Samuel "Yankie Sam" Williams first arrived in Timaru as a whaler, and returned with his wife as one of Timaru’s first European settlers, and the father of Timaru's recorded European babies. He is a foundational figure whose life mirrors the struggles, grit, and transformation of 19th-century New Zealand. From harpooning whales in the waters off Caroline Bay to guiding one of the country’s great pastoral expansions and founding Timaru’s first public house, Sam’s story is inseparable from the story of the region itself. His legacy survives not just in place names or historical reenactments, but in the enduring cultural memory of South Canterbury. His name appears in early legal records, his home hosted the launch of one of New Zealand’s oldest newspapers, and his descendants now number in the hundreds across New Zealand and Australia. Sam Williams represents the archetype of the untrained but essential colonial pioneer — whose ambition and resilience helped lay the foundations of modern communities. His relevance today lies in how we remember and honor the lives that shaped our towns, industries, and cultural identity.
Brothers William and George Rhodes founded the Levels run in South Canterbury in 1851. They used the sheltered shore at Timaru, the site of an abandoned whalingstation, to land stores and ship wool.
The grave of Samuel Williams errected for him by his friends. Timaru Cemetery. General Section, Row 9, Plot 10
Sam’s Legacy to Timaru
- First permanent European settler of Timaru.
- Transitioned from whaling to pastoral development, influencing the expansion of sheep farming.
- Key figure in greeting the Strathallan, hosting community events, and establishing hospitality services.
- Referenced in the Macdonald Dictionary of Canterbury Biography and other regional histories.
- Estimated to have over 820 descendants across Australia and New Zealand.
Over 35 whale ship captains from New England (in the north-eastern United States) visited New Zealand between the 1790s and 1850s, long before planes or fast ships. These whalers helped map the Pacific, named over 400 islands, and were among the first to trade with Māori, helping to connect New Zealand to the wider world for the first time.
Samuel Williams (c 1817 joined the crew list of the Charles and Henry, a whaling ship that departed Edgartown, Massachusetts, in 1836 for the Pacific. They say he jumped ship in Sydney before arriving in New Zealand around 1839. He joined the Weller Brothers' whaling station in Timaru as a boat steerer and harpooner and was responsible for steering the whaleboat during hunts and delivering the harpoon strike at close range, a dangerous and critical role.
The Weller Brothers—Joseph, Edward, and George—were Englishmen based in Sydney, Australia, and Otago, New Zealand. They were founders of a major whaling station at Otago Harbour, and whaling operations along the South Island's east coast. and were among New Zealand’s most substantial merchant traders in the 1830s.
The Weller brothers began buying and selling land and were among New Zealand’s most substantial merchant traders in the 1830s. The Wellers’ station was the beginning of permanent European occupation in the greater Dunedin district - said to have founded the port of Otago 17 years before the first Scottish settlers arrived. They built jetties, storehouses, wharf buildings, and dwellings. The Dublin Packet and the Joseph Weller made up the trading fleet with the Lucy Ann, and soon their oil and whalebone were being shipped out in large quantities. In addition they built up a steady trade in timber, spars, flax, potatoes, dried fish, Maori artefacts, and even tattooed Maori heads which were in keen demand in Sydney. It served as both a whaling station and a trading post. It was highly profitable through the 1830s. The first shipment of 180 tuns of whale oil from the Weller Bros station reached Sydney on Lucy Ann in November 1833. Joseph Weller died of consumption in 1835 but Edward soldiered on alone, while an older brother looked after business while living in Sydney. Edward married Paparu, daughter of the Ōtākou chief Tahatu, and had a daughter with her named Fanny. After Paparu’s death in 1836 he married chief Taiaroa’s daughter Nikuru and had a second daughter, Nani.
Further Weller whaling stations were established northwards to Timaru and south to Taieri Island. Ōtākou was the biggest of them all, a hub of European settlement in the southern part of New Zealand with over a hundred permanent residents. Then, quite suddenly, the whaling industry collapsed, possibly impacted by tariff difficulties. By 1840 the Wellers’ business at Ōtākou was in sharp decline and there was a powerful new rival in the person of John Jones at nearby Waikouaiti. At the end of that year Edward Weller set sail for Sydney, never to return. He had been ill, his second wife had died, and there seemed little future for him in Otago. He spent his final years in rural New South Wales, farming and living alone. He drowned there in a flood in 1893.
In 1836, the ship, ‘the Sydney Packet’ arrived at Ōtākou with a few influenza cases on board. Immediately the disease attacked the Māori and the people died in the hundreds reducing the population to an alarming degree.
The Treaty of Waitangi gave the Crown the exclusive right to buy Māori land. On 15 February 1840 two men signed an agreement with five Maori chiefs who transferred the ownership of virtually the whole of the South Island and Stewart Island for a cash payment of £100, and a 50 annuity for the principal chief and lesser amounts for the others. George was also facing financial hardship and following a costly and futile battle to legalise their property rights, he filed for bankruptcy in February 1841. After sovereignty was claimed in New Zealand in 1840, settlers and land speculators were obliged to defend their land titles. The Weller Brothers filed thirteen claims for land acquired in New Zealand but all were thrown out. Octavious Harwood bought the Weller Bros Otago station in 1841.
Samuel Williams was part of the original party sent to Timaru, travelling aboard the Weller Brothers’ sailing vessel Caroline - according to a book published by his decedents. A small group was already operating at the Timaru site by 1839. The main party did not arrive until April 1840, travelling from Australia on the barque Sarah Ann Elizabeth. Octavius Harwood, a foreman and clerk at the Weller Brothers’ Otago Station, recorded that Samuel Williams was the leader of the Timaru party.
