William was reputed to have been the founder of Aukland,N.Z. in 1840.The 27 regiment of foot had arrived on the Ann Watson in August of 1840.
He went on to survey the coastline of NZ and planned a settlement to be called Cornwallis,after his death the settlement failed and did not survive due to a lack of direction
At 1300hrs Friday September the 18th 1840,Capt Symonds as the Chief Magistrate present raised the Union Jack proclaiming the founding of the New Capital of New Zealand,Auckland.
He is reputed to have died by drowning in the Bay of Manakau,Two stories of this event are to be found just the detail is varied,One is that a female passenger had fallen in to the sea who could not swim he had dived in to save her she fought him and they both drowned.
The other was that he was ashore when a woman who had feigned illness and had a medication onboard ship he and the boats crew went to fetch it and onreturning to shore a storm blew up overturning the boat drowning him and the crew.
Manakua Bay was renamed in his memory ,to Symonds Bay,Other places of memory are Cornwallis Street,and Symonds Street in Auckland.
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