WILLIAMS, HAROLD WHITMORE (1876-1928) was born in Auckland, a son of the Rev. W. J. Williams (q.v.). He attended schools in different parts of the country, including the Christchurch and Timaru Boys' High Schools. At the age of 14 he showed an extraordinary gift for languages by constructing a Dobu vocabulary from the New Testament translated into that language. He spent three years in the Wesleyan ministry but, realising that he was unsuited for it, left for Europe, where he gained his degree of Ph.D. at Munich University. By studying the Slav languages he became interested in Russian affairs, and in 1903 he was appointed special correspondent in Russia of The Times, and later of the Manchester Guardian, the Morning Post and the Daily Chronicle. His sympathies were with the constitutional Democrat party (the Cadets), and he married one of its prominent members, Ariadna Tyrkova. In 1921 Williams became a leader writer on The Times, and in 1922 director of the foreign department, which position he held until his death on 18 Nov 1928. As a linguist he had command of more than 26 languages. In 1914 he published Russia of the Russians. He was interested in the London University school of Slavonic studies and was for a time editor of the Slavonic Review.

Tyrkova-Williams, Cheerful Giver (p); The Times, 19 Nov 1928 (p); The Press, 20 Nov 1928.

Reference: Volume 2, page 258

🌳 Further sources