After the closure of the Weller Brothers’ Timaru whaling station in March 1841, the shore party dispersed to various other whaling posts. While some went to Otago, the majority relocated to Banks Peninsula, where they were employed by Hempelman at his Paraki Station. Samuel Williams accompanied this group and, due to his extensive whaling experience, was given charge of the Island Bay Fishery, which was then owned by the Greenwood family. In 1848, he transferred to George Rhodes’ station at Goashore, now known as Akaroa, where he remained until his eventual departure for Australia. In 1849, preparations began for the arrival of the Canterbury Association Pioneers. Their agent and chief surveyor, Captain Joseph Thomas, required detailed information on the land south of the Association’s territory and appointed Charles Torlesse to conduct a survey. Before setting out, Torlesse consulted Samuel Williams, who was then residing at Goashore, to learn about the nature of the South Canterbury landscape. This consultation is recorded in the Torlesse Papers, with an entry dated February 23, 1849, noting Torlesse’s arrival at Rhodes’ Whaling Station around 8 p.m. and his discussion with Williams after encountering difficulties with his horses.
In April 1849, Charles Torlesse returned from his southern survey and stayed with Captain Stokes on the Akaroa Peninsula, where he completed a report describing the promising tracts of sheep country in South Canterbury. Rhodes’ Station on the Peninsula had become a key hub for travelers, and Torlesse's firsthand insights, combined with Samuel Williams’ and other whalers’ favorable opinions, influenced the Rhodes brothers to invest in the Timaru district and pursue land away from the jurisdiction of the Canterbury Association. Samuel Williams, known for his deep knowledge of the unoccupied regions of South Canterbury, escorted George and possibly Barney Rhodes overland in 1850 to the area’s first pastoral leases near Timaru. A licence was later sought for 150,000 acres, and Williams briefly acted as caretaker of the property. Though he was not a trained farmer, he contributed to the region’s early pastoral development. According to Tales from Banks Peninsula, the Island Bay Fishery was originally owned by Messrs W. Green, followed by George Rhodes, with Williams—known as "Yankee Sam"—serving as a whaler there. When gold was discovered near Melbourne, Williams left for the goldfields in 1851. There is no record of him marrying before leaving New Zealand, but since his daughter Rebecca was born in Ballarat in 1854, it is assumed he married Ann Manry shortly after arriving in Australia. Disappointed by his goldfields experience, Williams returned to Timaru at the earliest opportunity. Henry Sewell’s 1856 journal noted Williams’ return and a night spent at Rhodes’ old cottage. By September 22, 1856, Samuel and Ann Williams were settled in a daub cottage on Caroline Bay beach. As one of Timaru’s first permanent residents, Williams became the father of the town’s first white child, William Williams, who was reportedly cradled in a gin case.
In 1851, George Rhodes and his employees erected the first permanent cottage on Timaru Beach, described by Colonel O.A. Gillespie as the only habitation between Lake Ellesmere and the Waitaki River at the time. The structure, made of battens and clay with a tussock-thatched roof, marked the beginning of settlement in South Canterbury. A plaque was later placed in 1955 to commemorate the site. In 1857, Archdeacon Harper noted during his journey from Christchurch to Moeraki that the entire white population of Timaru consisted of Samuel Williams, his wife, and their son—indicating their status as the town’s first permanent European residents. Although the Archdeacon did not mention Rebecca, their daughter, she was likely nearby. Harper recorded meeting Mrs. Williams and described their home by the sea as a solitary hut occupied by “an old whaler, his wife and son.” Williams shared tales of his whaling days and showed Harper try-pots still on the beach. Before Harper’s departure to Waimate, Williams provided directions. Meanwhile, Rhodes’ “Levels” Station received its first sheep in 1851, initiating the pastoral development of Canterbury. By 1856, with growing land settlement, there was a demand for lodging, and Samuel and Ann Williams began hosting travelers in their cob cottage. Their guests included prominent figures such as Henry Sewell, Dr. Rayner, Charles Torlesse, and others. Lodging conditions were basic, often just bare floors or rough bunks with limited food. In 1858, Samuel Williams formally applied for and received a publican’s licence. At that time, only three other licences existed in the Timaru district—held by John Giles (Orari), Joseph Deans (Arowhenua), and Henry Cain—though Williams had been operating as a publican unofficially before receiving his licence.
Colonel O.A. Gillespie, in South Canterbury: A Record of Settlement, described the first pioneer cottage in Timaru, erected by George Rhodes and his employees on Timaru Beach in 1851. At the time, there were no other habitations between Lake Ellesmere and the Waitaki River. This simple structure, built from battens and clay with a tussock-thatched roof, marked the beginning of European settlement in South Canterbury and was later commemorated with a plaque on George Street in 1955. In 1857, Archdeacon Harper visited the region and was warmly welcomed by Samuel Williams, his wife, and son—the only white residents of Timaru at that time—confirming their status as its first permanent European family. Although their daughter Rebecca is not mentioned, she was likely nearby. Harper’s journal described their primitive sea-facing hut and noted Williams' engaging whaling stories and the presence of old try-pots still on the beach. In the same year, the Rhodes family brought the first sheep to their “Levels” station, catalyzing rapid pastoral development across Canterbury. As more settlers arrived, there was growing demand for lodging. Samuel and Ann Williams helped meet this need by turning their cob cottage into a store and lodging house that hosted early travelers, including prominent figures like Henry Sewell, Dr. Rayner, Charles Torlesse, and others. With few alternatives, travelers often slept on bare floors or in rough bunks. In April 1858, Williams officially obtained a publican’s licence, joining just three others in the Timaru district—John Giles, Joseph Deans, and Henry Cain—though he had already been operating as an innkeeper unofficially.
