Rt Rev. William Williams, Bishop of Waiapu

William Williams was born at Plumptre House, Nottingham, England, on 18 July 1800, the ninth and youngest child of Mary Marsh and her husband, Thomas Williams. He was baptised on 30 October 1800. His father, Thomas, died of typhoid when William was three. After an unsuccessful attempt to carry on the hosiery business his mother, Mary Williams, moved with her younger children to Southwell, Nottinghamshire, where she began a school for young ladies. At Sheffield, on 11 July 1825, William married Jane Nelson of Newark, Nottinghamshire, and on 12 August they embarked on the Sir George Osborne. After a three month stay at Sydney they landed at Paihia, Bay of Islands, on 25 March 1826. Between 1826 and 1846 they had nine children, all born in New Zealand. He was a missionary and among Maori known as Parata (Brother). In 1840 he collected signatures to the Treaty of Waitangi. He died on 9 February 1878 at Hukarere.

Biography

Full biography at Te Ara

Obituary

DEATH OF WILLIAMS. Another of our patriarchs has passed away. By telegram from Napier last night, we learn that Bishop Williams, not long 1 since of Waiapu, has been taken to his rest\- We propose to offer a brief outline of his career, hoping that it may be filled up before long by one of those who are acquainted with the details of a life that is so closely bound up with the early history of the colony.

William Williams, Bishop of Waiapu, was born in the year 1800, the youngest son of Thomas Williams, of Nottingham. Originally educated for the medical profession, he entered Magdalen College, Oxford, where he took his degree in arts.. But when his elder brother, the late Archdeacon Henry Williams, determined upon proceeding as a missionary to New Zealand, he resolved to follow. Though persevering in the study of his profession, the value of which in an uncivilised country he perfectly understood, he superadded another course of study, and in 1826 proceeded to New Zealand, in full English orders, under the auspices of the Church Mission Society. There he worked for about eight years, at Paihia, his first object as a practised philologist, being to reduce the Maori language to grammatical form, in order to proceed with a translation of the Bible. The first grammar and dictionary were compiled by him. Much has been done since, notably by Archdeacon Maunsell and by the Bishop's son, Archdeacon Leonard Williams; but in point of time the Bishop led the way.

When the determination of spreading the mission was arrived at, Mr. Williams volunteered for the Thames, where he formed the Mungapouri Sation. After completing these arrangements he was asked to take charge of the school at Waimate, where he 'gave espeoial care to the classical side of education. It would be a great mistake to suppose that Greek and Latin were neglected among the children of the elder missionaries before the foundation of the colony. Often might Mr. Williams be heard lecturing with trowel in one hand, building a chimney, and a book in the other. There he continued until relieved by the Kev. Richard Taylor, enabling him to form a station at Poverty Bay, and to take general charge of the East Coast. Shortly after the arrivel of Bishop Selwyn, he and his brother Henry were appointed archdeacons. All went on well and pleasantly until an unfortunate dispute with the Governor, the details of which ought to be familiar with our readers, threw all into turmoil. The Church Mission Society, wittingly or unwittingly, had countersigned the Governor's charges against the mission ;and Archdeacon William Williams resolved upon going home to vindicate the mission. In this, as in behalf of the mission generally, he completely succeeded, causing the society to pass an exculpatory resolution. While in England, he carried through the pre 33 a Maori translation of the New Testament and Prayer-book. At Oxford, the degree of D.C.L. was conferred upon him, in recognition of his great services and attainments. After his return to the colony, turning in a measure to literary pursuits, he wrote the well-known work entitled " Christianity among the New Zealandera." When the Diocese of New Zealand was subdivided, at the suggestion of Bishop Selwyn, Archdeacon William Williams was consecrated Bishop, and appointed to the Diocese of Waiapu. He continued at Poverty Bay, wheroe he gathered round him a large institution —consisting of divinity students, a boys' school, and a girls' school, numbering about one hundred and thirty in all. But the Waitara war broke out, and the Bishop was driven away by the Ilauhau rebellion. His premises were sacked, and his library destroyed ; but not, it is to be observed, until the troops had entered the district ; thereby rclieviug .the insurgent natives from the last remnant of compunction. From Poverty Bay ho returned for a while to his old ground—Paihia. Thence he was fetched away to Napier, which was purposely severed from the Diocese of Wellington, that it might become cathedral city to the diocese of Waiapu. There he carried on duty, in health and strength, until the fiftieth anniversary of his arrival in New Zealand, when ho was suddenly laid law by a paralytic stroke, intimating that his own work was at an end, and must be committed to the charge of a younger man. When be found that his day was past, he lost no time in resigning cliargo of the diocese. Much difficulty was experienced in agreeing about the choice of a successor. The bishopric remained vacant much longer than had been expected ; but it was a great relief to Bishop Williams that a brother Missionary—a man after his own heart—was finally appointed, with general approval of all who were entitled to express opinion'.

After the first stroke the Bishop seemed to rally for a while; but a second and a third, though not of a pronounced nature, appeared to follow, and he gradually sank, at a ripe old age, with his work fullfilled. He leaves a widow and several sons and daughters.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XV, Issue 5066, 11 February 1878, Page 2

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Sources

Williams Family records

1. The Williams Family in New Zealand 1823 - 1973 - the descendants of Henry Williams, 1792 - 1897 and William Williams, 1800-1878, the sons of Thomas Williams 1754 - 1808 and Mary Marsh, 1757 - 1831 who were married in 1783.
2. The Williams family have recorded their family history since coming to New Zealand. The most recent version is 'Faith and Farming, the legacy of Henry Williams and William Williams.' Copyright Rex Evans, Evagean Publishing 1998. 720pp. ISBN-1-877194-53-0