Edward Marsh Williams

Edward Marsh Williams (2 November 1818 – 11 October 1909).^[1] Edward Williams was the eldest son of Archdeacon Henry Williams and Marianne Williams. Edward Williams was born at Hampstead, London, in 1818. Henry Williams become an ordained member of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) and in 1923 became a Christian missionary in Aotearoa (New Zealand).

At the age of 22 in 1840, when Captain William Hobson arrived in New Zealand, Edward assisted his father to translate the Treaty of Waitangi into the Māori language as Edward, having grown up among the Māori at Paihia, was fluent in Te Reo and understood Māori culture.^[2] Edward was appointed by Lieutenant Governor Hobson as government interpreter, Clerk to the Court, and the first postmaster at Auckland. Edward was appointed to judicial positions: as Resident Magistrate for the Bay of Islands and in 1881 Edward was appointed a judge of the Native Land Court (which became the Māori Land Court) of New Zealand.

Edward translated into Māori over 210 hymns and also "The Pilgrim's Progress".^[1] He drew HMS Herald in Sylvan Cove, Stewart Island / Rakiura in 1840.^{[3] [4]}

Early Life

Edward Williams arrived with his parents at the Paihia, Bay of Islands in July 1823 aboard the ship Brampton.^[2] Edward was educated in the CMS mission school by his mother and his aunt Jane Williams and by other members of the CMS mission.^[5]

In the year 1835, Edward returned to England in HMS Buffalo. He was apprenticed to a London doctor, but after twelve months he ended his studies as the consequence of brain fever (an uncertain diagnosis) and he returned to New Zealand.^[6]

Translation of the Treaty of Waitangi

In 1840, when Captain William Hobson arrived in New Zealand he appointed Archdeacon Henry Williams to take charge of the translation of the Treaty of Waitangi. Edward assisted his father to translate the Treaty into the Māori language as Edward was an experienced Māori linguist and well-acquainted with Māori customs.^[2][7]

Edward was appointed as the Māori interpreter to Major Thomas Bunbury of the 80th Regiment, who had been appointed by Lieutenant Governor Hobson as Commissioner. On 29 April 1840 they proceeded in HMS Herald under Captain Joseph Nias to take a copy of the Treaty of Waitangi (known as the ‘Herald-Bunbury’ copy) to the South Island. On 16 June they arrived in Port Underwood in Cloudy Bay and obtained nine signatures. They proceeded to visit various Māori chiefs along the east coast of the South Island, stopping at Akaroa (two signatures), Otago Harbour (two signatures) and to Ruapuke Island in Fouveaux Strait where they obtained a further three signatures.^[6][8]

The actual proclamation of sovereignty was made by Lieutenant Governor Hobson on 21 May 1840 (the North Island by treaty and the South by discovery),^[9] notwithstanding that his agents were collecting signatures for the Treaty in the South Island at this stage.

Later Life

On 20 April 1840 Edward defused a culture misunderstanding that could have resulted in conflict between the Ngāpuhi and the colonial troops. An early court case related to the murder of Patrick Rooney, shepherd working at Pakaraka, by a Ngāpuhi known as Kihi, who was discovered and delivered up by other Ngāpuhi to the authorities at Kororareka. Willoughby Shortland was in the act of a magisterial examination of the charge against Kihi when Te Haratua, a chief from Pakaraka, arrived with about three hundred armed warriors and began a haka. Shortland, believing the warriors had hostile intentions, sent for the troops. Edward, who was present as a witness identified that Te Haratua and the warriors did not have any hostile intentions, having come over to make a public display of their abhorrence of the murder. Edward Williams persuaded Te Haratua and the warriors to leave and explained in a quiet way that it was ignorance of Māori culture on Shorthand's part that made him call for the troops.^[10]

Edward became a director of the New Zealand Banking Company,^[11] which was the first company formed in New Zealand and which was established on 1 September 1840 at Kororareka in the Bay of Islands with about £7,000 of capital. Edwards was appointed by Lieutenant Governor Hobson as Government interpreter, Clerk to the Court, and the first postmaster at Auckland He was with the first party of officials at the founding of Auckland on 18 September 1840, which had been designated as the capital of New Zealand.^[1] Edward held these positions until 1842,^[11] when he retired to manage the family property at Pakaraka.^[6] In February 1843 Edward married Jane Davis, daughter of Richard Davis who was a member of the CMS Mission. Edward and Jane taught at Te Waimate mission station until 1846, then farmed at Awatona, near Pakaraka.^[1]

In 1861 he was appointed by Sir George Grey to be the Resident Magistrate for the Bay of Islands and Northern Districts. He held this position until 1880, when he was requested by the Government of the day to retire upon his pension.^[6] Edward was appointed a Judge of the Native Land Court on 29 April 1881.^[12] He retained office until 1891 when he finally retired into private life.^[6]

He retired to Te Aute in Hawkes Bay, where his brother Samuel Williams had established Te Aute College as a school for Māori boys.^[13] Edward died at Te Aute on 11 October 1909.^[1]

References