happy? - May 23

Subject: happy? - May 23
From: Abby Sale
Date: 23 May 05 - 07:10 AM

5/23/1701: Capt. William Kidd (born c.1645) was hanged for 5 counts of piracy and one of murder - of his gunner, Willie Moore. (Apparently pretty unfairly; Kidd was a licenced privateer and Moore was doing mutiny.) Richard Coote, earl of Bellomont, signed an agreement with Kidd & Kidd's sponsor, Robert Livingston at London 10/10/1695 giving King William and Mary half of all profits that may be reaped in the Indian Ocean venture, the other half to be divided between Lord Bellomont, Kidd, and Livingston. Who'd have thought? The aristocrats stole from Kidd and got him arrested and hanged.

        "Oh my name was Robert Kidd, as I sailed, as I sailed..."

The tune, and particularly the verse pattern, of this song is familiar as: "Samuel Hall", "Jack Hall" (chimney sweep), "Davey Lowston," "Admiral Benbow", "The Praties They Grow Small", and the American hymn, "Wonderous Love, etc.")

It seems that the historical Jack Hall and Kidd were hanged about the same time and their respective songs appeared about the same time a few years later. It thus becomes impossible to say which was the chicken or if they were both eggs of some other unknown chicken.

Copyright © 2005, Abby Sale - all rights reserved