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When Captain William Kidd was captured in Boston in 1699 and sent back to London to await his trial, it was rumored that he left behind a great treasure. Kidd was tried, found guilty, and hanged at Execution Dock the following year, but throughout the process he continued protesting his innocence, and declaring that if freed he would lead his captors to his treasure. Whether the treasure actually existed or not is anyone's guess, but people have been searching the rivers and shores of New England for Kidd's secret stash since the 1700s, and continue to do so to the present day. Benjamin Franklin even wrote about it in 1729, saying, “You can hardly walk half a mile out of the town on any side without observing several pits dug … there seems to be some peculiar charm in the conceit of finding money.”
In Palmer, Massachusetts in 1849, two boys claimed to have found a bottle wedged in a ledge of rocks. Upon opening the bottle, they discovered a letter that appeared to have been written by Captain Kidd to John Bailey, Esquire, claiming that Kidd was being held as a pirate and was waiting to be taken to England. Kidd asked Bailey to come to Boston, but if Bailey did not arrive before he left, he wanted to let him know that his treasure was buried on Conant's Island, in Boston Harbor, in two chests that contained gold, silver, jewels, and diamonds. He continued on to say that they were buried about 4 feet deep, with a flat stone placed on top of them, and a pile of stones nearby to mark the place, which was about 60 rods up the side of the hill. The letter, as it turned out, did appear to have been written around 1700, as the seal on the bottle appeared to have been that old, and the information contained in the letter as well as the style of the writing all pointed to it being an actual Kidd letter. Unfortunately, the area of Conant's Island 60 rods up the side of the hill had been washed into the sea during the 150 years between the writing of the letter and its discovery, so it seemed likely that the sea had claimed the treasure
Governor's Island was taken down in the 1920s to create Logan Airport. It was a high green island, conspicuous in all views of the upper harbor, and had lied within two miles of Long Wharf and less than a mile from Castle Island. Governor's Island was first known as Conant's Island, probably in honor of Roger Conant, a conspicuous citizen of Hull. In 1632, the Colony granted the island to John Winthrop, the Governor of the infant State. It was then called Governor's Island, and its annual rent was placed at a hogs-head of wine that should be made thereon; and afterwards two bushels of the best apples there growing, which meant the resourceful Winthrop secured an exemption until such time as his vineyard or orchard became productive. As to the apples, one bushel was to be given to the governor of the Colony, and another to the legislature: so he thus secured for himself one-half of his own tribute.
As the finding of a letter signed Robert Kidd, created a great excitement in Palmer, and was commonly believed to be a genuine document, and is still thought to be genuine by well-informed men, it is given a place in these annals. (*The following statement, and copy of the letter, are taken from a paper prepared by Frederick T. Wallace, Esq.) One morning in February, 1849, rather exciting word was brought into the Depot Village on the Boston and Albany railroad, that a singular and remarkable document or letter had been found by the side of "The Old Road," on the farm of one Samuel Shaw, by his son and his cousin, the son of a Dr. Gardiner Shaw, two young men, one about twenty, the other perhaps eighteen years old, who had been out the day before with their dog in pursuit of rabbits. Having run one under a shelving ledge of rocks, they sought to dislodge him by enlarging the aperture, so that the dog might enter, or if practicable, to draw him forth with the hand. Removing a loose stone, one of the young men thrusting in his arm, his hand came in contact with a small glass bottle, or rather, perhaps, a large vial. Drawing it forth, and seeing that it contained a roll of paper, they became very much excited and curious to learn what, if anything, was written thereon. The vial was hermetically sealed with a cork made of sheet lead, closely and tightly pressed in, with a cap of the same material over all, and wound tight around the neck by a small wire or cord, somewhat after the manner in which sea-faring persons prepare communications to be thrown overboard in time of distress, hoping the same may be washed upon some distant coast. Going to the house on the side, and nearest the highest part of the rocky mountain heretofore described, and not many rods from the place of their find, they uncorked the vial and attempted to withdraw the paper, but the scroll having loosened from its coil after its insertion through the small neck, filling it full, they found it impracticable to obtain the paper intact, and were necessitated to break the glass. There were two pieces of paper in the vial; the outer one bore merely a postscript, but upon the inner one there was written what follows:
Originally posted by timetothink
Ooo.....I can be in Boston in three hours!
Who has diving gear?
