'Deadman's Island' map hoax and Cerris Francis' claims debunked

[Carl-NC]

For the fifth time of asking, Have you ever written a published book yourself.

Please, tell him no. I'm dying to see his response.

 

[Oak Island Sage]

Please, tell him no. I'm dying to see his response.

Hi Carl-NC, his reluctance to answer is predictable, like your response to the question I put to you.

I will ask you for the second time, if someone put false defamatory/libellous remarks about you in the public domain what would be your own response? It's a fair and simple question, and I'm dying to see your response.

Oak Island Sage

 

[Cryptid1990]

"Ye Mainland" depicted on the map refers to the coast line that runs from Meisner Point right up north to the East River area. This place called Meisner Point is (where as stated on the map) "Spaniards cut logwood", it lies ten miles to the east of Oak Island directly across Mahone Bay, Oak Island is a mile long so measure it out and go see for yourself on a Google map. This finally conclusively completely authenticates the map as the last signed and dated map drawn by Captain Kidd in 1699.

Wrong again. "Ye Mainland" does not even appear on the original (parchment) map. It was added by Snow in 1946.

Here is the original map:

Here is Snow's version (1946):

Snow changed the text from "The Mainland" to read "Ye Mainland".

As Mr Snow stated clearly that he had no idea where the island was located, so how could he know that these things and places even existed, try and answer that. How could Mr Snow possible know about the things drawn on the Deadman Island map itself (like the triangular pond, the fresh water stream that run north down from the apex though a swamp to a cove and an anchorage), each thing were found to actually exist in precisely the same positions on Oak Island, no Mr Snow didn't fake anything and it would appear that you have besmirched his memory for nothing.

This is confirmation bias. You cherry-picked a few similarities but ignored the massive amount of dissimilarities.

For example, where is the massive hill or mountain on Oak Island? Where is there a river and river tributaries? Or where are there two small islands near Oak Island (see top right and top left of map)? You ignore all those profound differences, and many more.

This map clearly depicts a river (and tributaries), a large hill or mountain, and two smaller islands.

Care to explain?

Cherry-picking is the behavioural manifestation of confirmation bias. While confirmation bias is the unconscious mental filter that makes us prefer, seek out, and interpret information that aligns with our beliefs, cherry-picking is the physical act of actively selecting only those agreeable facts while ignoring contradictory evidence.

Aka fallacy of incomplete evidence.

 

[Cryptid1990]

You haven't yet named your mysterious expert in palaeography but if he actually exist what did he say specifically with regards to the clear signature of Captain William Kidd, it's on the dated 1699 Deadman Island map that he and John Ware signed?

The original (parchment) map does not have any signatures on it. The signatures were added by Snow in 1946. Did Captain Kidd have a time machine to travel to the future? I did not show Snow's map drawn in 1946 to the expert (who I personally know), only a reproduction of the original parchment. Kidd and John Ware's signatures are not on the original map. Have you looked at the original map?

 

[Carl-NC]

I will ask you for the second time, if someone put false defamatory/libellous remarks about you in the public domain what would be your own response? It's a fair and simple question, and I'm dying to see your response.

It's happened to me many times, right here on these forums. I just ignore it.

 

[Oak Island Sage]

The original (parchment) map does not have any signatures on it. The signatures were added by Snow in 1946. Did Captain Kidd have a time machine to travel to the future? I did not show Snow's map drawn in 1946 to the expert (who I personally know), only a reproduction of the original parchment. Kidd and John Ware's

Wrong again. "Ye Mainland" does not even appear on the original (parchment) map. It was added by Snow in 1946.

Here is the original map:

View attachment 2256545

Here is Snow's version (1946):

View attachment 2256546

Snow changed the text from "The Mainland" to read "Ye Mainland".


This is confirmation bias. You cherry-picked a few similarities but ignored the massive amount of dissimilarities.

For example, where is the massive hill or mountain on Oak Island? Where is there a river and river tributaries? Or where are there two small islands near Oak Island (see top right and top left of map)? You ignore all those profound differences, and many more.

View attachment 2256547

This map clearly depicts a river (and tributaries), a large hill or mountain, and two smaller islands.

Care to explain?



Aka fallacy of incomplete evidence.

signatures are not on the original map. Have you looked at the original map?

