Townsend Talks – The Pirate’s Wife: The Remarkable True Story of Sarah Kidd
Join us for a talk by historian and journalist Dr. Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos on her compelling portrait of Sarah Kidd in The Pirate’s Wife: The Remarkable True Story of Sarah Kidd. Before he was executed in 1701, Captain William Kidd was one of the most notorious privateers on the seas. But few know of his wife Sarah, whose life is a lesson in survival, resilience, and resourcefulness. Operating within the structures of polite society in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century New York and the limitations placed on women, Sarah aided and abetted her husband, fighting alongside him against his accusers: she helped construct the narration he presented in his defense, ensured he was taken care of in jail, tirelessly worked to help secure a pardon, and even tried to help plot an escape. Dr. Geanacopoulos offers a fascinating glimpse into the golden age of piracy from the perspective of a historical figure who navigated tragic and turbulent events, managing to always find her own agency within the oppressive structures of colonial America.
Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos is an American women’s historian with a special interest in maritime history. She has published two nonfiction books: The Pirate’s Wife; The Remarkable True Story of Sarah Kidd (Hanover Square Press) and The Pirate Next Door: The Untold Story of Eighteenth Century Pirates’ Wives, Families and Communities (Carolina Academic Press). Prior to these works, she was a freelance journalist and published over 40 articles in newspapers and magazines. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Southern Living, Virginia Business and other outlets. Daphne holds a Doctor of Liberal Studies and a Master in Liberal Studies from Georgetown University.
Townsend Talks is a monthly lecture series in which speakers from Long Island and around the country offer fascinating insights into history, decorative arts, architecture, horticulture, and other fields that connect with our site and our mission. Lectures are $20 for museum members, $25 for nonmembers, and $10 for students (with ID) unless otherwise noted. The program begins in the Visitors’ Center, and light refreshments are included.