author

Robert Wood Williamson

1856–1932

A Manchester solicitor who turned his spare hours into serious scholarship, he became known for careful studies of Melanesian societies and kinship. His books brought together reports, comparison, and close reading at a time when anthropology was still taking shape as a field.

1 Audiobook

The Mafulu: Mountain People of British New Guinea

The Mafulu: Mountain People of British New Guinea

by Robert Wood Williamson

About the author

Born in Manchester in 1856, he was the son of the scientist William Crawford Williamson. He was educated at private schools and Owens College, then studied law at Clement's Inn and worked for many years as a Manchester solicitor before giving increasing time to anthropology.

He is remembered for research on the peoples of Melanesia and nearby regions, including books such as The Mafulu, The Ways of the South Sea Savage, and studies of social organization, kinship, and property. He was active in the Royal Anthropological Institute and served as its treasurer, building a reputation as a diligent scholar even though he was not a university academic.

Williamson died on January 12, 1932. Obituaries noted both the range of his interests and the seriousness of his contribution, reflecting a career that bridged professional life in law and a lasting commitment to ethnology.