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    The Rev. Thomas Williams and his wife Rebecca (nee Isgar or Isger) lived in Gosport, Hampshire, England, where Thomas had become a pastor in 1750. There has been no known written material or hard evidence such as birth records found for Thomas, and no actual written record or evidence that can verify or disprove any Williams family ancestry prior to Thomas, excepting that we know he did have relatives in Wales [I think this situation is still the same as at the time of updating this page in 2021].

    This website was begun in October 2006 with the purpose of attracting from the www, information pertaining to the early family.  The website is based around the family of Thomas Williams (born 1753), the son of Thomas and Rebecca mentioned above, and for much of the website content I have used (with his encouragement) various articles compiled by Nevil Harvey-Williams who lived in Market Harborough, England, and who has spent many years researching the stamping grounds of our forbears.

    Nevil's determination, stubbornness for accuracy, and relentless foot-slogging in search for our historic origins has benefited the understanding of many researchers, and no doubt thousands of descendants and relatives of these early 1700's forebears. This website would not exist without his research efforts. Nevil passed on at age 90, on 7th May 2021 at his home.

    After the advent of the Internet, Nevil became further inspired as his writings began to draw an interest from other family connections, and his previous research results began falling into place; his works becoming vindicated to himself and the reading world. He was able to piece together the Gosport and Nottingham Williams families and their connections through marriage. There are many thousands of descendants from these families in New Zealand alone.

    All families need a sleuth such as Nevil; not necessarily popular at times when truths are uncovered, but exceedingly appreciated and warmly loved for his dedication and expertise in such matters.

    The main article of Nevil's research is the THE WILLIAMS FAMILY IN THE 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES IN THE UK which is linked to from the home page. The next most interesting section are the transcripts of Thomas Williams letters begining in 1794, which were obtained in mid 2007.