Thomas Coldham Williams

Thomas Coldham Williams (1825–1912) was a New Zealand land owner. A son of Henry Williams, Williams received a good education and had access to capital, which led to him acquiring a lot of land, especially in the Wairarapa. Williams managed the Brancepeth Station and was critical of the government's acquisition of land in the Manawatu area.

Biography Early life Williams was born in Paihia, New Zealand, in 1825. As the son of Henry Williams, Williams was educated at Te Waimate Mission. Williams farmed in the Bay of Islands before moving to Auckland and in 1864, being elected to represent the Bay of Islands on the Auckland Provincial Council, but did not take the seat and moved to the Wellington Province.

Personal life In 1858, Williams married Anne Beetham,

Brancepeth

Williams marriage to Anne Beetham, daughter of William Beetham, put Williams in charge of Brancepeth, a station in Wainuioru. Williams used his capital to double the size by purchasing land from local Mãori. The Brancepeth Station eventually grew to .

Manawatu purchase In the 1850s, the government started purchasing land around the Manawatu area. Williams believed the purchase was in violation of the Treaty of Waitangi and wrote to newspapers about the purchase as well as writing a pamphlet in 1868 titled: The Manawatu Purchase Completed, or, The Treaty of Waitangi Broken. Williams signed his pamphlet as a 'Native of New Zealand', which at the time was a term typically reserved for Mãori. Williams, who was not a lawyer, also served as legal counsel for Ngāti Raukawa in their case in the Native Land Court about the purchase. The court sided with the government and the purchase was ruled valid.

Manako Station In Kerikeri, Williams had a station of named Manako Station that grew a wide variety of crops, in addition to cattle, sheep, and horses. The station grew paspalum, Swedes, turnips, oats, and heathgrass. The station also experimented with gorse, which later became a weed in the area as the temperate climate allowed it to spread quickly. Williams' sons, Guy and Hugh, helped to run the station and it was one of the largest employers in Kerikeri.