Bishop William Leonard WILLIAMS

1829 - 1916  (87 years)

• Name	William Leonard WILLIAMS
  Title	Bishop
  Birth	22 Jul 1829	Paihia, New Zealand   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Death	24 Aug 1916	Taumata, Napier, New Zealand   [1]
  Person ID	I32	Blyth Family Tree
  Last Modified	22 Dec 2025

  
  

  Father	Bishop William WILLIAMS,   b. 18 Jul 1800, Nottingham, England d. 9 Feb 1878, Napier, New Zealand (Age 77 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Mrs Jane NELSON,   b. 8 Apr 1801, Newark Upon Trent, Nottingham, England d. 6 Oct 1896, Napier, Napier, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand (Age 95 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	11 Jul 1825	Sheffield, England   [1]
  Family ID	F7	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Sarah WANKLYN,   b. 9 May 1828, Lancashire, England d. 18 Dec 1894, Hukarere, Napier, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand (Age 66 years)
  Marriage	6 Jun 1853	Kendal, Westmorland, England   [1, 2, 3, 4]
  	Witherslack Church
  Children	1. Frederick Wanklyn WILLIAMS,   b. 13 Oct 1854, Whakato, Turanga, New Zealand d. 27 Jul 1940, Napier, New Zealand (Age 85 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   2. Emily Jane WILLIAMS,   b. 7 Mar 1856, Whakato, Poverty Bay, New Zealand d. 27 Jun 1942, Gisbourne, New Zealand (Age 86 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   3. Margeret Ellen WILLIAMS,   b. 3 Dec 1857, Waerenga-a-hika, New Zealand d. 25 Sep 1932, Napier, New Zealand (Age 74 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   4. Edith Mary WILLIAMS,   b. 28 Mar 1859, Waerenga-a-hika, New Zealand d. 3 Oct 1939, Napier, New Zealand (Age 80 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   5. Herbert William WILLIAMS,   b. 10 Oct 1860, Waerenga-a-hika, New Zealand d. 6 Dec 1937, Napier, New Zealand (Age 77 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   6. Agnes Maria WILLIAMS,   b. 21 Jul 1862, Waerenga-a-hika, New Zealand d. 15 Aug 1921, Napier, New Zealand (Age 59 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   7. Alfred Henry Williams WILLIAMS,   b. 8 May 1864, Waerenga-a-hika, New Zealand d. 15 Sep 1939, Roffey, England (Age 75 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   8. Francis James Volkner WILLIAMS,   b. 14 Dec 1866, Gisbourne, New Zealand d. 22 Nov 1938, Wellington, New Zealand (Age 71 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]   9. Sydney Leonard WILLIAMS,   b. 14 Dec 1866, Waikahua, Povert Bay, New Zealand d. 4 Jan 1890, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, United Kingdom (Age 23 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F9	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	22 Dec 2025

  
  

• Photos

  William_leonard_williams_sm.jpg

  
  

