins were found. This is another nearby possible site of Kidd's treasure. What is not a legend, and cannot be disputed, was the existence of two gigantic elm trees, which were known as Kidd's Rangers. One was at the mouth of Matawan Creek, in Keyport, and stood until the turn of this century. The other was located at Fox Hill, now known as Rose Hill, which was 30 to 40 feet higher then now (It is an interesting coincidence that Rose Hill became a cemetery in the early 1700's and is considered one of the most haunted cemeteries in New Jersey). These trees, according to legend, acted as range markers to guide Kidd back to his buried gold, and Cliffwood Beach is centered between these two markers when sailing west from Long Island. Horner confirms the existence of these trees, and remembers seeing the one at Matawan Creek in his youth.