View attachment 2256550

Hi Cryptid1990, Let met first reiterate that any person devoid of integrity can take a copy the Deadman Island map that was signed by Captain Kidd and alter it. It is a very simple procedure, first you Tipex out what you don't want, then replace things like Ye with The and alter the compass etc.
You next photocopy this altered version and present it as originally drawn by a deceased writer who is not alive to object so he can't sue his accuser of fraud for libel.
If you look closely (at what you persistently falsely claim is Mr Snow's altered version which you posted) you can see the still see the faint outline of the ships flag where the attempt to cover it has not been done well. Now perhaps you can explain why Mr Snow would ever want to erase the ship, the scull and cross bones, and most importantly Captain Kidd's signature, that is totally illogical, but that don't matter too much to you does it.

There is no massive hill or volcano drawn on the maps or even exist on Oak Island, what is shown on Captain Kidd's signed map was an explanation of the nine feet high (man made) ridge of earth three hundred feet long that forms the base of the huge triangular pond. This reservoir was excavated to a depth of around twelve feet and the sides built up, and the remains of it are still there.
With regards to the two small island to the north east, it's actually one island called "Frog Island" that has a channel though it which would make it appear as two islands, check out Google earth. What you call rivers are small streams that were there before the modern searcher excavations say in 1940.
If you have not actually consulted (and named) a professional expert in Palaeography to examine Captain Kidd's writing and signature, then you should not claim or imply that you have, an unnamed friend's opinion is not sufficient to constitute clear proof. You can't fool all the people all of the time.

For the sixth time of asking, Have you ever written a published book yourself?

Oak Island sage

 

[Oak Island Sage]

It's happened to me many times, right here on these forums. I just ignore it.

Carl-NC, I am proud to be a Grand Rank Freemason, if you know any Freemason I am sure that they will concur that a person's integrity is a corner stone of Freemasonry, and it is always a requisite requirement for admission into the honourable fraternity.
This may not seem important to you Carl but it is to me, and I don't like to see someone continually tarnish the memory of a deceased writer who can't defend himself, in my view that is despicable and abhorrent.

Oak Island Sage

 

[releventchair]

Carl-NC, I am proud to be a Grand Rank Freemason, if you know any Freemason I am sure that they will concur that a person's integrity is a corner stone of Freemasonry, and it is always a requisite requirement for admission into the honourable fraternity.
This may not seem important to you Carl but it is to me, and I don't like to see someone continually tarnish the memory of a deceased writer who can't defend himself, in my view that is despicable and abhorrent.

Oak Island Sage

Are you proud to be arrogant too?
Most Masons don't advertise for arguments sake. Let alone rank ; unless coming out of the closet to other Masons.

Speaking of Masons...

[ Freemason prank in 1862. Historian Joy A. Steele and retired marine geologist Gordon Fader found that a Freemason named JB McCully fabricated the island’s treasure narrative in an article, making it the fifth such account since 1858, while the earlier four mentioned no sensational discoveries mysterylores.com. This suggests the “treasure” story was invented or exaggerated by Masonic circles.

From Prank to Legend​

Masonic lore quickly intertwined with the myth. The “Money Pit” depression, first reported in 1795, became a site for ritual-like digging, with tools, symbols, and even a stone cipher stone (“Forty Feet Below Two Million Pounds Are Buried”) echoing Freemasonry’s Royal Arch degree www.oakislandarchives.com. Famous figures like U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and actor John Wayne were linked to the island, and many early diggers were Freemasons Center for Inquiry. Skeptics like Joe Nickell have argued the entire legend is an allegorical Masonic ritual, not a real treasure hunt Center for Inquiry.

Industrial Reality Under the Legend​

While treasure hunters imagined buried gold, researchers uncovered that Oak Island was actually a covert British industrial site for pine tar from the 16th to 17th centuries, producing a commodity so valuable it was called “the golden tar” mysterylores.com. Artifacts found — such as U-shaped kiln structures and stone walls — are likely from this tar production, not gold. The island was not deserted; records show activity as early as 1753 mysterylores.com.

Why the Myth Endures​

The Masonic connection gave the hunt a sense of mystery and ritual, appealing to those seeking hidden knowledge. Over time, the hoax evolved into a cultural phenomenon, inspiring books, TV shows, and treasure-hunting expeditions. Even today, some find gold in nearby rivers, but the bulk of the “treasure” remains symbolic — a Masonic allegory disguised as a real-world mystery mysterylores.com+1.

In short: The Oak Island treasure hunt began as a Masonic prank, became a Masonic ritual, and was later overlaid with industrial history, creating a legend that persists far beyond its original hoax.]

 

[Cryptid1990]

Carl-NC, I am proud to be a Grand Rank Freemason, if you know any Freemason I am sure that they will concur that a person's integrity is a corner stone of Freemasonry, and it is always a requisite requirement for admission into the honourable fraternity.
This may not seem important to you Carl but it is to me, and I don't like to see someone continually tarnish the memory of a deceased writer who can't defend himself, in my view that is despicable and abhorrent.

Oak Island Sage

Edward Rowe Snow was widely accused of hoaxes and forgeries when he was alive and no one denies he was a raconteur who heavily embellished stories in his books. I can provide a few examples of the suspected hoaxes:

Fort Warren's 'Lady in Black'

Author, photographer and artist Jay Schmidt wrote an excellent history of the fort in 2003 entitled, Fort Warren: New England’s Most Historic Civil War Site. The first subject he takes up is that of the Lady in Black. He points out that historian Edward Rowe Snow (1902-1982) was the most avid proponent of the story. Snow, a prolific author of books on New England maritime history and folklore, wrote about the Lady in Black in his 1944 book The Romance of Boston Bay and used to tour groups through the fort, telling the story (complete with costumed accomplices who would leap out and frighten tour-goers). It is Snow’s version of the story from which most of the details are derived and still repeated today.

In discussing the Lady in Black, Schmidt wisely did what any historian should do…he consulted primary sources…and could find no period mention of a woman being hung as a spy at Fort Warren. The only woman executed during, or in the wake of the Civil War was Mary Surratt for her role in the conspiracy to assassinate President Lincoln. Surely if a woman were executed in Boston in 1862 it would have been national news. But there is no mention of it in papers. No evidence that the incident happened at all.

I did a little searching myself and the earliest publication I could find that mentioned the Lady in Black of Fort Warren was…Snow’s 1944 book. I expected some earlier version, perhaps a source closer to the date of the alleged events. Snow inserts the following caveat at the beginning of the tale, “I herewith offer the reader the legend without the slightest guarantee that any part of it is true.”

So, it would seem that one of Boston’s greatest legends is entirely bunk. And I would not criticize Snow for perpetuating a myth especially given that he identifies it as such. Folklore is important. It can muddy the waters of history, but it is valuable to any region’s culture and old tales should be perpetuated. It’s up to the historian to sort through such folklore, to determine what is what, and to clearly identify fact from fiction.

Fort Warren’s “Lady in Black”…Debunked

It’s the season for ghost stories. One of Boston’s most popular is that of the “Lady in Black” who allegedly haunts Fort Warren in Boston Harbor. It has been told and retold…

historicaldigression.com

Blackbeard's Skull

The museum obtained the skull from the family of New England historian Edward R. Snow after his death in 1982. Snow had originally obtained the skull sometime in the 1950s, stating that he found it on display on the mantle of a historic pub in Virginia.

During the 1950s, Snow displayed the skull in his traveling museum, along with other pirate artifacts like Captain Kidd’s handcuffs and Tom Tew’s pistol. He would frequently bring the traveling museum to local schools and teach children about the history of these infamous pirates.

Is Blackbeard's Skull at the Peabody Essex Museum? - History of Massachusetts Blog

The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, has an artifact in its collection that is rumored to be the skull of the notorious pirate Blackbeard. The museum obtained the skull from the family of New England historian Edward R. Snow after his death in 1982. Snow had originally obtained the…

historyofmassachusetts.org

The skull has never been authenticated as Blackbeard's, and it has been suspected for decades Snow took the skull from a high school biology lab and coated it with silver radiator paint.

King of Calf Island

MASSACHUSETTS: Yo-ho-ho and a Radar Set

The King of Calf Island and his buried treasure were back in the news last week—for the last time. The King, a wild, unkempt, silent man, came to Boston in 1846, got a lonely job as keeper of...

time.com

Snow claimed that a reclusive man ("King of Calf Island") who lived on a small island in Boston Harbor, buried a pirate chest in the late 19th century. According to Snow, he decoded a secret message that directed him to the exact location of the buried chest and inside found coins dating from 1694 to 1854. The reclusive man was named James Turner. There are records that verify Turner's existence but almost everything Snow claimed about him he did not substantiate and the treasure story is almost certainly a hoax. The coins from the treasure chest were not particularly valuable (and would be easy to acquire) and Snow's alleged discovery of the treasure chest happened with no witnesses or archaeological documentation.

Isle Haute Treasure Map
As I commented in a different thread:

Snow never substantiated the Isle Haute treasure map (he bought) was drawn by the pirate Edward Low (aka Ned Low). An article was published in the 21 July 1952 issue of Life Magazine with a photograph of the map including a spot labelled “The Place” (to dig for treasure). He said he found eight gold coins and a skeleton at the location on the map. The whole thing looks like a hoax. Why did he not give the map to an expert to examine and to verify if it is authentic? Why did he not even disclose who he bought it from?

Furthermore, local people from the area always doubted Snow's claims:

Advocate’s [Harbour] townspeople told The Amherst Daily News that “the consensus of opinion seems to be that Mr. Snow did not stay on the Island long enough to search properly, and would not show his find to any people in Advocate.” They believed it was not a pirate’s skeleton, but a sheep’s.

 

[Cryptid1990]

There is no massive hill or volcano drawn on the maps or even exist on Oak Island, what is shown on Captain Kidd's signed map was an explanation of the nine feet high (man made) ridge of earth three hundred feet long that forms the base of the huge triangular pond. This reservoir was excavated to a depth of around twelve feet and the sides built up, and the remains of it are still there.

Oak Island sage

Another facepalm. The Deadman Island map contains the words "Lookout Hill" next to the drawing of the large hill/mountain on the island.

From Geoff Bath's book:

 

[Oak Island Sage]

Are you proud to be arrogant too?
Most Masons don't advertise for arguments sake. Let alone rank ; unless coming out of the closet to other Masons.

Speaking of Masons...

[ Freemason prank in 1862. Historian Joy A. Steele and retired marine geologist Gordon Fader found that a Freemason named JB McCully fabricated the island’s treasure narrative in an article, making it the fifth such account since 1858, while the earlier four mentioned no sensational discoveries mysterylores.com. This suggests the “treasure” story was invented or exaggerated by Masonic circles.

From Prank to Legend​

Masonic lore quickly intertwined with the myth. The “Money Pit” depression, first reported in 1795, became a site for ritual-like digging, with tools, symbols, and even a stone cipher stone (“Forty Feet Below Two Million Pounds Are Buried”) echoing Freemasonry’s Royal Arch degree www.oakislandarchives.com. Famous figures like U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and actor John Wayne were linked to the island, and many early diggers were Freemasons Center for Inquiry. Skeptics like Joe Nickell have argued the entire legend is an allegorical Masonic ritual, not a real treasure hunt Center for Inquiry.

Industrial Reality Under the Legend​

While treasure hunters imagined buried gold, researchers uncovered that Oak Island was actually a covert British industrial site for pine tar from the 16th to 17th centuries, producing a commodity so valuable it was called “the golden tar” mysterylores.com. Artifacts found — such as U-shaped kiln structures and stone walls — are likely from this tar production, not gold. The island was not deserted; records show activity as early as 1753 mysterylores.com.

Why the Myth Endures​

The Masonic connection gave the hunt a sense of mystery and ritual, appealing to those seeking hidden knowledge. Over time, the hoax evolved into a cultural phenomenon, inspiring books, TV shows, and treasure-hunting expeditions. Even today, some find gold in nearby rivers, but the bulk of the “treasure” remains symbolic — a Masonic allegory disguised as a real-world mystery mysterylores.com+1.

In short: The Oak Island treasure hunt began as a Masonic prank, became a Masonic ritual, and was later overlaid with industrial history, creating a legend that persists far beyond its original hoax.]

If you feel that defending your self or someone deceased is arrogant, or that the Oak Island treasure hunt began as a prank far be it for me to disillusion you.

