Joseph Williams (abt. 1856 - bef. 1919)

Born about 1856 in England, United Kingdom

Husband of Margaret Ann (Hall) Williams — married 1880 in Redruth, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom

Descendants

Biography

Early Life

Joseph was born in England about 1856 to unknown parents.^[1]

Marriage and Children

He married Margaret Hall in 1880 in Redruth, Cornwall, England.^[2] They had eight children together:

1. Mary Ann (Williams) Johanson^[3] (1883-1914)
2. Elizabeth Jane (Williams) Martin-Daly^[4] (1885-1963)
3. Thomas Hall Williams^[5] (1887-1951)
4. Joseph Hall Williams^[6] (1889-1965)
5. Mary Maria Williams^[7] (1893-1894)
6. Minnie Tryphena (Williams) Prideaux^[8] (1895-1956)
7. Mary Henry Williams^[9] (1896-1966)
8. Lillian Josephine (Williams) Jonasen^[10] (1899-1971)

Residences and Occupations

• 1881: Unknown, not in Margaret's household in the census.

Moved to New Zealand between 1887 (birth of son Thomas in England) and 1889 (birth of son Joseph in New Zealand).

• 1894: Platelayer living in Waipukurau, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand.^[11]
• 1910: Farmer living in "Streambank," Auckland, New Zealand.^[12]

Criminal Trial

Joseph was tried for attempted murder following an incident on December 1, 1909, in which he purportedly attempted to murder his son-in-law Francis Martin over what was described as "family matters". Joseph was ruled to be not guilty two months later.^[1][12] He then disappears without a trace (see Research Notes).

Research Notes

A record of Joseph's death has not yet been found. He is mentioned in his wife's obituary as deceased so he passed away sometime between early 1910 when he was involved in the attempted murder trial and Margaret's death in April 1919.

Some Ancestry trees claim Joseph died in the 1912 sinking of the Titanic. This is incorrect as no New Zealanders were on the Titanic when it sank and passenger + crew lists of the ship show that nobody named Joseph Williams was on board either.

There are multiple possibilities of how the rumour may have started; Joseph may have died in another shipwreck around the same time and family stories over the years changed to the point where the ship became the Titanic. An alternate possibility is that Joseph fled New Zealand after his trial and the Titanic story was created to explain his absence. Both options explain the lack of a New Zealand death record.

- Martin-46788

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Untitled, New Zealand Police Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 51, 22 December 1909, Page 538.
2. ↑ "England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2DRF-JV2 : 22 May 2014), Joseph Williams, 1880; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1880, quarter 2, vol. 5C, p. 311, Redruth, Cornwall, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
3. ↑ "Search the GRO Online Index," database, HM Passport Office (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp : accessed 19 May 2020), birth registration of Mary Ann Williams, J qtr, 1883, Whitehaven, vol. 10B/613; citing General Register Office, Southport.
4. ↑ "Search the GRO Online Index," database, HM Passport Office (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp : accessed 19 May 2020), birth registration of Elizabeth Jane Williams, S qtr, 1885, Whitehaven, vol. 10B/599; citing General Register Office, Southport.
5. ↑ "Search the GRO Online Index," database, HM Passport Office (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp : accessed 19 May 2020), birth registration of Thomas Hall Williams, D qtr, 1887, Whitehaven, vol. 10B/585; citing General Register Office, Southport.
6. ↑ New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs, "Births, Deaths & Marriages Online," database, (https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz : accessed 19 May 2020), birth registration of Joseph Hall Williams, child of Margaret Ann and Joseph; citing registration no. 1890/17302.
7. ↑ New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs, "Births, Deaths & Marriages Online," database, (https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz : accessed 19 May 2020), birth registration of Mary Maria Williams, child of Margaret Ann and Joseph; citing registration no. 1893/2923.
8. ↑ New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs, "Births, Deaths & Marriages Online," database, (https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz : accessed 19 May 2020), birth registration of Minnie Triphienoh Williams, child of Margaret Ann and Joseph; citing registration no. 1895/9863.
9. ↑ New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs, "Births, Deaths & Marriages Online," database, (https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz: accessed 23 June 2019), birth registration of Mary Henry Williams, child of Margaret Ann and Joseph; citing registration no. 1897/1273.
10. ↑ New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs, "Births, Deaths & Marriages Online," database, (https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz : accessed 19 May 2020), birth registration of Lilian Josephine Williams, child of Margaret Ann and Joseph; citing registration no. 1899/17071.
11. ↑ "WAIPUKURAU.," Waipawa Mail, Volume XVIII, Issue 3047, 15 March 1894, Page 2.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} "NOT GUILTY.," Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVIII, Issue LVIII, 7 February 1910, Page 5.