Daniel Williams, one of the first North Caicos MPs dies at hospital June 2

#TurksandCaicos, June 6, 2022 – The Turks and Caicos has lost another political stalwart, on Thursday June 2 Daniel Williams slipped away.

While many will know him for a gleaming political career, that is not where it started for Daniel Williams.  He was born in Bottle Creek North Caicos, he later migrated to Inagua in The Bahamas where he worked for the Inagua Salt company some 17 years.

He retired as the company’s Chief Heavy Equipment Operator.  The circumstances which precipitated the end of his tenure at the salt company were disappointing for Williams, but he returned home to the Turks and Caicos and it seemed his arrival was right on time; it was the early 1970s and things were beginning to happen.

In addition to participating with the likes of Walter Cox in the development of the country’s green island of North Caicos, Williams found he had a desire to be among the decision makers for his island.  He was elected to the district board, which served as a precursor to his official political career as an elected member of the Legislative Council.

It was in 1973 that Daniel Williams, began his political career.  His election to the North Caicos district board and then three years later as part of the TCIs first group of elected parliamentarians in 1976, was huge.

Williams ran on the independent ticket, one of four who did so in the 1976 General Elections.  While the PDM led by Most Excellent JAGS would almost sweep Grand Turk taking three of four seats, in the constituency contested by Daniel Williams, the PDM who would go on to form the new Government,  did not garner even one vote.

Daniel Williams won by a mammoth sized margin, securing 200 votes to top the then Progressive National Organization’s (now Progressive National Party – PNP) candidate who only got 90 of the votes.

Williams was one of the two pivotal factors in the historic elections where he and another independent candidate – Charles Maguire, South Caicos sided with the PDM to give them a distinct lead over the PNO to form the TCI’s government.

JAGS became Chief Minister.  Lewis Astwood, who also passed away in May was also elected that year for the first time.

Daniel Williams is credited with many projects in his native North Caicos, including upgrading the airport in North Caicos.

He created the first concrete terminal building and warehouse as well as the partial paving of the Bottle Creek Airstrip.  Williams advocated for increased training for North Caicos students and for North Caicos’ first District Commissioner.

Williams married his wife Sheila Louise Williams (nee Handfield) and they both adopted six children John, Velma Virgil, Kim and Jedrick Bain, Sherrica Smith and Sandy Forbes.

Daniel Williams was 90 years old and passed away at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre on Thursday June 2, 2022.