William Leonard Williams (1829 - 1916) was an Anglican Bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

 of Waiapu

Waiapu

Waiapu was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate in the Gisborne – East Coast Region of New Zealand, from 1893 to 1908.-Member of Parliament:...

. He was regarded as an eminent scholar of the Māori language.

Biography

Williams was born on the 22 July 1829 at Paihia

Paihia

Paihia is the main tourist town in the Bay of Islands in the far north of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located close to the historic towns of Russell, and Kerikeri, 60 kilometres north of Whangarei. The origin of the name Paihia is obscure. One, possibily apocryphal, attribution is to...

, Bay of Islands, New Zealand. He was the third child and first son of William Williams

William Williams (bishop)

William Williams was the first Anglican Bishop of Waiapu and the father and grandfather of two others. He led the CMS missionaries in the translation of the Bible into Māori and he published an early dictionary and grammar of the Māori language.-Early life:Williams was born in Nottingham to Thomas...

 of the Church Mission Society

Church Mission Society

The Church Mission Society, also known as the Church Missionary Society, is a group of evangelistic societies working with the Anglican Communion and Protestant Christians around the world...

 and his wife, Jane. He was educated in New Zealand before attending Magdelen College in Oxford where he obtained a third class honours degree in 1852 and following his father joined the Church Missionary Society. In the following year he married Sarah Wanklyn at Witherslack Chapel, Westmorland

Westmorland

Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...

 and both set sail in August on a five month journey to New Zealand.

Williams was made responsible for the training of Māori students into the Anglican church. He was regarded as the most learned scholar of Māori culture. He would travel on horseback around his diocese accompanied by two assistants. During his lifetime he reissued his father's publication, A dictionary of the New Zealand language twice, as well as publishing his own book introducing the Māori language and contributing to the study of New Zealand plants. Interestingly this book was again reissued by his son, the Rt Revd Herbert Williams, who also followed Williams and his father as a bishop of the same diocese.

Williams became the Bishop of Waiapu

Diocese of Waiapu

The Diocese of Waiapu is one of the thirteen dioceses and hui amorangi of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The Diocese covers the area around the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand, including Tauranga, Taupo, Gisborne, Hastings and Napier. It is named for the...

 in 1895, following his late father's career as his father had been the first bishop. Williams retired in 1909 when he found the job too difficult. He died at his home in Napier

Napier, New Zealand

Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...

in 1916.