Question of the Day: Trinity's Very Own Pirate?

Dear Archivist,
I am a descendant of Captain William Kidd (1645-1701) who was active in the building of Trinity Church before he became a pirate! I understand there is a plaque to his memory in the churchyard. Do you have a reference to this? We were frequent visitors to the church when we lived in NY, but were unaware of this possibility until now.
-John and Anne

Dear John and Anne,
There is no plaque commemorating Captain Kidd in our churchyard. In our Vestry Meeting Minutes from January 6, 1982, it is noted in the Rector's report that:

"Captain Kidd, the infamous pirate who died on the gallows, was never a Vestryman of Trinity Parish in spite of the claim made by "Ripley's Believe It or Not." He was on the pew list of 1696 and lent equipment for raising stones of the first Trinity Church. Since Captain Kidd left New York in September of 1696, two years before Trinity held its first service, he never worshipped in the church."

The associations noted in this resolution are the only ones Trinity has with Captain Kidd, and are the only record of his involvement with Trinity.

--The Archivist

The Secret History of New York

Trinity Wall Street’s archives go back to 1695, making them an excellent resource for students of history--as well as those who want to shape the future. Trinity’s Archive was made fully accessible for the first time in 2003. In addition to its own history, Trinity’s records shed light on the development of the Episcopal Church and the Dioceses of New York. As landowner since 1705, its archives detail the stories of the New York neighborhoods now known as Tribeca and the West Village. Trinity's congregants have included Alexander Hamilton and John Jay; among its tenants were Aaron Burr and John Jacob Astor.

Check out the Guide to Archives for information on accessing the archive. I'll answer frequently asked questions on this blog, and post some of the interesting things I come across in my work.

--The Archivist