In the mid-1860s, Samuel Williams faced personal and professional difficulties. Around 1860, his first wife, Ann (née Manry), collapsed and died at the doorway of the Timaru Hotel, a loss that deeply affected him as she had provided stability and guidance. In 1861, he married Mary Ann Gardner, who had been the governess to his children. Their union produced one daughter, Emily, but the 25-year age gap and differences in temperament led to domestic discord. Williams struggled with the situation, eventually resorting to court in early 1865 to recover outstanding debts. He sold his interest in the Timaru Hotel to John Melton, with the Deed of Sale now preserved as a historical record in the Timaru Public Library. According to the Timaru Herald on February 7, 1865, the court granted the hotel licence transfer to Melton. Later, Williams ran hotels at Birdling Flat and the Hotel Wellington in Christchurch, both thriving ventures during a time when hotels were vital social hubs. Though he remained in Christchurch for several years, he returned to Timaru, where he died on June 29, 1883, at the age of 64. He was buried near the cemetery gates in Timaru, behind the caretaker's house. A blue gravestone was erected by friends, commemorating him as the oldest resident and a key pioneer of Timaru. His death notice appeared in the Timaru Herald on June 30, 1883.
At Timaru, they set up stations at Caroline Bay and Patiti Point, strategically located to exploit the migratory paths of southern right and sperm whales.
The shore-based boats typically targeted right whales, which entered bays on the high tide and exited on the ebb. Sperm whaling continued offshore, but the rising demand for baleen (whalebone) shifted focus to right whales.
Some say the whalers named Caroline Bay after a whale supply ship. The name "Caroline" first appears in records from December 4, 1839, during the sale of more than one million acres of land by Māori to the Weller Brothers. which regularly dropped anchor to collect whale oil. A newspaper recorded the Caroline arriving at Timaru with a cargo of whale oil and whalebone, shortly after returning from a southern whaling expedition.
The Weller Brothers employed mixed crews of Europeans and Māori. Known names from the 1840 whaling gangs in Timaru include Charles Watkins, Robert Ridley, Robert Thompson, Robert Stevens, John Hannah, and John Anderson. Māori crew members such as Tomahawk and Rootie also contributed significantly. Sam's closest friends and fellow whalers were "Long John Coffin" and "Billy the Bull". It’s also noted that the popular sea shanty “Soon May the Wellerman Come”—later made famous on TikTok—may have been sung by the early whalers on these shores more than 180 years ago.
Whales were pulled ashore at Caroline Bay. A small stream called Pohatu-koko, nicknamed Whales Creek, flowed nearby. This site is now commemorated by a whale pot located at the viaduct entrance beneath the railway bridge.
The whaling station was initially productive, but over-harvesting soon made the once-abundant whale population unsustainable. The Weller Brothers declared bankruptcy in 1841, ending shore-based whaling in Timaru.
Following the collapse of the whaling stations, Samuel Williams left for Akaroa, where he found employment as a farmhand for George and William Rhodes at Kaituna Station near Akaroa. Lived at Goashore and Ohahoa during this period.
Samuel Williams observed that the land was becoming overstocked. Drawing from his experience during the whaling years at Caroline Bay and knowledge of the South Canterbury coastline, He advised George Rhodes to explore the grasslands around Timaru. Which had freshwater streams, open tussock-covered plains, and accessible beach landings ideal for stock movement and shipping. Acting on Sam’s recommendation, George Rhodes personally investigated the area and confirmed its pastoral value. This pivotal advice directly influenced the Rhodes brothers’ acquisition of grazing licenses in the region and laid the foundation for the establishment of South Canterbury's agricultural economy.
Brothers George, William and Robert Rhodes applied for land in South Canterbury, between the Opihi and Pareora Rivers, in late 1850 and 1851. In 1851 Williams helped the Rhodes move stock to South Canterbury. And oversaw the initial settlement and livestock management. A daub cottage was constructed by Rhodes by the landing site for ships, a the foot of what is now George Street. They used an area by the sheltered shore at Timaru, the site of an abandoned whaling station, to land stores and ship wool. At first George managed the Levels from near Timaru's pre-breakwater landing place, and there he brought his bride, Elizabeth Wood, whom he had married on 31 May 1854 at Lyttelton. The couple then moved out to the Levels, where they built a house and raised a family of five sons and a daughter. In 1855 some sheep were stolen from the Levels station, by James Mackenzie. George's life was productive but brief. He died of typhoid fever at Purau on 18 June 1864. In Timaru, street names such as George Street and Elizabeth Street honour the Rhodes family still. Today the business centre of Timaru stands on the first 126 acres of land freeholded by the brothers, who had the foresight and sagacity to realise that any future town lay opposite the best landing places on the beach. No doubt generous gifts of sites for schools, churches, and other institutions helped to popularise this area, but time has proved the wisdom of these men. One of George's sons, A. E. G. Rhodes (1859-1922), was a member of the House of Representatives, and Mayor of Christchurch in 1901. Elizabeth remarried to Arthur Perry, and lived at the 18 roomed Beverley Estate, a very different home to see her days out from the basic cottage she first lived in when arriving to Timaru.
It was 20 foot long and only had three walls! Around 1000 sheep had been herded out of Purau and now South Canterbury had its first sheep station.
In 1851 gold was first discovered near Ballarat, drawing thousands of hopeful prospectors from across the world to the Victorian goldfields. Sam Williams travelled to the Ballarat goldfields in Victoria during the early phase of the Victorian gold rush seeking fortune in this new land of opportunity. Life on the goldfields was harsh and uncertain, with only a small percentage of miners striking it rich. The boom led to chaos and administrative difficulties for the colonial government. In response, the Victorian government implemented a gold licence system in 1851. This was deeply unpopular among the miners, who organized petitions and protests. Tensions escalated into conflict. In 1854, near Ballarat, around 500 miners constructed and defended a makeshift fort known as the Eureka Stockade in protest of the licence system. The colonial government sent soldiers to dismantle it, leading to the deaths of 22 miners in a brief but significant clash. Although the government technically won the battle, public outcry forced them to abandon the gold licence. It was replaced with the more equitable miner’s right.
During this period, Sam met and married Ann Mahoney (also recorded as Manry), born circa 1823 in County Cork, Ireland. They had their first child together, Rebecca Williams was born in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, in 1854.
