▁ 1 8 8 4 ) ▁was ▁a ▁lingu ist , ▁official , ▁mission ary ▁and ▁Sin ologist ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Williams ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Ut ica , ▁New ▁York , ▁son ▁of ▁publish er ▁William ▁Williams ▁and ▁wife ▁Soph ia , ▁an ▁elder ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁Pres by ter ian ▁Church . ▁ ▁At ▁age ▁ 8 ▁he ▁was ▁im pressed ▁by ▁the ▁departure ▁to ▁C ey lon ▁as ▁a ▁printing ▁mission ary ▁of ▁a ▁James ▁Gar rett ▁who ▁was ▁associated ▁with ▁his ▁father ' s ▁printing ▁business . ▁ ▁He ▁studied ▁at ▁R ens sel a er ▁Poly techn ic ▁Institute ▁in ▁T roy , ▁New ▁York . ▁ ▁There ▁he ▁assist ed ▁in ▁the ▁writing ▁of ▁a ▁botan ical ▁manual ▁by ▁Senior ▁Professor ▁and ▁co - found er ▁Am os ▁E aton , ▁published ▁ 1 8 3 3 . ▁ ▁On ▁gradu ation ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁as ▁a ▁professor ▁of ▁the ▁inst itute . ▁ ▁China ▁After ▁a ▁year ' s ▁prepar ation , ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁June ▁ 1 8 3 3 , ▁just ▁ 2 1 , ▁he ▁sa iled ▁for ▁China ▁to ▁take ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁printing ▁press ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Board ▁of ▁Commission ers ▁for ▁Foreign ▁Miss ions ▁at ▁Gu ang d ong , ▁China . ▁He ▁arrived ▁at ▁Wh am po a , ▁C anton , ▁ab o ard ▁the ▁Mor r ison ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁October ▁ 1