• Born: 1678, Newport RI

  General notes:

Silversmith

  Events in his life were:

• , . Noted in histories as a wealthy gold- and silversmith, he apparently grew bored with his trade and society and took up with the sailor Samuel Bellamy. They began as treasure hunters, but soon took up piracy in the Carribbean, assembling a small fleet and plundering British and Spanish ships. Williams began as the quartermaster and later captained the small sloop, Mary Anne. After amassing a fortune in spoils, the fleet turned north for New England. Breaking off from the others, he was visiting his family on Block Island when the rest of the fleet was wrecked in a violent storm on April 26, 1717, with the loss of nearly all hands. He continued on his own for another year and then returned home, but quickly grew weary of life on land. He returned to sea and plied his talents for several more years, finally retiring for good -- with a new wife and children -- in 1724.