Henry Howell Williams (1796 – December 17, 1873) was an American merchant.
Early life
Henry Howell Williams was born in 1796 to Howell Williams and Dorothy (Wheat) Williams in Providence, Rhode Island. His older brother was Samuel May Williams.
Career
Williams started work as a sailor from a young age. He joined the Colombian Navy as a young man, serving for several years. After ending his tour with the Colombian Navy, he visited San Felipe de Austin, where his brother Samuel was a legal secretary for the colony. Williams applied for a Mexican land grant, but left before establishing his claim. He instead returned to the United States to work in Baltimore for a merchant, his uncle, Nathaniel Felton Williams.
Williams was a financier of the Texas Revolution. He managed a family commission house in Baltimore, where he transferred his letters of credit to Samuel, who supplied the Texas Navy with the ammunition, guns, and the schooner Invincible. After Texas gained independence, Williams assisted its Navy again while acting as Texas Consul to the United States. He was a liaison between the Texans and the shipbuilder Nicholas Dawson, who supplied six new ships.
