Paulsgrave Williams, also Paul, Palsgrave, or Palgrave, was born in Newport in 1675 and when his father died when he was only 11 years old. His mother subsequently wed again and relocated to Block Island which was a known hub for the nefarious activity of smuggling and other unsavory ventures. He had two sisters that married buccaneers and associates of pirate who was familiar with Captain Kidd. He entered pirate life rather late in age around 40 to sail with Samuel Bellamy and later with Benjamin Hornigold who saw something of interest in Williams but disliked Bellamy. They formed an alliance of sorts Olivier Levasseur but the crew of Hornigold wanted to plunder all ships but he would not concede and avoided those of England.

The crew soon took a vote and replaced him with Bellamy and he in turn offered the position of quartermaster and sailed together until 1716 when 2 ships were plundered and awarded one of them to Williams. He heard the news that the ship carrying Bellamy was lost at sea in a storm with him being part of the one rendered to the deep. He had to prevent a mutiny by some that had been coerced into piracy and sailed to the Bahamas and sold his ship took the offer of pardon from King George. Some sources claim that Williams retired from piracy in 1723 to settle down with a new wife and family, dying peacefully sometime in 1723 or after, though this is not attested in period sources.