1856 Williams returned to Timaru with wife Ann and daughter Rebecca. They moved into the cottage that George Rhodes had built beside what is now the Landing Service Building. On September 22, 1856, their son William Williams was born, was the first recorded European child born in Timaru. His cradle was famously a converted gin case.
Archdeacon Harper, on his first trip south, christened William in the cottage, which became a symbolic cornerstone of the town’s early settlement.
As South Canterbury slowly attracted more settlers beyond the large runholders, there was growing demand for accommodation.
Williams and his wife converted their cottage into a general store and informal inn, providing supplies and shelter to travellers. This marked the beginning of his career as a hotelkeeper and community host.
1857 The Wiliams convert the house into a general store and informal lodging. He was Registered as a storekeeper and householder (No. 57) in Timaru's first electoral roll in 1858.
1857 Woollcombe arrived as the Government's Representative.
1857 Captain Cain arrived to establish a general store and landing service for Henry Le Cren.
1859 The first ship to sail direct from the UK to Timaru, SS Strathallan arrived in 1859 bringing a boost for the towns population, When the immigrants arrived, it was noted in a diary that there were only five houses in sight. And the williams home would have been one of them.
Williams was 42 years old when the immigrant ship Strathallan arrived in Timaru on January 14, 1859, bringing over 120 settlers from the UK. He was was one of the first three people, along with Mr. Woollcombe and Captain Cain to row out and greet the ship as it anchored off the coast. The Strathallan sailed directly from the UK to Timaru, leaving behind 110 passengers in 1859. One lady on board, wrote in her diary, that if Timaru was a ¼ of the size of London, she would be happy. Imagine her surprise on arrival when she discovered there were only 5 houses in sight!
At the time, his lean-to addition to the cottage to meet licensing requirements for hotel operation.
A settler’s diary entry from that day noted how immigrant women, sunburned from washing clothes on the beach, went to "Old Sam’s" cottage for relief. Sam's wife, humorously advised them to "take a little inside and rub a little outside."
Elizabeth and George Rhodes' first child George William Wood, was born 1855 and died August 9 1859 at Timaru, aged 4 years.
1860 Williams wife Ann Williams passed away, leaving Sam with two children. "Nov. 16, at Timaru, Ann, the wife of Mr. Samuel Williams, of the Timaru Hotel, aged 35 years." - Lyttelton Times, Volume XIV, Issue 840, 28 November 1860, Page 4
1861 He married Mary Ann Gardner, age 19, who had worked as a nurse for his children. Sam and Mary had one daughter, Emily Williams.
1862 Mary Ann left Sam and moved to the West Coast. Sam placed a newspaper advert stating he was not responsible for her debts. Described as a "kind old Irish lady," offered a pannikin of homemade remedy and
March 1860 Williams became Timaru’s first official publican and formally opened the first permanent hotel in Timaru — the Timaru Hotel. The building was constructed by George Rhodes, while Sam provided the interior furnishings. This establishment became the social hub of the growing town and marked the full professionalization of his role as a publican.
Just two years later On March 7, 1862, the Timaru Hotel occupied by Samuel Williams was destroyed by fire around 2 a.m. The fire was first discovered by the hotel cook, but flames had already reached the verandah rooms by the time the alarm was raised. Despite the rapid arrival of townspeople and efforts to extinguish the blaze, it was quickly evident the fire could not be controlled. With 15 guests inside and evacuated safely, Williams prioritized their safety, guiding all to safety despite the danger. He lost everything in the fire except for his books, as he focused entirely on rescue efforts. The building, owned by Messrs. Rhodes, was insured; however, Williams' furnishings and goods were not. The fire originated in a small parlour at the rear of the hotel, near the verandah. Witnesses testified that no one had entered the room after 10 or 11 p.m. Sam had closed the window before retiring, but it was later found open as the fire took hold.
Suspicion soon fell on Hugh Williams, who had threatened Sam the night before with remarks like "I'll blow him to blazes." Hugh was arrested the next day, claiming he had slept under a tussock. A Coroner’s inquest was held the following day and concluded that the fire was deliberate. The jury found Hugh Williams responsible, and he was later sentenced to death on June 19, 1862. (Note the Canterbury Museum has a record that Sam Williams was suspected for arson, but I wonder if that is a spelling mistake and got confused with Hugh. Hugh was reported in the News Papers at the time.
By 1864 there were around 400 people here, and the first wool bales were sailing direct from Timaru to London. On June 11, 1864, an ambitious 20-year-old Yorkshireman, Alfred George Horton, ran the first copies of the newspaper off a printing hand press at the Timaru home of former goldminer and whaler, Sam “Yankie” Williams. That first eight-page issue was published as a weekly, but the paper soon became a daily — one of the oldest daily newspapers in New Zealand. It followed soon after The Press (weekly from 1861), The New Zealand Herald (1863), and the Otago Daily Times (1861), which claims the title of the country’s oldest daily.
On August 2, 1864, Williams successfully pursued a partial debt claim against W.K. Samuels in the Timaru court for whiskey and a loan. He was awarded £1 17s 3d. On September 2, 1864, Williams was again defrauded by Doran, who provided a second false cheque while lodging at his hotel. Doran was convicted and sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment.
