IT is our painful duty to announce the death, on the 25th of October last, of Mrs. WILLIAMS, the wife of the Rev. JAMES WILLIAMS, Rector of Llanfairynghornwy, Anglesey.

This highly estimable and benevolent lady not only took with her to the hospitable home of her husband a heart open to the tenderest impressions of which our nature is susceptible, but also accomplishments in the arts and sciences, which impart to domes- tic and other virtues a grace and an elegance in all the varied transactions of life.

* This interesting memoir, which we have much gratification in inserting, has been furnished to us by JAMES SPARROW, Esq., of Hull, who for many years cordially co-operated in the management of the Anglesey Life-Boat Branch of the National Life- Boat Institution.

Llanfairynghornwy is situated at the north- west extreme of the Island of Anglesey, the coast of which is bounded with precipitous rocks, without, for many miles, an inlet for shelter, but for boats of the smallest size.

Near the coast are the " Skerry," the " Mouse," the " Harry Furlong," and other dangerous rocks; and the land here, in con- junction with the Skerry Rock, upon which there is a lighthouse, forming, as it does, the northern limit of Holyhead Bay, causes very rapid currents and whirling eddies, which, of themselves, add to the dangers of the vicinity. But when storms arise, and tem- pests rage and agitate those currents and eddies, the dangers on the coast in that neighbourhood can scarcely be imagined.

They are not surpassed on any other coast.

Mrs. WILLIAMS had not long resided in the locality, where for 34 years she ex- ercised the courtesies that delighted a large circle of friends, as well as dispensed a wide- spread benevolence, not soon to be forgotten by her humble neighbours, when she became sensibly alive to the dangers to which those are exposed who " go down to the sea in ships, and have their business in the great waters;" and having, in 1821, sketched the landing of George the Fourth at Holyhead, she lithographed the drawing, by the sale of which she raised, 501. or 60?., and lodged the amount in a neighbouring savings' bank.

Out of this fund, to which she subsequently largely added, she rewarded those who gal- lantly exerted themselves in saving lives or property in cases of wreck, whether on the coast of Anglesey or Carnarvonshire.

She soon found that her efforts, single- handed, were very inefficient to meet the emergencies of all the cases that arose, when, in 1824, Providence, in the exercise of its wise dispensations, moved several benevo- lent gentlemen to establish in London " The Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck," of which THOMAS WILSON, Esq., M.P., was Chair- man ; and GEORGE PALMER, Esq., M.P., of Nazing Park, Essex, the Deputy Chairman.

That Society had not long been in existence, when Mrs. WILLIAMS induced her husband, a task of easy accomplishment, to bring under the notice of Mr. PALMER the dangers of the coast by which his residence was almost surrounded, when the Society in the handsomest manner presented a life-boat, on Mr. PALMER'S plan, which was accord- ingly stationed at Cemlyn, a place of great danger, not far from the Rectory; the sunken or-half-tide rocks of " Harry Furlong " being directly opposite the life-boat house.

It now became evident to Mrs. WILLIAMS that the services of a life-boat could not be availed of at any great distance from the point where stationed; and as all parts of the coast of Anglesey, except the Menai Straits, are exposed and dangerous, it was clearly manifest to her that much more had to be done. She therefore called to her aid those who felt pleasure in serving under her ban- ner of benevolence and humanity, and " The Anglesey Branch of the Royal National In- stitution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck" came into existence. The nobi- lity, clergy, and gentry, not only of Angle-, sey, but of other parts of North Wales, liberally responded to calls for contributions, and became annual subscribers; and in 1828 two life-boats were built at Holyhead, making an establishment of three for the coast of the county. Since then three more have been added, and the whole are stationed respectively at Cemlyn, the parent station, Holyhead, Rhoscolyn, Llanddwyn, Moelfre, and Penmon. At some of the stations there is also the rocket apparatus.

Since the commencement of the Branch Institution at Anglesey in 1828, to the end of the year 1854, to which date only an ac- count of its proceedings has been pub- lished, the life-boats of' the Society have rescued from vessels that were total wrecks 423 persons; and 169 persons were saved by other means, making a total of 592 per- sons saved; and for those services 673 per- sons have been rewarded from the funds of the Society, in connection with the London Institution, with 826?. 17s. 3d.—two gold medallions, one of which was presented to her husband for meritorious service—and nineteen silver medals. Thus this excellent and truly pious lady not only accomplished in this respect the wishes of her benevolent heart, but was rewarded with the happiness of beholding for many years the highly effi- cient operations of the humane Institution she had so materially assisted to found.

One incident only must not be omitted, which will show that Mrs. WILLIAMS had the courage to act, as well as the capacity to devise and the zeal to persevere. A signal was made at the Skerry Rock that one of the light-keepers was very ill, and medical assistance wanted. The wind blowing a gale from the northward, a boat from Holy- head could not attempt the passage; but although a very heavy broken sea was run- ning at the time, as the life-boat from Cem- lyn could fetch the Skerries on one tack, she immediately went with her husband, taking with her her medicine-chest, and afforded the poor man the aid he required.

Alas! she is now no more In her de- mise her husband and family have suffered a severe bereavement—a large circle has lost a sincere friend—the poor in the neighbour- hood of Llanfairynghornwy a kind and sym- pathising benefactress—and the " Royal National Life-boat Institution" a most indefatigable and zealous supporter.