Ralph Champneys Williams

Sir Ralph Champneys Williams
CMG
Governor of Newfoundland
In office
1909–1913
Monarch Edward VII
George V
Preceded by Sir William MacGregor
Succeeded by Sir Walter Edward Davidson
Governor of the Windward Islands
In office
1906–1909
Monarch Edward VII
Preceded by Sir Robert Baxter Llewelyn
Succeeded by Sir James Hayes Sadler
Resident Commissioner in Bechuanaland
In office
January 1901  1906
Monarch Victoria
Edward VII
Governor The Lord Milner
The Earl of Selborne
Preceded by Sir Hamilton Goold-Adams
Succeeded by Francis William Panzera
Personal details
Born 9 March 1848
Holyhead, Anglesey
United Kingdom
Died 22 June 1927(1927-06-22) (aged 79)
London, United Kingdom
Nationality British

Sir Ralph Champneys Williams CMG (9 March 1848 – 22 June 1927) was a British colonial governor.

Life and career

Williams was educated at The King's School, Chester, and at Rossall School. He joined the colonial service in 1884 and his first post was to Bechuanaland. He then served at Pretoria, South Africa, Gibraltar and Barbados, for which he was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1901 New Year Honours List.[1] In early 1901 he returned to Bechuanaland as Resident Commissioner at the height of the Second Boer War.[2] Williams was governor of the Windward Islands prior to his appointment as governor of Newfoundland in 1909.

While governor of Newfoundland Williams travelled throughout the island and the coast of Labrador. He was opposed to confederation with Canada and desired to maintain Newfoundland's individuality and hold fast Britain's last tie to North America. In 1913 he published his memoirs, How I Became a Governor.

Legacy

Two Newfoundland towns were renamed for him: Salmon Cove, Trinity Bay, became Champneys, and Greenspond, White Bay, became Williamsport.

See also

References

  1. The London Gazette: no. 27261. p. 2. 1 January 1901.
  2. "WILLIAMS, Ralph Champneys". Who's Who. 59: 1900. 1907.
Government offices
Preceded by
Hamilton John Goold-Adams
Resident Commissioner of Bechuanaland
1901–06
Succeeded by
Francis William Panzera
Preceded by
Sir Robert Baxter Llewelyn
Governor of the Windward Islands
1906–09
Succeeded by
Sir James Hayes Sadler
Preceded by
Sir William Macgregor
Dominion Governor of Newfoundland
1909–13
Succeeded by
Sir Walter Edward Davidson
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