In the 17-18th centuries he was employed by the British government to help stop piracy on the high seas, but he turned to piracy himself, was caught and executed in England. Who was he?

The story of this Scottish sailor is a classic tale of a hero turned villain, or perhaps a man who was simply a victim of politics. Initially, William Kidd was a respected privateer, a type of state-sanctioned sailor authorized by the British government to attack enemy ships. In the 1690s, he was commissioned to hunt down pirates and French vessels in the Indian Ocean, a mission backed by some of the most powerful men in England.

However, his voyage was fraught with disaster. After failing to find many legitimate targets, his frustrated crew grew mutinous. To appease them and recoup his investors' money, Kidd made the fateful decision to capture the Quedagh Merchant, a large ship sailing under French protection but carrying a vast treasure belonging to influential figures. This act blurred the line between privateering and outright piracy, and it made powerful enemies for Kidd back in England.

Believing he could clear his name, Kidd returned to the American colonies, but his political patrons had already abandoned him. He was arrested in Boston, shipped back to London, and put on trial. In a highly politicized case, he was found guilty of piracy and murder and was hanged at Execution Dock in 1701.

His legend lived on, largely fueled by the persistent rumors of buried treasure he was said to have hidden before his capture. While most of his fortune was recovered, the myth of Captain Kidd's lost treasure has captivated hunters and storytellers for centuries, cementing his place as one of history's most infamous pirates.