In 1864, his former boss, and friend George Rhodes, returned to Purau to help out with Sheep Dipping season and spent a few days up to his waist in the freezing dip. Tragically, George caught a chill from the dip and died aged 47. He died 13 years after moving the first flock of 5,000 sheep with his brother Robert in 1851, helped by several men (which I think included Samuel Williams), from Banks Peninsula to the uninhabited Timaru area, and built a very small 20ft long cottage at the Timaru sea side in 1851 now George Street. His death spelt the end of the Rhodes brothers being in business together. The Levels and Purau were sold with Robert moving his family to the estate of Elmwood in Christchurch, now the suburb of Elmwood. The Levels was purchased by a former Rhodes employee, Mr Orbell. (From 1865 the station was managed by Donald McLean, under the general management of WS Davison of the New Zealand and Australian Land Company. Charles Orbell then managed the property from 1876 until 1904, when it was acquired by the government and broken up in to smaller farm lots. Orbell, who was chairman of the Levels County Council, bought the homestead block and lived there until his death in 1925. Orbell’s son held the property in the 1940s, around the time when Acland published his history of the Canterbury runs. In 1946 the Levels cottage between Timaru and Pleasant Point was given to the South Canterbury Historical Society and it was subsequently restored in time to mark the centenary of ‘The Levels’ station.) Elizabeth Rhodes was one of the first European women to settle in South Canterbury. In 1954 she rode down with her husband, George Rhodes on a seven day journey that included crossing rivers becore there were bridges. George and Elizabeth moved into a small cottage that sat on Timaru’s shoreline, and after a short time, moved to The Levels Station where they raisied their family in a basic slab hut.
When George died in 1864, The Levels was sold and Elizabeth purchased Linwood House which stood behind the present Timaru District Council chambers. In 1867 Elizabeth married Arthur Perry, a barrister from Tasmania who had commenced a law practice in Timaru. They remained at Linwood until 1873 when they purchased Beverley from Henry Le Cren. This was a large house on eight hectares of land at the junction of Wai-iti Rd and the Great North Road, now Highway 1. It was to become a garden of note in the district. The property was purchase by D.C Turnbull. The house was used by returned service men and the base of the RSA for many years. The area was subdivided and many homes in the neighbourhood were designed by David Clarkson Turnbulls architect brother James Turnbull.
February 1865 Sam sold the hotel to John Melton; the deed was reportedly held at Timaru Public Library. Williams moved north from Timaru for several years. Became licensee of a Beach Arms at hotel at Birdling’s Flat, a small settlement near Lake Ellesmere. Later operated the old Hotel Wellington in on Thames Street Christchurch.
1879 Employed as a ganger on the Canterbury railways.
He may have witnessed the Wreck of the Benvenue, one of many key historical events during his lifetime.
Died in Timaru on June 29, 1883, at the age of 67, and his headstone was placed by his friends.
According to a reflection by his grandson, "He shared the fate of many unskilled and uneducated pioneer adventurers — inability to contend with well-organised and experienced men of business of a later period."
Died reportedly alone and in poor circumstances.
Buried in Timaru Cemetery, General Section, Row 9, Plot 10.
On April 8, 1940, during Timaru's centennial celebrations, Sam Williams was honoured in a pageant reenacting the landing of the Strathallan, commemorating his foundational role in settling Timaru and establishing hospitality services.
Joseph Price’s Whaleboat Crew
Active Period: 1835–1844
Notable Crew Member: Wm. Reid
This listing is part of the documented whaleboat crews during the peak of the southern New Zealand shore-based whaling industry. The information is sourced directly from South Canterbury Museum whaling display.
Joseph Price served as headman for one of the Weller Brothers' whaling establishments located at Hikuraki Bay, on Banks Peninsula. His leadership contributed significantly to the operations and success of the whaling venture in that region.
Thomas Brown was the headman at the Timaru whaling station, another key site in the whaling network of early colonial New Zealand.
The 1840 Gang: Sam Williams, Chas. Watkings, Robt. Ridley, Robt Thompson, Robt Stevens, John Hannah, John Anderson, John Jennett, John Peter, Joseph Clark, Peter Johnson, James Rankin, Win. Mozzaroni, Win. Reid, Irvine Fisher, Robt. Hollis, Thos. Floor – cooper, Win Smith – carpenter, John Lewis - (Source: South Canterbury Museum whaling display)
Timeline
1862 - The Timaru Hotel, occupied by Sam Williams, was destroyed by fire on March 7th, with Williams losing everything while heroically saving his lodgers, and Hugh Williams was later arrested and charged with arson following an inquest. We have received an authentic account of the destruction of the Timaru Hotel, occupied by Mr. S. Williams, which was consumed by fire at about 2 o'clock in the morning on March 7th. The fire was first discovered by the cook of the hotel, who immediately raised the alarm. However, the flames had already reached the roof above the verandah rooms. Despite attempts to extinguish it by the many townspeople who quickly gathered, it soon became clear that the fire could not be controlled. Efforts were then focused on saving Mr. Beswick’s store. There were fifteen people sleeping in the hotel that night. Though everyone managed to escape, the dense smoke and uncertainty about the fire’s origin left no opportunity to retrieve personal belongings. Most guests suffered some degree of loss. The greatest loss fell upon Sam Williams, who is now absolutely ruined, having saved only his books. He could have recovered some property but instead dedicated all his energy to rescuing the hotel’s occupants. He is to be commended for prioritizing human life over personal possessions. The fire originated in a small parlour at the back of the hotel, partially formed by the verandah. This room had not been used for a day or two. When first seen, flames were emerging from the window and roof. Though there was little or no wind, the fire spread so rapidly that within two hours, only two blackened chimneys remained—standing like memorials to the building’s destruction. The building belonged to Messrs. Rhodes and was insured, but the furniture, which belonged to Sam Williams, was not. Suspicion of arson quickly fell on a man named Hugh Williams, who had been heard threatening Sam Williams the previous night with phrases like "I'll blow him to blazes." He was apprehended by police the next morning and claimed he had spent the night sleeping under a tussock. A Coroner’s inquest was held the following day. Several witnesses, including Hugh Williams, were examined. All agreed the fire started in the aforementioned parlour. The hotel’s staff testified that no one had entered the room after 10 or 11 o’clock that night. Mr. Williams himself had shut the window when closing up for the night—but when the fire was discovered, it was found wide open. Further testimony highlighted repeated threats made by Hugh Williams, as well as his odd behavior during the fire. After hearing all the evidence from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the jury returned a verdict: “The fire was the act of an incendiary, and in their opinion, Hugh Williams was the man who set fire to the building.” Hugh Williams has since been examined by the Resident Magistrate at Timaru and committed for trial at the next court sessions. - Lyttelton Times, Volume XVII, Issue 979, 29 March 1862, Page 4
"TIMARU.
