736 



WILLIAMS, SAMUEL. 



WILLIAMSON, SIR JOSEPH. 



730 



Narragansett Bay as a spot outaidc the limits of any English patent* 

 Williams regarded his suggestion as a "voice from God." He landed 

 on Khode Island with hia companions in June 1636, on a spot still 

 marked by tradition, and having purchased the laud of the Indians, 

 commenced to plant and build a town, which he called ' Providence,' 

 because, he said, " I desired it might be for a shelter for persons dis- 

 tressed for conscience." Here he was soon joined by others who 

 sy mpathised with his opinions, and in a year or two ' good people ' 

 from England nocked thither in considerable numbers the fame of 

 the earnestness, self-denial, and piety of the first settlers having 

 quickly spread through the Puritan churches. Williams was the 

 founder, the pastor, and the law-giver of the infant state ; but he did 

 not aim to be its ruler. He here carried out to the fullest extent the 

 principles he had so boldly asserted. " He chose," to use the words 

 of Bancroft, " to found a commonwealth in the unmixed form of a 

 pure democracy ; where the will of the majority should govern the 

 state yet only in civil things ; God alone was respected as the ruler 

 of conscience." It was the first purely democratic commonwealth in 

 modern times, and, according to Bancroft, " this first system has had 

 its influence on the whole political history of Rhode Island ; in no state 

 in the world, not even in the agricultural state of Vermont, has the magis- 

 tracy so little power, or the representatives of the freemen so much." 



With exemplary self-denial, Williams laboured on with his people. 

 New settlements had been formed on the island, aud the people, in 

 order to secure themselves from becoming absorbed in the government 

 of Massachusetts, resolved to seek a charter of incorporation from the 

 English parliament. Williams was chosen (1643) to negociate the 

 grant. He was treated with marked respect by the Parliament, and a 

 charter incorporating the settlers on Narragausett Bay, with "full 

 power and authority to rule themselves," was readily accorded. 

 Williams was received in triumph on his return to Rhode Island, and 

 when some nine years later an infringement of the charter seemed 

 imminent, he was again despatched to the mother-country to obtain a 

 confirmation of the rights of the colony, in which mission he was 

 entirely successful. He returned to Providence in 1654, where he 

 was elected president of the colouy, an office he held for three years. 



While maintaining perfect liberty of conscience, Williams was an 

 earnest maintainer of his own religious views. He had himself 

 adopted the tenets of the Baptists ; and in his later years he en- 

 tered into a strenuous controversy with the Quakers. His work 

 ' George Fox digged out of his Burro wes, or an Offer of Disputation 

 on Fourteen Proposals made this last summer, 1672 (so called), unto 

 G. Fox, then present on Rode Island in New England, by R(oger). 

 W(illiarns). As also how G. Fox slily departing, the Disputation went 

 on, being managed three days at Newport on Rode Island, and one 

 day at Providence, between John Stubs, John Burnet (Burnyeat), and 

 William Edmundson, ou the one part, and R. W. on the other. In 

 which many quotations out of G. Fox and Ed. Burrowes' Book in folio 

 are alleged, with an appendix of some scores of G. F., his simple lame 

 answers to his opposites in that Book, quoted and replied to. By 

 R. W. of Providence in N. E. Boston, printed by John Foster,' small 

 4to, 1C76 and Fox's answer 'A New England Fire-Brand quenched, 

 being an Answer unto a Slanderous Book entitled George Fox digged 

 out of his Burrowes, &c., printed at Boston in the year 1676 by Roger 

 Williams of Providence in New England. Which he dedicateth to the 

 King, with desires that, if the Most High please, Old and New 

 England may flourish when the Pope and Mahomet, Rome and Con- 

 stantinople, are in their ashes. Of a Dispute upon 14 of his Proposals 

 held and debated betwixt him, the said Roger Williams, on the one 

 part, and John Stubs, William Edmundson, and John Burnyeat on 

 the other, at Providence and Newport in Rode Island, in the year 

 1672. In which his cavils are refuted, and his reflections reproved. 

 In two parts. As also an answer to R. W.'s Appendix, &c. ; with a 

 Postscript confuting its blasphemous assertions, viz., of the Blood of 

 Christ that was shed, its being corruptible and corrupted ; and that 

 Salvation was by a man that was corruptible, &c. Whereunto is added 

 a Catalogue of his Railery, Lies, scorn, and blasphemies; and his 

 Temporising Spirit made manifest. By George Fox and John Burn- 

 yeat. Printed in the year 1679' are works curious in themselves 

 and of interest in the early history of Quakerism. Roger Williams 

 died at Providence in April 1683. 



WILLIAMS, SAMUEL, a skilful designer and engraver on wood, 

 was born at Colchester, Essex, on the 23rd of February 1788. The 

 son of parents in humble circumstances, his early desire to become an 

 artist met with little encouragement, and though he taught himself 

 drawing and painting, he was at the usual age apprenticed to a printer 

 in his native town. While serving his apprenticeship however he 

 taught himself etching, and subsequently wood -engraving. So 

 attached had he become to the latter art, that on the expiration of 

 his term of service he determined to adopt it as his calling, and, 

 possessing some skill in design, he found on proceeding to London 

 little difficulty in procuring employment among the publishers of 

 low-priced works. His earliest patron is said by his son ('Athen.,' 

 1853, p. 1261) to have been Mr. Crosby, by whom "a series of 300 

 cuts was given into the hands of the then untried country artist." 

 Gradually working his way upwards, he eventually took his place 

 among the best designers and wood-engravers of his time. His earlier 

 engravings executed f or Whittingham's Novelists aud Poets, for Wiffen's 



' Tasso,' and the architectural publications of Mr. J. Britton, displayed 

 great freedom and ability qualities strikingly apparent in his vigorous, 

 characteristic, and original, though occasionally somewhat rude designs 

 made for Hone's ' Every Day Book.' lu hid later epgraviugs and 

 designs as those in Howitt's ' Rural Life,' Scropb's ' Days of Salmon- 

 Fishing ' and ' Deer-Stalking,' Thomson's ' Seasons,' &c. he shows 

 much more elaboration and neatness, with an equal evidence of the 

 devoted study of rural life and scenery, but perhaps some loss of 

 power. Throughout life he retained his early ambition of painting in 

 oil, but we are not aware that he executed any works of consequence 

 in that branch of art He died on the 19th of September 1853. Two 

 of his sons still sustain the reputation of the name of Williams as 

 wood-engravers. 



* WILLIAMS, OF KARS, MAJOR-GENERAL SIR WILLIAM 

 FENWICK, K.C.B., and M.P. for Calne, is a son of the late Mr. Thomas 

 Williams, Commissary-General and Barrack-Master at Halifax, Nova 

 Scotia, in which country he was born, December 10, 1800. He came 

 to England at an early age, and his family for some generations 

 having been connected with the artillery, hej was sent to Woolwich 

 Academy by the late Duke of Kent. He obtained his commission as 

 second lieutenant in the Artillery in 1825, and became first lieutenant 

 in 1827, and captain in 1840. Having served for nine years in Ceylon, 

 he was sent to Turkey, where he received the brevet-rank of Major 

 for his military services. In 1843 he was appointed by the Earl of 

 Aberdeen Commissioner for settling the Turkish aud Persian frontiers, 

 a work of much delicacy and difficulty, and which he brought to a 

 conclusion in 1852. During this time he had been selected by General 

 Sir Hussey (afterwards Lord) Vivian as instructor of the Turks in 

 artillery practice, and having taken an active part in the Conferences 

 preceding the treaty of Erzeroum, in May 1847, was advanced to the 

 rank of lieutenant-colonel and the companionship of the Bath. 



Upon the breaking out of hostilities with Russia in 1854, Lieu- 

 tenant-Colonel Williams was apppointed by the Earl of Clarendon her 

 majesty's Commissioner with the Turkish forces in the East, at the 

 same time he was advanced to the rank of Colonel, and shortly after- 

 wards to that of Brigadier-General. In this trying post, in which he 

 was far from being adequately supported by the British ambassador at 

 Constantinople, he won the approbation of the army abroad and the 

 government at home. The head-quarters which he held were at 

 Kars near Erzeroum, and though labouring under considerable diffi- 

 culties, he repulsed with severe slaughter an attack of the Russians 

 under General Mouravieff, September 29, 1855, but not receiving 

 reinforcements in answer to his repeated but fruitless applications to 

 the British ambassador, he was obliged to remain upon the defensive. 

 Accordingly, in conjunction with Colonel Lake aud General Kuiety, 

 he fortified the city of Kars, whilst Mouravieff besieged it closely on 

 all sides, and it was only after enduring the extremity of suffering and 

 hunger, that he agreed to capitulate. Together with his able assist- 

 ant, Colonel Lake, General Williams was sent as a prisoner of war to 

 St. Petersburg, where he was treated however with all honour and 

 respect. As soon as the Treaty of Peace had been signed at Paris in 

 March 1856, General Williams returned to England. For his victory 

 at Kars he had already been made a K.C.B. ; he was now presented 

 with the freedom of the City of London, and rewarded with a baro- 

 netcy, bearing the addition ' of Kars,' and a pension of lOOOi. a year. 

 He was shortly afterwards elected M.P. for Calne, and appointed to 

 the command of the garrison at Woolwich. 



WILLIAMSON, SIR JOSEPH, a statesman of the reign of Charles II. 

 was the son of the Rev. Joseph Williamson, rector of Bridekirk in 

 Cumberland. He came up to London, while yet a boy, in the capacity 

 of clerk or secretary to Mr. Richard Tolson, member of parliament 

 for Cockermouth, and, on the recommendation of his patron to Dr. 

 Busby, the head master of Westminster School, he went from his 

 service to that school. His assiduity and talent gained for him a 

 recommendation from Dr. Busby to Dr. Langbaine, the provost of 

 Queen's College, Oxford, by whom he was admitted on the foundation 

 of that college. He took his degree of B.A. in 1653, and immediately 

 after went to France as tutor to a nobleman to whom he was recom- 

 mended by Dr. Langbaine. Ho was afterwards elected a fellow of 

 Queen's College, and in 1757 he took his Master of Arts degree. 



After the Restoration he was appointed secretary to Sir Edward 

 Nicholas, secretary of state, and on Sir Edward Nicholas being 

 succeeded by Lord Arlington, he became secretary to the latter. 

 He was appointed by Lord Arlington keeper of the State Paper 

 Office in Whitehall. In 1667 he was appointed one of the clerks 

 of the council in ordinary, and received the honour of knighthood. 

 He was one of the plenipotentiaries, together with the Earl of Sun- 

 derland and Sir Leoline Jenkins, at the treaty of Cologne. On 

 the 27th of Juno 1674, he was appointed secretary of state in the 

 room of Lord Arlington, to whom, according to the custom of the 

 time, he paid 6000Z. in order to succeed him. He was at the same 

 time introduced into the privy council. The period during which 

 Sir Joseph Williamson was secretary of state was one of subservience 

 by Charles II. to the interests of France, with which power he entered 

 into secret alliances, and of fears in the nation of the introduction of 

 popery into England. Sir Joseph Williamson was one of the first 

 victims of the excitement caused by the celebrated Popish plot. He 

 was committed to the Tower by the order of the House of Commons, 



