The Rev John Williams was sent to the South Pacific by the London Missionary Society and he did a lot to introduce Christianity into the region. He travelled with his wife Mary and they had ten children, with only three surviving to adulthood. He also travelled with fellow missionaries, William Ellis and James Harris.
Williams was trained as a mechanic and foundry worker but, at the age of 20, found his calling. He moved through the Pacific for over 20 years spreading the word of the Gospel. He started in the Society Islands (Tahiti) in 1817 and then went to The Cook Islands, taking Tahitian converts with him for extra backup. He visited both Aitutaki and Rarotonga and built churches. On a return to England in 1934 he supervised the printing of the New Testament into Rarotongan.
He was also a big hit in Samoa. A local prophet had predicted that a white ‘man of God’ would arrive by ship and when that ship lobbed on the island of Savai’i he was given an amazing welcome. He was the first missionary to arrive in Savai’i and Upolu and the Gospel was well-received.
No doubt Williams and Harris thought they were on a roll when they ventured to Vanuatu (New Hebrides) in 1839 but when they arrived on the island of Erromango, they were promptly killed and eaten. The Good Lord works in mysterious ways!
Painting of Rev Williams by George Baxter 1843