A PIONEER SETTLER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2003, 10 March 1914, Page 3

A PIONEER SETTLER.

THE LATE MB. W. WILLIAMS. ' •Mr. W. Wißiams, who -died' on Wednesday last- at tho resideiieo of lais daughter, Jlr-s. j. j. Pnt-terson, Maaaia, was a noteworthy pioneer colonist, who fan- many tips "and downs, much nt verioiis ways to premo-te the great cause.of colonisation. ■Hβ arrived tti New ZealancO-by tho Amdia Thomson in' the year 1840, and landed at New FlyinoUtJi in the care.of father of tfes late Major Bttym. Bβ "was te have- been joted at Now Plvmowtfe by tho rest of his family, but this plafi was tiot adhered i£, owing'' to his father dying a fortnight after landing (it W<jlKu<t» toil. Later on Mr, Williams went to Waiiga&ai. where- lie was in the em-plo.v-ment of the- late Mr. John M'G-regor, ftnd J tliere, too, he Jearned the Maori language, wliiclv was of great uss- to Java, a.ud to those with whom he beeanto assecinted in later life. After lie retar&ed. t* Wellington Mr. WiMiatns Went to tire Wairarapa, where ho took, up .runs frefli the Natives for the early settlers. Daring th.e King niovomwit liis jnflueiiGo Vvitl-i the Natives in the -Wclfingtoli proviace prevented them fjfom joining the rebels.

Owing to ill-lrealth', Mr. 'Williams took up land itt tho Enitfiiiikei district, but soon sieved en to Wat'SaniM, .where lie teok part in iliQ- Maori- srar, joining the forces first in the WaHfi&iiui Oav> ftlvy, ttuiifer Colonel Fiiinimoro, a'fid tatei , jouting flifl Scouts. Hβ was in Pates at the time of the Twvrten-Mokai ctis' aster, and carried the dispatches relating to it covering ifoe distsmee (40 tnilcs) in four hours, a notable achievement, in those days, He was in charge of Hie Maori p-ontwisent at Ofe>* tukiti and wns.re»ejrt<?dly under &te. Sir, Willia-ms aM the late-' Mr. . W, Brewer., were taking torses up the \Vftitotara Saver when they w.efo cut off b,y the Natives from the mala hefty of troops. They., word fired on from fivo, .im-btiseades, but neither of. tliem was .kit. After «ros»ing tlie rite/ several tiroes, they <raw forced to leave their horses and «ltmb tivo diffs, «i\cre ikoy eonnied.'for tlie nitrht, rea-eWiw? Colaßel WliitmWs trooiss late nest d«* At tlie close of tlie war Mtj. Williams moved to Patoa, and sot up k Int-siuess as a bkcks-miiV) Md coadibuiWer.

'Under tlio Grey Govfrtaient lie was appointed NatW Commissioner for the West Coast, in conjunction with the late- Major Brown, and took ftii .active part in fee satwrossion of Tβ \Sliifcu Later, Mr. WtiJkras sefctM in. tbfe Manaia district-, where for tea jeers bo carried on fafflimri, and spent the last eiflnt years of his life with his youngest daugMcr. The- deeeased knves two sons .(Messrs. W. and D, J. Williams, of Merenvere)> three dawanters (Mrs, Bassstt. .Nelson, sfrs. Scott. Noriuanby.. end Mrs. Patterson* Mantua), and also about tWrty grandchildren dfttl great-grandcTaiidrai. —"Hawcra Stftv,"