(From the Lyttelton Times, March 29.) We have received an authentic account of the destruction of tho Timaru Hotel, in the occupation of Mr. S. Williams, by fire, about. Q o'clock on the morning of the 7th of March. The fire was first observed by the cook of the hotel, who immediately gave tho alarm, but it had already commenced to burn the roof of the verandah rooms, and although an attempt to extinguish it was made by the people who very soon assembled in large numbers, it was given up as hopeless, and their energies directed to saving Mr. Beswick’s store. There were no less than fifteen people sleeping in the hotel that night, and although they had time to save themselves, yet the uncertainty of the whereabouts of the fire (for the house was filled with smoke) gave, them no time to think of saving their property : consequently most of the lodgers suffered more or less loss. But the greatest loss has fallen upon Sam Williams, who is absolutely piped, having saved nothing but his books. He could have saved some of his property hud not his whole thought and energy ibeen directed to getting his lodgers safe out ol the burning building ; and great credit is due to him for the manner in which, laying iside all thought of his - own property, lie exerted himself to prevent any chance of the destruction of human life. The flames when first seen were coming out of the window and through the roof of a small parlour at the back of the house, partly formed by the verandah, and which hud not been used for a day or two Although there was little or no wind at the time, it soon became evident that nothing could save the building. The pro gress of the flames was so rapid that in about a couple of hours nothing remained but the two blackened chimneys, rendering desolation more complete by looking like monuments erected to its memory. The house, which belonged to Messrs. Rhodes, is insured, but the furniture, which belonged to Sam Williams, was not. Suspicion of incendiarism having fallen upon a man named Hugh Williams, who had been threatening Sam Williams the night before to blow him to blazes and other places, he was taken charge of by the police, and lodged in jail for that morning. The only account he could give of himself was that he had been sleeping under a tussock. Next day a Coroner’s inquest was held, and several witnesses examined, Hugh Williams among others; they all agreed that the fire commenced in the little parlour mentioned before, and the evidence of the servants of the house went to show that after ten or eleven o’clock, no one had been in that room, and that, when the house was shut up for the night the window of the parlour was shut by Mr. Williams himself, and when the fire was ob served, the window was wide open. The examination of other witnesses went to show that threats had several times been used by Hugh Williams against Sam Williams, and also his very strange behaviour during the fire. The jury, after sitting from 11 till 0 o’clock, hearing witnesses, came to the decision that the fire was the act of an incendiary, and that in tbeir opinion Hugh Williams was the man that set fire to the building. He has since been examined by the Resident Magistrate at Timaru, and committed for trial at the next sessions." - https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZSCSG18620412.2.12?end_date=15-04-1862&items_per_page=10&query=Williams&snippet=true&start_date=15-04-1850
9 July 1864 - On July 2, 1864, at the Resident Magistrate's Court in Timaru, before B. Woollcombe, Esq., R.M., Thomas Doran, also known as T. Doran alias Murray, was charged with obtaining money under false pretences. Sergeant William Henry James testified that on February 17, he was informed by Mr. Samuel Williams, a publican in Timaru, that a man matching the accused’s description had fraudulently obtained £19 7s. 6d. by presenting a cheque that was later dishonoured by the Lyttelton bank. Williams had accepted the cheque from Doran after the latter claimed to have funds in Lyttelton. Doran stayed at Williams’ hotel and gave him two cheques, including one for £10 and another for £19 7s. 6d., which Williams endorsed and later passed on to Mr. Bartley, a storeman at Mr. Beswick’s. The cheque was returned marked "no account." Robert Chisholm, the Bank of New Zealand agent in Timaru, confirmed that he had filled out the body of the cheque for Doran and that Doran claimed to be expecting funds from Lyttelton, which never arrived. Chisholm confirmed that the cheque was dishonoured and marked accordingly. Bartley also confirmed receiving and endorsing the cheque. Doran, in his defence, claimed he had been arrested on a wrong warrant and denied wrongdoing. He was committed to stand trial at the Supreme Court in Christchurch. - Timaru Herald
6 August 1864 - Samuel Williams, of the Timaru Hotel. will not be answerable for any debts contracted by my wife, Mary Ann Williams. July 19 - Timaru Herald
6 August 1864 - Samuel Williams Wins Partial Debt Claim Over Disputed Whiskey and Loan in Timaru Court. On August 2, 1864, at the Timaru Resident Magistrate’s Court before B. Woollcombe, Esq., several cases were heard, including a debt dispute between Samuel Williams and W.K. Samuels. Williams claimed that Samuels owed him £3 2s 3d for a combination of whiskey provided on April 1st and a £1 loan given one evening in May. Samuels disputed the charge, asserting that he had repaid the loan shortly after receiving £8 from a man named Mr. Ray and denied ever receiving the whiskey, stating he was bedridden on the day in question and did not drink whiskey. A boy employed by Samuels testified that he had fetched whiskey from Williams’ hotel on Samuels' behalf, while a witness named W. Hartley supported Samuels’ claim of repaying the £1, though he couldn’t confirm when the original loan occurred. With conflicting testimonies and no written receipt for the repayment, the court found in favor of Williams, awarding him £1 17s 3d, but no legal costs. Other matters that day included charges of false pretences, theft of a saddle, and a sailor’s desertion from the brig Choice. Timaru Herald
