General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

Sir William Fenwick Williams, 1st Baronet (4 December 180026 July 1883) was a

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

n military leader for the British during the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

. Williams is remembered for his defence of the town of Kars during the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...

. He with other British officers inspired the poorly equipped Turkish soldiers to repel Russian attacks by General Murav’ev on the besieged town for three months, causing 6,000 Russian casualties. They were forced to surrender due to starvation, disease and shortage of ammunition. However, they surrendered on their own terms, with the officers being allowed to retain their swords. Williams was imprisoned at

Ryazan Ryazan ( rus, Рязань, p=rʲɪˈzanʲ, a=ru-Ryazan.ogg) is the largest city and administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. The city is located on the banks of the Oka River in Central Russia, southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 Cens ...

, but he was treated very well and released at the end of the Crimean War in 1856. Before returning home he was introduced to

Tsar Alexander II Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Fin ...

. Many other honours were bestowed upon Williams, and in 1865–1867, he was appointed the first Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, where he was born.

Early life

He was born in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, the second son of Commissary-General Thomas Williams, barrack-master at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He was, however, widely rumoured to be the natural son of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn; this would make him

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

's half-brother. Williams never denied this, but it is not thought to be true.

Career

Williams was educated at the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich. He entered the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

as second lieutenant in 1825. His services were lent to

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

in 1841, and he was employed as a captain in the arsenal at

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

. He was British commissioner in the conferences preceding the

treaty of Erzurum The Treaties of Erzurum were two treaties of 1823 and 1847 that settled boundary disputes between the Ottoman Empire and Persia. First Treaty Although the Treaty of Zuhab in 1639 had established the boundary between Ottoman Empire and Persia, t ...

in 1847, and again in the settlement of the Ottoman-Iranian boundary in 1848. He was appointed CB in 1852.

Crimean War

Promoted colonel, he was British commissioner with the Turkish army in

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The ...

in the

(Russian War) of 1854–56, and, having been made a

pasha Pasha, Pacha or Paşa ( ota, پاشا; tr, paşa; sq, Pashë; ar, باشا), in older works sometimes anglicized as bashaw, was a higher rank in the Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, generals, dignitar ...

(general/governor/lord) with the degree of ''ferik'' (major-general), he commanded the Turkish troops at the defence of the town of Kars during the

. He with other British officers inspired the poorly equipped Turkish soldiers to repel Russian attacks by General Murav’ev on the besieged town for three months causing 6,000 Russian casualties. They were forced to surrender due to starvation, disease and shortage of ammunition. However, they surrendered on their own terms, with the officers being allowed to retain their swords. Williams was imprisoned at

but he was treated very well and released at the end of the Crimean War in 1856. Before returning home he was introduced to

. Williams had put up such an honourable defence of the city that Murav’ev stated: "General Williams, you have made yourself a name in history, and posterity will stand amazed at the endurance, courage and the discipline which the siege has called forth in the remains of the army."Alex Troubetzkoy. The Crimean War - The Causes and Consequences of a Medieval Conflict Fought in a Modern Age. Constable & Robinson Ltd, London. 2006. pp. 298. A

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14t ...

cy with pension for life, the KCB, the grand cross of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

and of the

Order of the Medjidie Order of the Medjidie ( ota, نشانِ مجیدی, August 29, 1852 – 1922) is a military and civilian order of the Ottoman Empire. The Order was instituted in 1851 by Sultan Abdulmejid I. History Instituted in 1851, the Order was awarded in f ...

, the

freedom of the City of London The Freedom of the City of London started around 1237 as the status of a 'free man' or 'citizen', protected by the charter of the City of London and not under the jurisdiction of a feudal lord. In the Middle Ages, this developed into a freedom o ...

with a sword of honour, and the honorary degree of DCL of Oxford University, were the distinctions conferred upon him. Promoted

major-general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in November 1855 on his return from captivity in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

, he held the Woolwich command, and represented the borough of

Calne Calne () is a town and civil parish in Wiltshire, southwestern England,OS Explorer Map 156, Chippenham and Bradford-on-Avon Scale: 1:25 000.Publisher: Ordnance Survey A2 edition (2007). at the northwestern extremity of the North Wessex Downs ...

in parliament from 1856 to 1859. In the lead up to the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, from 1859 to 1864, he held the position of

Commander-in-Chief, North America The office of Commander-in-Chief, North America was a military position of the British Army. Established in 1755 in the early years of the Seven Years' War, holders of the post were generally responsible for land-based military personnel and ac ...

, and was responsible for preparations for war with the United States in the case that relations broke down. The most severe strain in relations occurring during the

Trent Affair The ''Trent'' Affair was a diplomatic incident in 1861 during the American Civil War that threatened a war between the United States and Great Britain. The U.S. Navy captured two Confederate envoys from a British Royal Mail steamer; the Brit ...

. He was promoted to lieutenant-general and appointed colonel-commandant Royal Artillery in 1864.

Governorships

He held the governorship of

from 1865 to 1867. After

Canadian Confederation Canadian Confederation (french: Confédération canadienne, link=no) was the process by which three British North American provinces, the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, were united into one federation called the Dominion ...

in 1867, Williams continued in office as the first Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia and the governorship of

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

from September 1870 to 1876. He was advanced to GCB in 1871 and

Constable of the Tower of London The Constable of the Tower is the most senior appointment at the Tower of London. In the Middle Ages a constable was the person in charge of a castle when the owner—the king or a nobleman—was not in residence. The Constable of the Tower had a ...

in 1881.

Later life

Lewis House, 62 Chapel Street, Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia

He died in a hotel in Pall Mall on 26 July 1883 and he was buried in

Brompton Cemetery Brompton Cemetery (originally the West of London and Westminster Cemetery) is a London cemetery, managed by The Royal Parks, in West Brompton in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries. Establ ...

. The portrait by

William Gush William Gush (23 April 1813 – 28 February 1888) was an English portrait painter born near London.Christopher Wood. ''Dictionary of Victorian Painters'', Antique Collectors' Club, 1971, p. ??? Gallery File:John Curwen by William Gush.jpg, ...

was painted for the Parliament House, Halifax, Nova Scotia and hangs to this day in Province House, Halifax.

Legacy

* namesake of Karsdale, Nova Scotia *The village of

Port Williams, Nova Scotia Port Williams is a Canadian village in Kings County, Nova Scotia. It is located on the north bank of the Cornwallis River, named after Edward Cornwallis, first governor of Nova Scotia. As of 2021, the population was 1,110. History The village ...

is named in his honour. *The village of

Kars, Ontario Kars is a village on the Rideau River within Rideau-Jock Ward in the city of Ottawa, Ontario. Prior to joining the city in 2000 it was part of Rideau Township. History Kars was originally named Wellington Village. In 1857, to distinguish it from ...

*Kars Street, Port Williams, Nova Scotia *Fenwick Street, Halifax * Fenwick Tower (Halifax) *Plaque to honour birthplace, Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia

Notes

References

* *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, William Fenwick 1800 births 1883 deaths Williams, William Fenwick, 1st Baronet Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Canadian people of English descent Canadian baronets Canadian knights British Army generals British Army personnel of the Crimean War Governors of Gibraltar People from Annapolis County, Nova Scotia Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Governors of Nova Scotia Lieutenant Governors of Nova Scotia Lord-Lieutenants of the Tower Hamlets Constables of the Tower of London Governors of the Colony of Nova Scotia UK MPs 1852–1857 UK MPs 1857–1859 Burials at Brompton Cemetery British prisoners of war of the Crimean War