“No pen could describe it, nor tongue express it, nor thought conceive it unless by one in the extremity of it.” – Daniel Defoe, The Storm
The Great Storm, a force two hurricane with wind speeds of up to 95 miles per hour, hit the south of England and Wales on 26th November 1703, the strong winds finally abating on 28th November. The Church of England declared that the storm was God’s retribution for the sins of the nation and it couldn’t have hit at a worse time. That year saw the greatest concentration of both naval and merchant shipping on the British coast to that date. Due to The War of Spanish Succession merchant ships were forced to travel in escorted convoys for safety against the attacks of French privateers. Three such convoys were anchored in Milford Haven, the Kentish Downs, and the estuary of the Humber when the storm hit.…
William Kidd, better known as Captain Kidd, had an very unfortunate career. He is believed to have been born into a poor seaman’s family in Dundee, Scotland in around 1654, later settling in New York. Not much else is known about his early life except that he took to the seas like his father before him. Although active in the grey area of privateering, it is likely that he never intended to adopt a life of piracy and was simply a victim of circumstances.
As all ships in the Age of Sail were made of wood a carpenter was essential, whether on a naval, merchant, or pirate ship. A ship’s carpenter was responsible for keeping the vessel afloat, making necessary repairs, and plugging holes. Carpentry was an extremely useful skill on board any ship and good carpenters were highly valued, especially on a pirate ship, which couldn’t just sail into a port for repairs. In the navy they were usually qualified shipwrights. They didn’t always have to be an able seaman, but were expected to pull and haul when required, although they probably spent most of the time carrying out repairs and generally maintaining the ship. On most vessels the carpenter usually answered directly to the boatswain.