He arrived in
Dunedin, New Zealand in 1861 on the
Derwentwater, moved to
Christchurch almost immediately, and in the following year went into partnership with
Thomas Smith Duncan, then provincial solicitor, an office which he himself subsequently held for several years. Williams sat in the
Canterbury Provincial Council representing the Heathcote electorate in 1862 and 1863 and from 1866 to 1871. He was on the provincial executive council in 1863, in 1866, and in 1867–1868. On 9 July 1873 at the first meeting of the Board of Governors of the
Canterbury College, he was voted chairman after
Charles Bowen had declined the role in advance of the meeting. Williams held the chairmanship until 1875, when he moved to Otago. In January 1871, Williams gave up practice and was land registrar of the Canterbury district until 1872 and Registrar-General of Land for the whole of New Zealand from the latter year until 1875, in which year he was appointed
puisne judge for
Otago. He was created a
knight bachelor in the
1911 Coronation Honours. He married first, in 1864, Catherine Helen, daughter of Thomas Sanctuary, of
Horsham, Sussex; and secondly, in 1877, Amelia Durant, daughter of John Wesley Jago, of Dunedin. ==Arms==