"TO JOHN BAILEY, Esq., of New York: Sir -- I fear we are in a bad situation, we are taken for pirates, and you must come to Boston as soon as you get this; there is no one here I can depend on - the man who brings this to you cannot read it, he knows nothing what is in it - you must come as soon as you get it, or I may not see you before I am carried to England. It I do not see you I will tell you where the money is, for we have plenty of that if it will do any good. It is buried on Conant's Island, in Boston Harbor, on the northwest corner of the island in two chests, containing from fifteen to twenty thousand pounds sterling, in money, jewels and diamonds. They are buried about four feet deep with a flat stone on them, and a pile of stones near by. There is no one that knows where it is but me now living, as Dick Jones and I hid it when part of our men were in Boston and the rest were asleep one night - it is about sixty rods up the side hill. I want to see you before we are carried to Old England, if possible - if not, you must get all the witnesses in my favor, and the best of counsel to help you. I want you to see Col. Slaughter and John Nichols and James Bayard and Capt. Houson and Edward Teach, and all that can do me any good; say nothing to them about the money or that I have wrote to you. You know my old friends in New York, and who will help me. That Moore scrape is the worst part of my case. I think my interest with Lord Bellamont, and my two commissions and some French papers I have with me, and my men running away to the pirates to Culiford, and other things are in my favor. All may be safe yet; they think I have got money buried down at Plymouth or that way somewhere, they don't think it is so near Boston; but they shan't have my money and life too; don't fail to come to me as soon as you get this. I enquired the best way by land to New York, and told him to go to Worcester and then to Quabog [Brookfield], an Indian town where Maj. Willard fought the Indians; there is a pond and a stream leading to Connecticut river, and down to Hartford by water to New York, and to give this to you himself. Say nothing to him about me or that you ever saw me - but come without fail, or if I am gone to England, be there as soon as as possible. Secure the money and diamonds before you come, as my money will do a great good for us - it will buy a great many great people and all the poor I want in my favor. Keep dark in New York, say nothing to any but my friends - don't fail to be in Boston before I am carried to England, as I can tell you more than I can write, and better what I want. I told the man that brings this to you, if he met with any trouble or was taken by the Indians, to hide his papers in some safe place where he can find them if he got away. I will put them in the glass, for if he should get them wet or anything should happen to him they will be safe. I can't think of anything more to write now, but will tell you all when you come. They keep me well and are kind to me here. This is from your friend ROBERT KIDD Boston, 1700-1. N.B.
- Come soon, without fail, and I will tell you more and all about the money. It is on Conant's Island, about three miles down the Harbor of Boston - they don't think it is so near Boston; but you must keep dark here - say nothing to any one here about me till you see R. Kidd"
Originally posted by Soloprotocol
Who was John Bailey Esq....Any information on him
Originally posted by charlyv
reply to post by IAMTAT
Thanks for posting it. I know ATS goes a bit bonkers if you quote too much external text. I had already quoted a lot so I linked it.
Did Astor Find Captain Kidd's Riches? Here's a True Story Stranger than Any Fiction — of Pirate Gold and the Birth of a Famous Fortune
"Mr. Astor," the senator began, "my client, Mr. Olmsted, has come to you on a matter of extreme importance and delicacy. He has indisputable proof that the Astor estate was not founded, as you and all the world have been led to believe, on your great-grandfather's profits in furs."
"Well, senator," smiled Mr. Astor, "on what was it founded?"
"On the buried treasure of Captain Kidd!"
Originally posted by IAMTAT
THIS is a fascinating story that the Astor fortune was founded upon the discovery of Kidd' treasure.
Did Astor Find Captain Kidd's Riches? Here's a True Story Stranger than Any Fiction — of Pirate Gold and the Birth of a Famous Fortune
"Mr. Astor," the senator began, "my client, Mr. Olmsted, has come to you on a matter of extreme importance and delicacy. He has indisputable proof that the Astor estate was not founded, as you and all the world have been led to believe, on your great-grandfather's profits in furs."
"Well, senator," smiled Mr. Astor, "on what was it founded?"
"On the buried treasure of Captain Kidd!"
Read on...
www.libertymagazine.com...
Originally posted by Lostmymarbles
The location of the airport at that spot might have been done for the purpose of finding that treasure had it actually existed. And if it did, they would have found it during the excavation of the land.
From the look of the maps it looks as if the airport is completely over where the island use to be, with maybe a small portion of it in the sea.
That letter that was found by the boys would have been in the news and others would have been alerted to its supposed location of the treasure. Though if it wasn't found then it might still be out there but good luck swimming near an airport with a metal detector. You'd be lucky if your not shot on sight for being a potential terrorist or something. Airport security can be a bit scary.
Nice find and story, that would be an awesome treasure hunt. 2 chests full of loot would be a nice retirement