10th September 1864 - Samuel Williams Defrauded by Lodger with Fake Cheque in Timaru Hotel Incident. On Friday, September 2, Thomas Doran, also known as Murray, appeared in court charged with obtaining goods under false pretences and pleaded not guilty. Sergeant William H. James testified that Doran, under the name “Doran,” had lodged at the hotel of Samuel Williams, a Timaru publican. Williams stated that Doran owed him money for his stay and later produced a cheque for £19 7s 6d, claiming it was drawn from funds he held at the Bank of New Zealand in Lyttelton and that his brother was there. Trusting the claim, Williams accepted the cheque, deducted what Doran owed, and gave him the remaining change, including a £10 cheque Doran had previously provided. Williams deposited the cheque at Mr. Beswick's store but later found it was dishonoured and returned by the bank. Upon learning the cheque was fraudulent, Williams handed it to Sergeant James. J. Barkly, a clerk at Beswick’s store, noted the cheque appeared suspicious as its body was written in the handwriting of Mr. Chisholm, the bank manager, even though the prisoner could write. J.P. Harris from the Bank of New Zealand confirmed that the prisoner never had an account there. The defence claimed the prisoner’s true name was Murray and that the real culprit was a man named Doran, highlighting a physical discrepancy in a government notice describing Doran. Despite this, the jury found the prisoner guilty, and he was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment. In a separate case, Joseph Shellard, a seaman on the Ivanhoe, was found guilty of stealing a shirt belonging to fellow passenger Robert Hall and was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. The Grand Jury also presented a recommendation suggesting that Resident Magistrates' Courts be granted authority to handle larceny cases involving property worth more than 20 shillings, in order to reduce costs and public inconvenience—an opinion with which His Honor concurred. Timaru Herald
7th February 1865 - The license of the Timaru Hotel from Samuel Williams to John Melton Timaru Herald
February 19th, 1865. Estate of Samuel Williams to Be Auctioned Following Court-Ordered Sale. THE SUPREME COURT – AUCTION NOTICE. Messrs. Stubbs & King have been instructed by the Receiver of the estate of Samuel Williams, publican of Timaru, to sell by public auction the entire contents of his estate. The auction will take place on Thursday, February 19th, 1865, at the Timaru Hotel, commencing promptly at 12 o’clock noon. Items for sale include all stock-in-trade, furniture, utensils, goods and chattels, as well as one horse and a few head of cattle. Terms: Cash. - Timaru Herald
8 April 1940 LANDING OF EARLY SETTLERS During Timaru's centennial celebrations, the historic landing of early settlers from the Strathallan was vividly re-enacted, spotlighting burly pioneer Samuel Williams, who had played a pivotal role in the region’s founding by persuading George Rhodes to settle at the Levels and operating an early accommodation house; his legacy was honored alongside other key figures in a richly staged pageant that brought Timaru's early colonial spirit to life. - Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21623, Page 8
Hall-Jones, Frederick George., Early Timaru: some historical records of the pre-settlement period, annotated and analysed.. Aoraki Heritage Collection, accessed 01/03/2025, https://aorakiheritage.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/161
1868 Photograph of the foot of George Street, Timaru, circa 1868. The building is pictured in the centre is a landing service building (either the Timaru Landing and Shipping Company or the George Street Landing Service), while Rhodes' original cottage is to the left. South Canterbury Museum 2000/210.095
Here you can see the boat launch at the foot of George Street, the Landings Service Building and beside, in the center the Rhodes cottage. Section from Hocken Snapshop hocken.recollect.co.nz/24023
First edition of the Timaru Herald from June II 1864 - Vol 1 No 1
Timaru Landing Services Building has a plaque on the wall for the first European House in Timaru. Samuel Williams lived there with his family.
1820-1895 :Tauamotu. Timaru. Camp of natives windbound. 17 October 1848 - Looking south along the beach line near Timaru towards a figure on the beach at a small campsite with a boat drawn up on shore. Mantell's three Maori porters are walking above the beach on flat land studded with cabbage trees towards a low hill - natlib.govt.nz/134166
In 1839 the Sydney-based Weller brothers established a short-lived whaling station at Timaru. By the time Walter Mantell made this sketch, in 1848, the station was deserted. Mantell, Walter Baldock Durrant, 1820-1895 :MotuMotu, Timaru. Oct 20 Friday 1848.. Mantell, Walter Baldock Durrant 1820-1895 :[Sketchbook, no. 2] 1848. Ref: E-333-006. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand.
Medinella Fauth with a piece of whale bone found at Patiti Point - Photo Roselyn Fauth
"
W. 527 Williams Sam (1817–83) was an American by birth and was a whaler by occupation. He worked under Hempleman and also on a whaling station for the Rhodes Bros at Pigeon Bay. He had also worked at Weller Bros whaling station at Timaru. F.G. Hall-Jones mentions his name among the early Timaru whalers in his Early Timaru. He told the Rhodes’ of the fertile land awaiting settlement in S. Canterbury. Both Geo. Rhodes were in '50 and in consequence the Rhodes brothers took up a half-way licence of over 150,000 ac. In ’57 Sam was established as a keeper of accommodation on the track on what was then original Rhodes run—Kaituna. In March ’60 he opened his new hotel built by the Rhodes’s for him; it was burned down 7.3.66. It was one of the three able to boast one of the first European settlers to anchor on Caroline Bay. The others two were Woollcombe – Capt. Cain. He moved the furniture of the house and a lot of everything. He made great exertions to get everyone out of the house when the house burned down. There and all were saved. Beauchamp St. next door was saved.
Woodhouse: Early T., O.N.; James Hay; Tales by B.F. Anderson, C. Early.
J.T. 8.2.60: 29.1.60"
The Sheltering Place: Yankee Sam of Timaru - whaler, settler, publican (26 Jul 1975). Aoraki Heritage Collection, accessed 21/04/2025, https://aorakiheritage.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/1096
The Sheltering Place
Yankee Sam of Timaru — whaler, settler, publican
By Traveller
Timaru’s first permanent resident was a young, adventurous American whaler who became the city’s first publican. They called him Yankee Sam. A personal history of the early pioneer, Sam Williams — by one of his grandsons, Mr. P. M. Williams — is in the archives of the South Canterbury Historical Museum.
