DIAMOND WEDDING

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 20, 8 February 1937, Page 8

DIAMOND WEDDING

Their Majesties Congratulate Hastings Couple MR AND MRS F. WILLIAMS Congratulatory messages from Their Majesties the King and Queen, His Excellency the Governor-General, Viscount Gahvay, and the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon M. J. Savage. marked the diamond wedding of Mr and Mrs F. Williams, of 804 Willow Park road, Hastings, which was celebrated yesterday Mr arid Mrs Williams were married at Waipawa on February 7, 1877, the officiating ininister being the Rev. Joseph White. Mr Williams; who is agied 84, v as born at Freeman's Bay, Auckland, in 1853, and, with his parents aame to Napier in 1860. He is to-day liale and hearty, and vividly recalls many stirring episodes of the early days in Napier, including the earthquake of 1863 and the Maori Wars of that time. Mrs Williams was born at Halifaz, Yorkshire, England, in 1858, and .was a daughter pf Mr and Mrs A. Firtli. With ber parents she sailed for New Zealand on the Parsee, landing at Auckland in 1872 after a long voyago. Mr Williams was engaged in suwmilling at Te Aute in his early days, and later left for Pahiatua, where he was farming for a number of ycars. He returned with Mrs Williams to Hawke's Bay some 15 years ago, when they took up their residenee in Hastings. The diamond wedding celebrations took the form qf a dinner and family reunion, which wqs attended by nnje out of the 10 children of the marriage