Oak Island Sage

 

[releventchair]

If you feel that defending your self or someone deceased is arrogant, or that the Oak Island treasure hunt began as a prank far be it for me to disillusion you.

Oak Island Sage

You seem to have neglected the question. Shall I feign surprise?

Oh I'm (unlike your few subscribers to your island yarns) not disillusioned one bit.

 

[Oak Island Sage]

Another facepalm. The Deadman Island map contains the words "Lookout Hill" next to the drawing of the large hill/mountain on the island.

From Geoff Bath's book:

View attachment 2256746

Hi Cryptid 1990, the top the artificially constructed nine foot tall bank of earth that runs along the base of the three hundred foot long triangular pond (as drawn on the Deadman Island map signed by Captain Kidd in 1699), it could have be considered by Captain Kidd to look like a hill from a distance, it was certainly the highest land surface in the central valley area.

A large tree stump discovered next to the ridge (as shown on the map) indicates that it was once a tall pine, these were sometimes used as a lookout post, with a log platform constructed at the top in a similar way to a ships crows nest.

I am not interested in the opinions of other people in this matter, only that you have personally besmirched the memory of a deceased writer and accused him of fraud with no clear supporting evidence, apparently it's just your own opinion.

You have yet to answer why Mr Snow would wish to remove the ship (with the faint trace of the ships flag still faintly visible), and most importantly the scull and cross bones and Captain Kidd's signature. This clearly contradicts your unsubstantiated theory that he altered the Deadman Island Map. But of course the absence of these things plus a few alterations would add substantial credence to your personal accusation about him wouldn't it, but I'm sure you would not stoop to doing the alterations yourself.

I will ask you for the seventh time, Have you ever written a published book yourself?

Oak Island Sage

 

[Oak Island Sage]

You seem to have neglected the question. Shall I feign surprise?

Oh I'm (unlike your few subscribers to your island yarns) not disillusioned one bit.

releventchair, I suggest you find a recipe for cooking crow because if I get a call from Rick, Marty and Craig in the next few months, you will be considerably disillusioned and publicly forced to eat it, feigning surprize won't help you then.

Oak Island Sage

 

[releventchair]

releventchair, I suggest you find a recipe for cooking crow because if I get a call from Rick, Marty and Craig in the next few months, you will be considerably disillusioned and publicly forced to eat it, feigning surprize won't help you then.

Oak Island Sage

I doubt they'll need to consult you for more fictional facts.
They seem to have it down to a fine art.
To each in turn.
So goeth another 200 years.

 

[Carl-NC]

Carl-NC, I am proud to be a Grand Rank Freemason, if you know any Freemason I am sure that they will concur that a person's integrity is a corner stone of Freemasonry, and it is always a requisite requirement for admission into the honourable fraternity.

I suppose you can say the same thing about the priesthood. Y'know, these continual "I'm better than you" subtleties (I've published a book, I've been to Oak Island, I've met Dan Blankenship, I'm a Freemason) tell me you're not a very serious person when it comes to the topic at hand. Your theories are completely lacking evidence (or even "probabilities") so this is what you rely on.

This may not seem important to you Carl but it is to me, and I don't like to see someone continually tarnish the memory of a deceased writer who can't defend himself, in my view that is despicable and abhorrent.

Mr. Snow was an historian, yes, but he was also a storyteller. I have a couple of his books on treasure and pirates, I would not trust any of the information in those books to be factual without independent verification. In many cases, Snow was regurgitating popular stories that may have been completely fabricated. No different than Thomas P. Terry or W.C. Jameson. Did Snow embellish the Deadman's Island map? His addition of a copyright notice suggests it's practically certain that he did, and he wasn't even trying to hide it. He made it obvious.

