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b'We\\u2019re back with new episodes on New Year\\u2019s Day, but, before we finally turn our backs on 2023 for good, here\\u2019s Olly\\u2019s choice for his favourite episode of the year - our story from 23rd May, the day in 1701 when sea captain William Kidd was executed for piracy and murder.\\xa0\\nFrom the gallows, Kidd proclaimed to the large assembled crowd that he was innocent of the crimes, as he was a licensed privateer.\\xa0\\nThe vessel he\\u2019d captured, the Quedagh Merchant, was indeed sailing under a \\u2018French pass\\u2019 \\u2013 though the documents that prove this lay unearthed until the 20th century. His trial was used by the governing Tory party as a political opportunity to embarrass his Whig sponsors, and he was convicted on all counts.\\nIn this episode, The Retrospectors explain what happened to his body after his botched hanging; reveal the extraordinary monetary value of his plunder; and explain how, despite his established prowess as a seaman, he became seen as a public enemy\\u2026\\nFurther Reading:\\n\\n\\u2018Biography of Captain William Kidd, Scottish Pirate\\u2019 (ThoughtCo, 2019): https://www.thoughtco.com/captain-william-kidd-2136225\\n\\n\\n\\u2018The sacrifice of Captain Kidd\\u2019 (HistoryExtra, 2011): https://www.historyextra.com/period/stuart/the-sacrifice-of-captain-kidd/\\n\\n\\n\\u2018Accidental Pirate\\u2019 (National Geographic, 2008): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4aGvWzFoko\\n Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices'