Portrait of John Williams and a block of wood from the seat of Reverend James Chalmer's (Tamate) boat, 8 April 1901

PXB 570

fonds

8 April 1901

Graphic Materials, Objects, Prints

913818

1 print - lithograph - 7 x 5.5 cm. (inside frame)
1 commemorative object - wood - 8 x 9 cm.

John Williams, (1796-1839), missionary, was born on 27 June 1796 at Tottenham High Cross, London, the son of John Williams and Hannah (?) Maidment. His ancestors on his father's side had been Baptists for many generations. His mother was influenced by the Calvinistic Methodist movement and brought her son up as a Congregationalist. Williams was taught writing and arithmetic at Lower Edmonton; he was apprenticed to an ironmonger in 1810 and was soon entrusted with the management of the business. In 1814 he underwent an Evangelical conversion and became a member of the Tabernacle Church (Calvinistic Methodist). He was taught grammar and exegesis by Rev. Matthew Wilks and in 1816 volunteered for missionary service with the London Missionary Society. John Williams, Robert Bourne (1794-1871), David Darling (1790-1867), and George Platt (1789-1865) formed the third party of missionaries to arrive in the islands after the nominal conversion of Tahiti in 1815

Reference:
Australian Dictionary of Biography. http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/williams-john-2793 (accessed 27 March, 2012)

James Chalmers, (1841-1901), was a Scottish born missionary, nicknamed 'Tamate' by the Rarotongans and was murdered in New Guinea

Reference:
Wholesome Worlds. http://www.wholesomewords.org/missions/bchalmer2.html (accessed 27 March, 2012)

Block of wood is inscribed (on paper glued to the wood), 'Piece of the seat of Tamate's boat. Coaribari, April 8 1901. (boat presented to the Mission by Mrs Chalmers just before her death)

Out of copyright:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Pic.Acc. Upgrade Project - Information transferred from Pic.Acc.1837 as part of the eRecords Project 2011-2012

Portrait has printed notes, 'G. Baxter Sculp', 'London. John Snow. Paternoster Row' and apparent manuscript note, 'yours affy J Williams'. Also manuscript note in ink, 'pub.? 1840'