In 1857, Archdeacon William Harper remembered riding through South Canterbury on his first journey south from Christchurch and meeting a family in a cottage near the beach at Timaru. “I rode towards the sea coast, not liking to lose my way inland,” he wrote in a letter, “and coming on a bay enclosed by low cliffs, found a solitary hut occupied by an old whaler, his wife and son.” That old whaler was Williams. The hut was the one built by George Rhodes. “Sam Williams showed me some of the try-pots remaining on the beach,” Archdeacon Harper wrote, “and I spent a pleasant hour with him listening to his yarns of the old days…”
Williams was born about 1817. His birthplace is unknown. Some descendants think when he was an infant he lived in Canada and moved to the United States as a boy. Then, Williams, his grandson wrote, “with other nondescript, adventurous youths, drifted to Australia.” Australia didn’t keep him long the first time. By 1840, he was the leader of a whaling party from Sydney. A boat steerer and harpooner, he was a member of a party located at “Timaroo,” which closed down after 11 months. Williams stayed on until the station closed and was next heard of whaling for the Rhodes brothers at their Island Bay, Banks Peninsula station in 1844. In 1848, he transferred to the station of George Rhodes at Goashore.
Then South Canterbury beckoned again — in a roundabout way. Captain Joseph Thomas, agent and chief surveyor for the Canterbury Association Pioneers, started a survey of the Canterbury block in 1849. He needed firsthand information on land south of the association’s territory and asked Williams about its resources.
Rhodes
Captain Thomas’ later report on the region influenced the Rhodes brothers to invest in the southern district. “They were seeking land well away from the hampering restrictions of the Canterbury Association, which would exercise jurisdiction over Banks Peninsula,” Williams’ grandson wrote. In 1850, Williams escorted his friends George and Barney Rhodes into the unoccupied areas of South Canterbury. Later, the Rhodes brothers sought a license for 150,000 acres.
A gold strike in Australia excited Williams, and he left New Zealand for the goldfields of Ballarat in Victoria in 1851. He married Anne Maury in Australia, and their daughter, Rebecca, was born in Ballarat in 1854. The goldfields held little luck for Williams, and he returned to his territory, apparently working for George Rhodes — then living at Levels — in 1856 and 1857.
Cottage
Rhodes gave him the daub cottage on Caroline Bay beach. Timaru’s first white child — Williams’ son William — was born there in 1856 and had a gin case for a cradle. The cottage stood just south of the seaward end of George Street and was the scene of the christening of William by Archdeacon Harper on his first trip south. South Canterbury was slowly getting its first permanent settlers, aside from the large runholders at that time, and there was a need for accommodation houses. Williams and his wife converted their cottage to a general store and offered shelter to travellers. That was his real start as a hotelkeeper!
In 1858, the provincial government presented him with Timaru’s first publican’s licence. A lean-to was added to the cottage by the time the Strathallan immigrants arrived in 1859.
Strathallan
Williams was 42 years old when the Strathallan arrived, and he was one of the three people — Mr. Woollcombe and Captain Cain were the others — first aboard to meet the settlers. One diary from that day, January 14, 1859, says: “Immigrant women had a washing day on the beach and their arms got blistered in the sun. They went to Old Sam’s to get some cream to rub on their arms, and Mrs. Sam, a genuine kind old Irish lady, said she had no cream, but she brought something in a pannikin, and told them to take a little of it inside and rub a little outside. They followed half the advice — the latter half.”
By 1860, Williams opened the first permanent hotel — the Timaru Hotel — which has become today’s Carlton Hotel.
The building was erected by George Rhodes, but Williams owned the furnishings.
Wife Died
About that time, his wife Anne died. “Her death was a great loss to him,” his grandson wrote, “for it deprived him of that stability, sound guidance and controlling influence that his restless nature and easy business methods required.”
He married his children’s governess in 1861. Their marriage was not always a happy one.“The disparity of 25 years between their ages created situations that proved more than the old whaler could cope with,” his grandson wrote. “Disharmony followed.” Still, the hotel prospered.
In the June 11, 1864, Timaru Herald is an advertisement: “Timaru Hotel, S. Williams, Proprietor. This hotel is situated in the most pleasant position, affording a view of the country around as well as the sea. Stabling, holding paddock, and every convenience for Man and Horse.”
The first Timaru Hotel was destroyed by a fire which started when one of Williams’ customers was refused liquor by the publican and sought revenge.
The man was sentenced to death, but the hotel was reborn.
A poem from those days indicates that inflation was already a worry to some of the patrons. Called The New Chum in Timaru, part of it says: This morning, while walking, I felt rather pale, So I went in and called for a quart full of ale, Which I drank, laid down sixpence, and sauntered away, When Old Sam hollowed out, “It’s three shillings to pay.” By the powers, Mary darling, ’twas only his wife, Pretty creature — that saved me from taking his life.
Williams sold the Timaru Hotel to John Melton in 1865 and moved north from the city for several years. He became licensee of a hotel at Birdly’s Flat and then the old Hotel Wellington in Christchurch. But he came back to Timaru eventually and died here on June 29, 1883. He was 67 years old. His grandson wrote: “He shared the fate of many unskilled and uneducated pioneer adventurers — inability to contend with well-organised and experienced men of business of a later period.”
Whalebone Corner: Corner of Taiko, Claremont and Fairview Roads, west of Timaru. This intersection is known as 'Whalebones Corner'. Ever thought, if I stuck some whale bones near my house, it would make it easier to find? Worn by weather for over 100 years, you can see the remnants of four whale bones which were brought out from the whaling station on Caroline Bay about 1870. Mr John Machintoch, who built the house on the farm Kingsborough about the tome instructed John Webster to collect the bones on a dray and to place them a the intersection so the visitors could be easily directed to Kingsborough. Since then, this intersection has always been known as The Whalebones Corner. (Take care is stopping here and park well away from the intersection). - Photo Roselyn Fauth
Medinella Fauth with a piece of whale bone found at Patiti Point - Photo Roselyn Fauth
