COMING SOON
About the film
What is a hempen jig?
‘Hempen jig’ is a 17th-19th century slang term for execution by hanging. It refers to the jerking, struggling movements of a condemned person’s body suspended from a hemp rope. The executions for piracy were brutal, as hanging was done with a short rope. This meant a slow agonising death by strangulation as the drop was insufficient to break the prisoner’s neck.
Hanging at Execution Dock
Thomas Heywood's woodcut of execution, Wapping.
Execution Dock was the site of the gallows for maritime crimes. People and boats crowded the river and its banks to watch the hangings.
CAPTAIN KIDD: legendary pirate or legitimate privateer?
Find out what led to Captain William Kidd’s death and why his spirit has not ‘passed over’ and remains in the physical world.
In the film, a group of dancers are performing a jolly pirate jig to celebrate the time, hundreds of years ago, when people came to Wapping for a fun day out at the gallows – it was a form of public entertainment and a huge spectacle. But their dance stirs the ghost of Captain Kidd who haunts Execution Dock seeking revenge.
Here’s why: Captain William Kidd was convicted and executed for piracy and murder. On 23 May 1701 in Wapping, he went to the gallows protesting his innocence. He was hanged at sunset.
Kidd had been a successful privateer. He was commissioned by high-ranking politicians, businessmen and even King William III to hunt down enemy merchant ships threatening British trade. His backers would gain financially from any resulting plunder, including the King who received one tenth of the value of anything taken.
But when the tide of public opinion turned against privateers, Kidd became a convenient scapegoat. His trial was a farce and crucial evidence that could have led to his acquittal was conveniently ‘mislaid’. These vital documents eventually came to light in London in 1911, misfiled along with other government papers.
Now, after more than three hundred years, perhaps he’ll have the chance to clear his name.
An online campaign, set up by Kidd’s descendants and other supporters, seeks to rectify what they believe was a wrongful conviction and execution. They believe that clearing his name would be a symbolic act of justice for the historical injustice.
Our film - a good old-fashioned ghost story - is also a tribute to William Kidd and supports the movement to pardon him.
Pardon Captain Kidd
Join the campaign to ‘Pardon Captain Kidd’. It’s never too late to right a wrong.
READ MORE
Campaign to pardon ‘notorious pyratt’ Captain Kidd (Scottish Legal News)
Captain Kidd: A True Story of Treasure and Betrayal by Samuel Marquis, Kidd's ninth-great-grandson.
The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd by Richard Zacks, portrays Kidd as a tough, honest sea captain.
The Legend of Captain Kidd: Pirate or Hero: The Shocking Tale Of Skullduggery and Politics on the High Seas by Nicola Young and Noel Young.
Captain Kidd’s Cat by Robert Lawson (1957), narrated by Kidd’s loyal cat who portrays the captain as an innocent privateer.
Captain Kidd: The Hunt for the Truth by Craig Cabell, Graham A. Thomas, and Allan Richards delves into evidence that Kidd was “stitched up”.
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