OBITUARY

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 26, 30 July 1940, Page 9

OBITUARY

MR. F. W. WILLIAMS

The death has occurred in Napier of Mr. Frederic Wanklyn Williams, eldest son of the late Bishop*William Leonard Williams, in his 86th year. The late Mr. Williams was prominent in public affairs in Hawke's Bay for a number of years. He was a former Mayor of Napier, chairman of the Napier Harbour, Board (following the Hon. J. D. Ormond), member of the Hawke's Bay Education Board, chairman for 28 years of the" Hawke's Bay Building and Investment Society, and a member of it for 50 years. He was one of the founders of the firm of Williams and Kettle and was chairman of directors for many years. He was

The late Mr. F. W. Williams.

practically a founder of Richardson and Company; he was associated with the first Mr. Richardson about 1885.

Mr. Williams came with his parents to Napier in 1865. "We had to leave Poverty Bay because of the Hau-Haus," he said on one occasion. "There were ten of us. I remember early Napier and the many floods and earthquakes. I remember swimming in a lagoon not. far from the Spit. Some old men breaking stones would say that a shark would get us, and then one day a shark was washed in by the sea and the big creature was unable to escape."

Mr. Williams wrote a book from his grandfathers' diaries, kept by them from the age of 10 years. In it he told of the pioneers' amazing energy. As an instance, William Williams walked from Poverty Bay to Wairoa to Napier, went through the Manawatu Gorge in a canoe, and then walked on to Foxton and thence to Otaki.

Mr. Williams is survived by his widow and three sons, Messrs. R; W., P. S., and A. C. Williams.