View source for Fenwick Williams

{{short description|19th-century Nova Scotian officer of the British Army}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[General (United Kingdom)|General]] [[The Honourable]]
| name          = Sir Fenwick Williams
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|GCB|Bt|size=100%}}
| image         = Lt. Gen. Sir William Fenwick Williams, Montreal, QC, 1861.jpg
| caption       = Lt. Gen. Sir William Fenwick Williams taken at [[William Notman]]'s studio in Montreal in 1861.
| nickname      = 
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1800|12|4|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia|Annapolis Royal]], Nova Scotia
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1883|7|26|1800|12|4|df=y}}
| death_place   = London, England
| placeofburial = 
| allegiance    = {{flagcountry|UKGBI}}
| branch        = {{army|UK}}
| serviceyears  = 1825–1883
| rank          = [[General (United Kingdom)|General]]
| unit          = 
| commands      = [[Commander-in-Chief, North America]]
| battles       = [[Crimean War]]
| awards        = [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]
| relations     = 
| laterwork     = 
| module        = {{Infobox officeholder | embed=yes
   | order            = 1st
   | office           = Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia
   | term_start       = 8 November 1865
   | term_end         = 18 October 1867
   | predecessor      = [[Charles Hastings Doyle]]
   | successor        = [[Charles Hastings Doyle]]
   | monarch          = [[Queen Victoria|Victoria]]
   | governor_general = [[Charles Monck, 4th Viscount Monck|The Viscount Monck]]
   | premier          = [[Charles Tupper]]<br />[[Hiram Blanchard]]
   | nickname         =
   }}
}}

[[General (United Kingdom)|General]] '''Sir William Fenwick Williams, 1st Baronet''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GCB}} (4 December 1800{{snd}}26 July 1883) was a [[Nova Scotia]]n-born [[British Army]] officer.

Williams is remembered for his [[siege of Kars|defence of the town of Kars]] during the [[Crimean War]]. He with other British officers inspired the poorly equipped Turkish soldiers to repel Russian attacks by [[Nikolay Muravyov-Amursky|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]], 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]].

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.

==Life==
===Birth, education and early career===
[[File:Lewis House, 62 Chapel Street, Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia.png|thumb|left|Williams' birthplace, 62 Chapel Street, Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia]]
He was born in [[Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia]], the second son of Commissary-General Thomas Williams, barrack-master at [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]], Nova Scotia, Canada - a plaque now marks the site. He was, however, widely rumoured to be the illegitimate son of [[Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn]]; this would make him [[Queen Victoria]]'s half-brother. Williams never denied this, but it is not thought to be true.<ref name=dcb>{{cite DCB |first=P.B. |last=Waite |volume=11 |title=Williams, Sir William Fenwick |url=http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/williams_william_fenwick_11E.html |access-date=3 March 2013}}</ref>

Williams was educated at the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich.<ref name=dcb/> He entered the [[Royal Artillery]] as [[second lieutenant]] in 1825.

===Ottoman Empire===
His services were lent to [[Turkey]] in 1841, and he was employed as a captain in the arsenal at [[Constantinople]]. He was British commissioner in the conferences preceding the [[treaty of Erzurum]] in 1847, and again in the settlement of the Ottoman-Iranian boundary in 1848.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Williams, Sir William Fenwick|volume=28|page=683}}</ref> He was appointed [[Order of the Bath|CB]] in 1852.<ref name=dcb/>
[[File:WilliamFenswickWilliamsNSHouseOfAssembleyByWilliam Gush.jpg|thumb|575x575px|William Fenwick Williams with sword given by [[Nova Scotia House of Assembly]] by [[William Gush]], painted for the Parliament House, Halifax, Nova Scotia and still hanging in [[Province House (Nova Scotia)|Province House]]<ref>[http://www.ourroots.ca/page.aspx?id=284108&qryID=2af599f9-7e4c-4d74-90d9-ab8633f42148 William's sword]</ref> The sword shown is displayed at [[University of King's College]] Library, Halifax.]]

[[File:William Fenwick Williams.jpg|thumb|left| Sir William Fenwick Williams, 1st Baronet, 1853]]
Promoted colonel, he was British commissioner with the Turkish army in [[Anatolia]] in the [[Crimean War]] (Russian War) of 1854–56, and, having been made a [[pasha]] (general/governor/lord) with the degree of ''ferik'' (major-general), he commanded the Turkish troops at the [[siege of Kars|defence of the town of Kars]] during the [[Crimean War]].<ref name="EB1911"/> He with other British officers inspired the poorly equipped Turkish soldiers to repel Russian attacks by [[Nikolay Muravyov-Karsky|General Muravyov]] on the besieged town for three months causing 6,000 Russian casualties.<ref name=dcb/> 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]] 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]].<ref name=dcb/>

[[File:Thomas Jones Barker The Capitulation of Kars 1855.jpg|thumb|''[[The Capitulation of Kars]]'' by [[Thomas Jones Barker]], 1860]]
Williams had put up such an honourable defence of the city that Muravyov 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."<ref>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.</ref>

{{anchor|Annuity to Sir W. F. Williams Act 1856}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title = Annuity to Sir W. F. Williams Act 1856
| type = Act
| parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title = An Act to settle an Annuity on Sir William Fenwick Williams, in consideration of his eminent Services.
| year = 1856
| quote = [[19 & 20 Vict.]] c. 30
| introduced_commons = 
| introduced_lords = 
| territorial_extent = 
| royal_assent = 23 June 1856
| commencement = 
| expiry_date = 
| repeal_date = 
| amends = 
| replaces = 
| amendments = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation = 
| status = 
| legislation_history = 
| theyworkforyou = 
| millbankhansard = 
| original_text = https://archive.org/details/statutesunitedk38britgoog/page/134/
| revised_text = 
| use_new_UK-LEG = 
| UK-LEG_title = 
| collapsed = yes
}}
A [[baronet]]cy with pension for life, the [[Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath|KCB]], the grand cross of the [[Legion of Honour]] and of the [[Order of the Medjidie]], the [[freedom of the City of London]] with a sword of honour, and the honorary degree of [[Doctor of Civil Law|DCL]] of Oxford University, were the distinctions conferred upon him, along with promotion to [[major-general]] in November 1855 after his return from captivity in Russia.<ref name="EB1911"/><ref name=dcb/>
[[File:John Eardley Inglis Sword (top) Sir William William's sword (bottem) King's College Library, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg|thumb|[[John Eardley Inglis]] Sword (top) Sir William William's sword (bottom), [[University of King's College]], Library, Halifax, Nova Scotia|304x304px]]

===Politics, posts and promotions===
He held the Woolwich command, and represented the borough of [[Calne (UK Parliament constituency)|Calne]] in parliament from 1856 to 1859.<ref name="EB1911"/><ref name=dcb/> In the lead up to the [[American Civil War]], from 1859 to 1864, he held the position of [[Commander-in-Chief, North America]], and was responsible for preparations for war with the United States if relations broke down. The most severe strain in relations occurring during the [[Trent Affair]].<ref name=dcb/> He was promoted to [[lieutenant-general]] and appointed colonel-commandant Royal Artillery in 1864.

[[Image:Valley 244.jpg|thumb|Plaque honouring Sir William Fenwick Williams, [[Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia]]|300x300px]]

He held the governorship of [[Nova Scotia]] from 1865 to 1867. After [[Canadian Confederation]] in 1867, Williams continued in office as the first [[Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia]] and the governorship of [[Gibraltar]] from September 1870 to 1876. He was advanced to [[Order of the Bath|GCB]] in 1871. 

===Final years===
He was made [[Constable of the Tower of London]] in 1881.<ref name=dcb/> He died in a hotel in [[Pall Mall, London|Pall Mall]] on 26 July 1883 and was buried in [[Brompton Cemetery]].<ref name=dcb/>

== Namesakes ==
The village of [[Port Williams, Nova Scotia]] and Fenwick Street and [[Fenwick Tower (Halifax)|Fenwick Tower]] in Halifax, Canada are all named after him, whilst [[Karsdale, Nova Scotia]], [[Kars, Ontario]] and Kars Street in Port Williams after his most famous engagement.

== See also ==

* [[Military history of Nova Scotia]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite DNB|wstitle = Williams, William Fenwick|first=Robert Hamilton|last= Vetch| authorlink=Robert Hamilton Vetch|volume=61}}
*{{cite ODNB|first1=R. H.|last1= Vetch|title = Williams, Sir William Fenwick, baronet (1800–1883)|authorlink1=Robert Hamilton Vetch|first2= H. C. G. |last2= Matthew|id=29561}}

==External links==
* {{Hansard-contribs | sir-william-williams | Sir William Williams }}

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{{s-par|uk}}       
{{succession box
  | title  = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Calne (UK Parliament constituency)|Calne]]
  | years  = 1856–1859
  | before = [[Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 4th Marquess of Lansdowne|Earl of Shelburne]]
  | after  = [[Robert Lowe]]
}}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box
  | title  = [[Commander-in-Chief, North America]]
  | years  = 1859–1865
  | before = [[William Eyre (British Army officer)|Sir William Eyre]]
  | after  = [[John Michel|Sir John Michel]]
}}
{{s-gov}}
{{succession box | title=[[Governor of Gibraltar]] | before=[[Richard Airey, 1st Baron Airey|Lord Airey]] | after= [[Robert Napier, 1st Baron Napier of Magdala|Lord Napier]] | years=1870–1876}}
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{{succession box | before=[[Charles Yorke (British Army officer)|Sir Charles Yorke]] | title=[[Constable of the Tower]]<br />[[Lord Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets]] | years=1881 | after=[[Richard Dacres (British Army officer)|Sir Richard James Dacres]]}}
{{s-reg|uk-bt}}
{{s-new|creation}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[Williams baronets|Baronet]]<br />'''(of Kars)'''| years=1856–1883}}
{{s-non | reason=Extinct}}
{{s-end}}

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