By Chloe Cramutola
In many parts of the world – New Jersey being no exception – tales of swashbucklers landing ashore and burying their treasure have circulated throughout history.
During the Golden Age of piracy, in the 17th and early 18th centuries, famous pirates sailed the seas including Henry Morgan, Jack Rackham, Bartholomew Roberts, William “Captain” Kidd and Blackbeard.
During these times, a multitude of politicians, businessmen and ship owners either did business with the pirates or paid them for protection. In the colonies, wealthy families invested in pirate expeditions or bought plundered loot to resell for a profit.
Brigantine pirate lore
Stepping into the Brigantine Historical Museum, located on 3607 Atlantic Brigantine Blvd., visitors can peer into the city’s intriguing past. In the back of the museum, one life-like pirate statue stands tall: it is Blackbeard with his red coat and large hat, and a parrot on his shoulder. Beside him is a glass case full of found relics, like gold coins and a small cannonball. On top of the case sits a piece of paper with two different stories detailing the context and whereabouts of Captain Kidd’s buried treasure in Brigantine.
While the museum’s historian, Tom Allebaugh, focuses on Brigantine’s history starting from the 1920s, he notes that many of the pirate stories are speculation. Still, the small pirate display in the back of the building reveals there may be some truth to Brigantine’s marauding legends and lore.
In the book, “Pirates of New Jersey: Plunder and High Adventure on the Garden State Coastline,” authors Daniel Diehl and Mark Donnelly discuss tales of pirates swarming the New Jersey coastline. In another book, “South Jersey Towns,” author William McMahon speculates that Captain Kidd’s treasure is buried in South Jersey.
Supposedly, Captain Kidd’s boat once anchored near the Brigantine Inlet, and there he and his crew lugged a treasure chest ashore. It is said that his loot is buried somewhere in the dunes.
Captain Kidd
The notorious Captain Kidd was born around 1645 in Scotland, and for many years he commanded a privateer ship, a private ship that engaged in maritime warfare under a commission of war. England had offered him this royal commission to hunt pirates and protect English ships.
However, as he continued to hunt ships, he started leaning further and further into the intoxicating grip of piracy. After navigating the Indian Ocean waters for some time, Kidd’s ship, Adventure Galley, pursued Quedagh Merchant, an Armenian ship full of gold, silk and spices. This solidified Kidd’s reputation as a pirate, and he never looked back.
While the captain controlled the sea, the courtroom became his downfall. He was arrested and hung in 1701 for piracy and murder. Soon after this, Kidd’s treasure – nearly 20,000 pounds – was dug up on Gardiner’s Island off the coast of Long Island, New York. It was left in the care of Jonathon Gardiner, who helped British authorities locate it.
After the discovery of the treasure, many questioned whether Kidd had loot stashed elsewhere – in places like Brigantine. According to legend and scattered evidence, it was the summer of 1698 when Kidd anchored near the Brigantine Inlet.
The first story, as described in the Brigantine Historical Museum, tells the tale of Kidd and his first mate, Timothy Jones. Kidd, Jones and his crewmates came ashore with a treasure chest. Supposedly, when the others went back to the ship, Kidd and Jones stayed behind to bury the chest in a new spot. A fight erupted between the two men, and Jones was killed and buried beside the loot.
The second story is a romantic one. Kidd had apparently fallen in love with a woman named Amanda, who persuaded the captain to abandon his career in piracy and settle in South Jersey. It was then that he divided his loot among the crew and buried the rest in Brigantine.
A crew member betrayed Kidd, however, and the captain had to escape to sea. According to lore, he was captured near Boston in 1699, and he was sent to England for trial.
To this day, the cache has never been found. Perhaps the tales of Captain Kidd and his buried treasure are nothing but lore. Perhaps they will remain a mystery for years and years to come. Or perhaps someone will stumble across the buried treasure and proclaim that all the stories of the notorious captain were true.