• Notes

  [[Category: New Zealand Colonists]] '''OBITUARY''' Bishop W. L. Williams, late Bishop of Waiapu, and one of the oldest pioneer missionaries of New Zealand, died at his home "Taumata," Hukarere road, Napier, at 7.30 last evening, death resulting from heart failure supervening a bronchial cold contracted some three weeks ago. The deceased, who was born in 1829, was a son of the first Bishop of Waiapu. After receiving his early education in the Bay of Islands and St. John's College, Auckland, he graduated at Oxford (England), taking the degree of B.A., with third class honours in Literas Humanioribus, in 1852. The following year he returned to New Zealand as a missionary, joining his father, whose headquarters were then at Poverty Bay. In 1862 Mr. Williams was installed Archdeacon of Waiapu and continued to labour among the Maoris until 1865 when the Poverty Bay Mission was broken up in consequence of the incursions of the Hauhaus. 'The Archdeacon took his family to the Bay of Islands and later to Auckland. He returned to Napier in 1872 and resided there with his family until 1877. Notwithstanding the very unsettled condition of the natives he himself spent most of his time in the neighbourhood of Poverty Bay in spite of many obstacles and warnings. He was there with portion of his family when the Chatham Island prisoners led by Te Kooti, landed at Whareongaonga, and was within a few miles of the scene of the massacre on November 10, 1868. In 1877 he made Gisborne his headquarters, where in the year 1883 the Maori Theological College was placed under his charge as principal. He continued in this position until the resignation of Bishop Stuart of the Waiapu see, was elected to fill the vacancy in 1894 and consecrated the following year at Napier Cathedral by the Primate, assisted by the Bishops of Christchurch, Nelson and Melanesia. This position he held until June, 1909, when he found that the weight of years was beginning to hinder him and he resigned. Bishop Averill succeeded him. The year prior to his resigning Bishop Williams visited England. Since resigning deceased has continued taking an active interest in the church work of the province. He and all of the Diocesan Synods in Napier. In Maori literature the late bishop has done much useful work. He has re-edited the "Dictionary of the Maori Language," compiled by his father and is the author of "First Lessons in Maori." Some of his papers have been published in the proceedings of the New Zealand Institute, notably one of "Cook's Landing in Poverty Bay," and one exposing the falsehood of the story of John Rutherford. As the head of the church in the diocese of Waiapu he was very greatly loved and revered, and under his guidance and influence the churches of the diocese stood as a power for good and the advancement of religion. After an absence of 44 years from the land of his forefathers, Bishop Williams revisited England and the scene of his University career during the Record Reign celebrations and the sitting of the Lambeth Conference. He was warmly welcomed to his old University which conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Divinity. Dr. Williams spent four or five months in England and spoke highly on his return of the unvarying kindness with which he was everywhere received as a New Zealand Bishop and the eldest son of one who had, more than seventy years before, placed his life at the disposal of the Church Missionary Society as a volunteer for missionary work, in what was then one of the wildest, most savage and least known countries of the world. The late Bishop married the daughter of Mr. John Bradshaw Wanklyn, of Witherslack, Westmoreland, in 1853. He leaves behind him four daughters and five sons. His wife predeceased him many years ago. Deceased's eldest son, Mr. F. W. Williams, is the senior managing director of Williams and Kettle, Ltd. The second son the Rev. Herbert W. Williams, is Archdeacon of Waiapu. The remaining sons are Mr. Alfred Williams, surgeon at Harrow, Middlesex, England; Mr. Frank J. Williams, sheep farmer, Gisborne and Mr. Arthur Williams, engineer, in England. The daughters are Mrs. Charles Gray, of Gisborne, Mrs. McLean, Mrs. A. F. Gardiner, and Miss Williams. The day before the Bishop's death was the anniversary of the day he was baptised with a number of Maori infants at the Bay of Islands. ''Hastings Standard, Volume VI, Issue 215, 25 August 1916'' BURIAL PLACE - Old Napier Hill Cemetery : Northern block 1 plot 4 The marriage was registered 1853 in Kendal, Westmorelandclick here to see online in Familysearch ["England and Wales, Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/2641-564 : accessed 18 February 2015), Sarah Wanklyn, 1853; from “England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005,” index, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Marriage, Kendal, Westmorland, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.] Nevil Harvey-Williams writes - the marriage was celebrated at Witherslack Church on June 6th, 1853. (Cumbria, U.K.) click here (http://www.williams.gen.nz/18and19c.html) W.L.W. was rarely known as William, but as'' Leonard''. He William Leonard Williams, and his father William were both very high profile Bishops, and hence also the necessity to distinguish. == Sources ==* 'FAITH AND FARMING, the legacy of Henry Williams and William Williams'. 720pp. Copyright Rex Evans, Evagean Publishing 1998. ISBN-1-877194-53-0 * [http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast Papers Past NZ.] * [https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Williams&GSfn=William&GSby=1829&GSbyrel=in&GSdy=1916&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=67014384&df=all& Find A Grave record for William Leonard Williams] * [http://www.gutenberg.org/files/31234/31234-h/31234-h.htm#img020 The Project Gutenberg eBook, A History of the English Church in New Zealand], by Henry Thomas Purchas

  
  

• Sources

  [S53] Lionel Klee, Klee Family Genealogy, Klee And Block Family Genalogy (http://genealogy.eproject.co.nz/). [S41] Faith and Farming, The legacy of Henry and William Williams (Name: Evag e an Publishing;), Faith and Farming, The legacy of Henry and William Williams (Evagean Pu blishing. [S34] FreeBMD, England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915 (Name: Ance stry.com Operations Inc; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2006;), Record collection:Marriages & divorces Collections from:Great Britain VOl 10B Pg 751. England & Wales marriages 1837-2008 Transcription First Name:SARAH Last Name:WANKLYN Gender:F Year:1853 Spouse: Image Quarter:2 Country:England County:Westmorland District:KENDAL District Number: Registry Number: Volume:10B Page:751 Line Number:13 Entry Number: Spouse Forename: Potential Spouse Names:JOHN LEWTHWAITE, WILLIAM LEONARD WILLIAMS Spouse Surname: 2nd Spouse Forename: 2nd Spouse Surname: 3rd Spouse Forename: 3rd Spouse Surname: 4th Spouse Forename: 4th Spouse Surname: 5th Spouse Forename: 5th Spouse Surname: 6th Spouse Forename: 6th Spouse Surname: 7th Spouse Forename: 7th Spouse Surname: Record set:England & Wales marriages 1837-2008 Category:Life events (BMDs) Record collection:Marriages & divorces Collections from:Great Britain [S72] New Zealand Electronic Text Collection, THROUGH NINETY YEARS, 1826-1916: LIFE AND WORK AMONG THE MAORIS IN NEW ZEALAND: NOTES OF THE LIVES OF WILLIAM AND WILLIAM LEONARD WILLIAMS, FIRST AND THIRD BISHOPS OF WAIAPU . Author Frederic Wanklyn William. William Leonard Williams completed his studies at Magdalen Hall, now He rtford College, Oxford, while his father and mother were in England, an d sat for his examinations in June, 1852. After taking his B.A. Degree w ith honours he offered himself to the Church Missionary Society for ser vice in the New Zealand Mission, and was duly accepted. After taking a c ourse of Theological training at the Church Missionary College at Islin gton he was admitted to Deacon's Orders by the Bishop of London on Marc h 22nd, 1853. When visiting his aunt, Mrs. Heathcote, at Southwell, Leonard had met t he daughters of Mr. J. B. Wanklyn of Halecat, Westmoreland. They had pr eviously been pupils at Mrs. Heathcote's School, and two of them at tim es afterwards used to visit Mrs. Heathcote and assist in her work. This a cquaintance led later to Leonard's marriage with Miss Sarah Wanklyn, wh ich with the approval of both families was celebrated at Witherslack Ch urch on June 6th, 1853. After the wedding a short honeymoon was spent i n the English Lake District.