OBITUARY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1444, 20 May 1912, Page 4

OBITUARY.

ME. THOMAS C. WILLIAMS,' (l3y Telegraph.—l'resa Association,!

Auckland, May 19. Obitunrv: Mr. Thomas Colaham Wil. liaiils, aged ati. IMtJi occurred till* morning alter a somewhat protracted iuU |Tbo late Mr. Williams was tlio oldest wiutu collier bom in the Ha was tho lourtli son and filth ohiici ot Archdeacon Henry Williams, who arrived at the Hay of Islands as far back as lci'U on behali of tlio Cliurcli Jiiwioiuiry Society. Tiio Archdeacon of Waimatu had not always been a ciiurchman. prior to taking Oruers lie was an officer iu tho .Navy, and it was probably his love of tho sea and l'orcigu lands which induced him afterwards lo take up missionary work in what was then tlio most remote cornor of (he globe.

Tho late Mr. T. C. Williams was bom at i'aiiiia (Hay of Islands) in 18*5, and was the second member of tho family who was I\c\v-Zoalaiul born. Together with, his brothers ho led a strenuous opon-air life in tho far north, growing into manhood in tho midst oi' tho frequent alarms of 'those unsettled times. Hew l'a* tlieso timos have now moved back on tha page of history may be judged from tho fact that it was Mr. T. C. Williams's elder brother. Judge Edward W. Williams, of tho Native Laud Court, who was immediately concerned in obtaining tiio signatures to the treaty of Waitangi, and Mr. T. C. Williams himself was amongst those present at the signing of the Treaty. In 1815 Heke's war broke out, and there was a troublous time for tlio settler* North of Auckland and round tho Buy of Islands. It is, however, related that the Maoris of Heke's tribe wore reasonable, and even humane, as they declared that their trouble was the "red coats" (tlio troops), aiul not with tho settlors. It is even said that tho disafl'cctod Maoris helped tho settlers to drive herds of catha which they knew wero destined to feed tlio troops against whom they wero fighting, so that tho enmity at (ho back* of tlio struggle could not havo been so very deep. In 18G5—after tho close of tho Waikato war—Mr. Williams and two of his broth* ers camo to Wellington and took u|> a holding in the Wairarapa, which he named "Braiicopeth" Estate. Ho also secured tho Anncdalc station on tho East Coast and the Xansdowno station near Mastcrton. His partners in these properties wcro Messrs. W. and H. H. Bootham {sons of tho late Mr. Will. Beet-ham, of Hutt), whoso sister lie married in 1858.

After retiring from active station life in tho Wairar'apa, Mr. Williams settled in Wellington, and, for many years, resided in llobson Street. Of lata years he has resided in Auckland city. Mr. Williams was always regarded m a far-s.eoing man of business, ana had the facility of knowing just when to buy ami soil. His knowledge of New Zealand lands was very extensive, and, on ono oc* icasioii, he was engaged as agent to represent the Ngatirnukiiwa and i Ngatitcia trilncs in the action taken to resist certain lands being ooded to the Ngatiapa-R-augi-tane tribes, whom tlio first-mentioned tribes (from Kawhia), under To Rauparaha, had vanquished in war. In that action, Mr. Fox (afterwards Sir \\ m. Fox) appeared for the Crown. t Of deceasod's ten brothers and sisters, only two are now. living—Mrs. Davies, of Napier (mother of Mr. G. H, Davies, cr Karori), who is 02 years ( of age, and Mrs. Ludbrook, of Gisboreo (now SO years_ot age). Mrs. Davies and Use late Judge Edward Williams and Archdeacon Samuel "Williams, formerly of Te Ante, were: the only members of the family born in tugland. Deceased's other brothers and sisters wers the Hon. H. AVilhains, M.L.C.. Mr. John Williams, Mrs. Hutton. Mrs. Hadfield, Mrs. Hugh Carlton, and Mr. -John Williams. Deceased leaves a widow Gild thirteen children. The following ere the name* of the family in the order in which ther wore born Hugh Georga (of M&stertoUj)

Ethel Alice (Mrs. Arthur KusseL, of lainiorston North); Maud Mary Anne, Ililaa Temple, Guy Ccldkanv yvern _ H<fl }ry, Line Clare, Thomas Gwynne Horsley. Kila Mabel, Algar Temple (of Ceilington), Una Mildred, Enid Githa, and Lrl Temple. ME W. L. BEES, GISBORNE. A Press Association telegram records the death of Mr. W. L. Roes, barrister, of Gisborne. Deceased was a man of note —a clean-cut, forcible, character, good speaker in former years, and a writer ol ability. He was born and educated in Bristol, England, and on arriving at

man's estate entered training lor the Congregational ministry. He was ordained in ISGI, but resigned four years' later, to take up the legal profession. In that year he emigrated to Victoria. In lobb lie camo to Jsew Zealand, trying Use Host Coast goldfiekls first, and aiterwards set- , tiiug in Auckland. There lie became a member of the Provincial Couucil, and was for a time Provincial Solicitor under the superintendeuey of the lato Sir George Grev. On the abolition of the provinces, he was returned member for Auckland Citv (East) in IST6-70, and was again member' for Auckland from IS9O to 1893. la 1892 ho occupied the position of Chairman of Committees of the House of Representatives. In 1533 lie accepted the ohallcnjo of the lato Sir A. J. (then Mr.) Cadniau to resign his seat and contest an election, and • selecting Auckland City M the scene, was defeated. Mr flees nlwavs took great interest in emigration, and in IfSS ho visited LngSnnd in the interests of co-oprative coinrisation, which, however, did not have much success. Ho was connected tor some time with tuo East Coast Xaiuo was the- author of "The Comini CrNis" (1874), "Sir Gilbert tech (1878), "From I'overty to. Plentyvl&B), "The."Science of health m the Light of tlu* ScriplMVos," ftiul "The Lifo n.nd linios of Sir George Grey" Members of deceased's family, are Mows. Arthur and W. Itocs, barristers mid solicitors, of Gisborne, and Miss ]?osGJUiirv Krp-S. actress .and now in England. 1 MR. EDWARD PRINCE. Tho death occurred on Friday of Mr. Edward Princo, o£ l'rinco's htwot. (oh Roxburgh Street}—-one of Wellington a earliest'settlers. Mr. Priaco arrived m ' Wellington as far back as 1841, in the fchip Ladv Nugent, one of the vessels ehai'lered'by the New Zealand Company to bring (lie first of tho settlers from England. Mr. Prince was 'a carpenter and builder by trade, and has lived in Welling! on for practically the whole of the teveiiiv-oim years since his arrival. The street in which ho resided in was named after him. His house was the first erected in that locality—at (he top of the Clyde Quay cliffs, off tho upper

part of Roxburgh Street. Deceased, who was 82 years of age, was predeceased by Ms wife. Tho members of tbo family are: Mr. Robert Prince, of Wellington:'' Mr. John Prince, of Kaikoura; Mr. Edward Prince, of Grertown; Mesdames Ardlev ami Plimmer, of Christchurch; Mrs. Stuclley, of Wellington; Mrs. John Black and Miss Alice Prince, of Sydney.