 

[Oak Island Sage]

I doubt they'll need to consult you for more fictional facts.
They seem to have it down to a fine art.
To each in turn.
So goeth another 200 years.

relevantchair, for your information in 2002 I had both treasure hunters Dan Blankenship and Fred Nolan actually for the first time ever agreeing to work together on my proposed joint project, the deal only fell through when the late David Tobias President of the Triton Alliance refused to play ball because - he wasn't asked first. The fellowship of the dig as the call themselves have worked dam hard for over twelve years and only found wood, china, and bits of metal, if they want the treasure they gotta come to the right store. If I go to the great golf course in the sky first, it's game over.
Last year Rick and the other members were seriously considering my offer to assist them if they got my book published, their response took too long for my patience, so I did it myself.
They know exactly what I propose regarding the cost, time and permits required. They have said that they wish to try their own theories first, primarily around the Money Pit Area, however, they have my contact details and those of my associate who is domiciled in Halifax Nova Scotia, near their Cerca Trova office.
They may or may not call me but just in case maybe you should look around for a recipe book.

Oak Island Sage

 

[releventchair]

relevantchair, for your information in 2002 I had both treasure hunters Dan Blankenship and Fred Nolan actually for the first time ever agreeing to work together on my proposed joint project, the deal only fell through when the late David Tobias President of the Triton Alliance refused to play ball because - he wasn't asked first. The fellowship of the dig as the call themselves have worked dam hard for over twelve years and only found wood, china, and bits of metal, if they want the treasure they gotta come to the right store. If I go to the great golf course in the sky first, it's game over.
Last year Rick and the other members were seriously considering my offer to assist them if they got my book published, their response took too long for my patience, so I did it myself.
They know exactly what I propose regarding the cost, time and permits required. They have said that they wish to try their own theories first, primarily around the Money Pit Area, however, they have my contact details and those of my associate who is domiciled in Halifax Nova Scotia, near their Cerca Trova office.
They may or may not call me but just in case maybe you should look around for a recipe book.

Oak Island Sage

So the post topic is/was...You alone.
I'm not the one for you to declare that you have a cookie to.
Yes I understand that out of hundreds of thousands of people there have to be some that would buy a story book about treasure.
I get that.
I just don't applaud it when it is promoted as any truth of the subject..
Much like anyone mentioned in your post promotes truth. Well ; almost.

 

[Oak Island Sage]

I suppose you can say the same thing about the priesthood. Y'know, these continual "I'm better than you" subtleties (I've published a book, I've been to Oak Island, I've met Dan Blankenship, I'm a Freemason) tell me you're not a very serious person when it comes to the topic at hand. Your theories are completely lacking evidence (or even "probabilities") so this is what you rely on.


Mr. Snow was an historian, yes, but he was also a storyteller. I have a couple of his books on treasure and pirates, I would not trust any of the information in those books to be factual without independent verification. In many cases, Snow was regurgitating popular stories that may have been completely fabricated. No different than Thomas P. Terry or W.C. Jameson. Did Snow embellish the Deadman's Island map? His addition of a copyright notice suggests it's practically certain that he did, and he wasn't even trying to hide it. He made it obvious.

All you have mentioned is your opinion with things like "may have been completely fabricated" and "it's practically certain", and you have effrontery to say that my theories are completely lacking evidence.
Oak Island Sage

 

[Cryptid1990]

Hi Cryptid 1990, the top the artificially constructed nine foot tall bank of earth that runs along the base of the three hundred foot long triangular pond (as drawn on the Deadman Island map signed by Captain Kidd in 1699), it could have be considered by Captain Kidd to look like a hill from a distance, it was certainly the highest land surface in the central valley area.

More nonsense you made up. The drawing on the map labelled "Lookout Hill" clearly does not depict a 9-foot tall bank of earth.

I am not interested in the opinions of other people in this matter, only that you have personally besmirched the memory of a deceased writer and accused him of fraud with no clear supporting evidence, apparently it's just your own opinion.

You have already been proven wrong about the Deadman Island Map. It was drawn in 1946 as an adaptation and was copyrighted by Snow. I did not post my "opinion" but a statement of fact that is verifiable. You have already admitted you do not understand copyright law.

Under US copyright law in 1946, Snow placed his copyright notice on the Deadman Island Map, meaning either:

• (1) He drew the map himself.
• (2) Someone else drew the map but transferred him the rights.
• (3) He commissioned the map by another artist but owned the rights.
• (4) He made a new adaptation or redrawing of an older map.

I already provided proof for (4): the map is an adaptation (what I called an embellishment) of an older map. We know this because a reproduction of the original parchment map (without the signatures of Kidd, the Jolly Roger flag, etc) was published in LIFE magazine and mentions it was in the possession of Snow: