William Williams was consecrated as the first Anglican Bishop of Waiapu, New Zealand, on 3 April 1859 by the General Synod at Wellington. His son, Leonard Williams became the third Bishop of Waiapu and his grandson, Herbert Williams, the sixth. His brother, the Rev. Henry Williams, led the Church Missionary Society (CMS) mission in New Zealand. William Williams led the CMS missionaries in translating the Bible into Māori and published an early dictionary and grammar of the Māori language.

William Leonard Williams (1829–1916) was an Anglican bishop of Waiapu. He was regarded as an eminent scholar of the Māori language. His father, William Williams, was the first Bishop of Waiapu, Williams was the third bishop, and his son, Herbert Williams, was the sixth bishop of Waiapu.