Pirate booty goes under the hammer

pirate treasure from the 17th century which can be traced back to Edinburgh has been discovered in a house where it was hidden for decades.

The wooden Bible box, King James Bible and mirror once belonged to the feared pirate William Kidd.

Auctioneer Mark Hannam, from Fieldings auction house in the West Midlands, said: “We were called to a house in the Peterborough area to do an evaluation.

And hidden under a grand piano were these items: the Bible box, Bible and mirror that were reputedly owned by Captain Kidd.

“The King James Bible is inscribed inside ‘Kidd’s family Bible, Pentland Farm, Leith Edinburgh’.”

Kidd, who it is thought was born in Dundee, was hired by the government to hunt pirates, but he became one himself.

He murdered one of his crew and captured and plundered many ships. He was hanged for his crimes in 1701.

Kidd’s life was borrowed by Johnny Depp, who based part of his character in the blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean films on him.

The three items will go under the hammer, when they are expected to sell for £1000, on Saturday.