Captain William Kidd and Captain Robert Culliford crossed paths multiple times in their lives. They first met when they worked together as hired privateers in the Caribbean. It was Robert Culliford and many others who stole Captain Kidd’s first ship, the Blessed William, out from under him when he turned pirate.
Many years later when Captain Kidd was a pirate hunter on the Adventure Galley, he ran into Captain Culliford in St. Mary’s port when he was captain of the Mocha Frigate. Kidd tried to rally his crew to capture Captain Culliford, but he was outnumbered and his crew left him to turn pirate and join Culliford. The last time these two crossed paths was during Captain Kidd’s trial in London, where Robert Culliford appeared to testify that Kidd was guilty of being a pirate. However, many of the acts that Kidd was charged with for piracy were acts that Culliford had committed himself.
Culliford received a pardon and walked away a free man. Kidd was hanged for piracy and made an example of.