US Congressman, Lawyer. He was a United States Representative from the State of Massachusetts. He was born one of three children to Benjamin Williams (1757-1830), and his wife Lydia Williams (1774-1845), in Taunton, Massachusetts, on November 30, 1805. He was educated locally, completed preparatory studies, and then attended and studied at Bristol Academy in Taunton, Massachusetts, and attended and studied law at the prestigious Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Following his education, he was admitted to the Bristol County, Massachusetts, bar in 1829 and began his commencement of law in Taunton, Massachusetts, shortly thereafter. During this time, he also practiced law in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He then entered politics and was elected and served as a Member of the State House of Representatives in 1834, and as a Member of the Massachusetts State Senate from 1836 to 1887. He then decided to run for a seat in the United States Congress and was elected to succeed the outgoing United States Representative Nathaniel Briggs Borden (1801-1865), on March 4, 1839. A Member of the Democratic Party, he then served Massachusetts's 10th District (Twenty-Sixth Congress), in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1839, to March 3, 1841. He was an unsuccessful Candidate for reelection to represent the Twenty-Seventh Congress in 1840. Following his term in the United States Congress, he was succeeded in office by the incoming United States Representative Nathaniel Briggs Borden (1801-1865), on March 4, 1841. He then resumed his practice of law for a time before again entering politics. He then decided to run for another seat in the United States Congress and was elected again this time to fill the vacancy caused by the death of the United States Representative William Soden Hastings (1798-1842), who had passed away the previous June 17, 1842, and taking office on March 4, 1843. A Member of the Democratic Party, he then served Massachusetts's 9th District (Twenty-Seventh Congress), in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1843, to March 3, 1845. Following his second term in the United States Congress, he was succeeded by the incoming United States Representative Artemas Hale (1793-1882), on March 4, 1845. After leaving the United States Congress and retiring from politics, he again resumed his practice of law. He came out of retirement and returned briefly to politics when he served as a Member of the Massachusetts State Convention for the revising of the United States Constitution in 1853, and also served a short term as the Register of Probate for the United States before being succeeded in office by the incoming John Daggett (1805-1885), of Attleboro, Massachusetts. He then once again resumed his practice of law until his death. He was also the author of the written work, "Bristol County History," which was nearly ready for publication towards the end of his life. He passed away from causes related to old age in Taunton, Massachusetts, on May 8, 1887, at the age of 81, and he was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Taunton, Massachusetts. He never married nor had any children. One of his newspaper obituaries which was published at the time of his passing said of him, "He was a man of sterling integrity, and was greatly admired."