Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos

Captain Kidd was one of the most notorious pirates to ever prowl the seas. But few know that Kidd had an accomplice, a behind-the-scenes player who enabled his plundering and helped him outpace his enemies. That accomplice was his wife, Sarah Kidd, a well-to-do woman whose extraordinary life is a lesson in reinvention and resourcefulness. Twice widowed by twenty-one and operating within the strictures of polite society in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century New York, Sarah secretly aided and abetted her husband, fighting alongside him against his accusers. More remarkable still was that Sarah not only survived the tragedy wrought by her infamous husband’s deeds but went on to live a successful and productive life as one of New York’s most prominent citizens.

Attendee Results:

• Learn the research process of how the extraordinary life of Sarah Kidd was reconstructed to give a rare example of the kind of life that pirate wives lived during the Golden Age of Piracy.
• Understand how one woman with resilience, strength and determination transformed from a New York socialite to international outlaw and then regained her agency against all odds to flourish in New York society.
• Experience a compelling true story of love, treasure, motherhood and survival.
• Be inspired to do your own historical research and find your own personal or historical treasures.