Son of John and Susannah  [ nee Binham}Munce of Crew Kildare, County Down, Northern Ireland.
His father was a farmer  said to be of Huguenot descent but he was apprenticed to become a mariner to Captain Cotter [of Killough or Ardglass]

[Most of this information comes from  the 32 page letter addressed to his brother Hugh Muntz "near Kyneton" Vic. Australia, which was written during a year at sea1864-65.]

Regarding Family and Friends:
William spells his name MUNCE and is writing to his brother who spells his name MUNTZ after getting to Australia.  He plans on getting a wife and " ..I have a very strong impression that we will perpetuate the CEe's with yearly regularity.  At present the Tz's have got it all their own way. "
He keeps in touch with friends and family :
"When Captain Cotter and I were talking about you all in Bombay last year"

He refers to his first cousin William Muntz, in "The Colony"  William, as "the odd one" and discusses what he thinks of his way of raising children with tutors. {He was the money lender of North Woodend who was married to Ann Bray / Brewer]

Referring to his younger bother John Muntz:
"And so Johney has left down the "shovel and hoe". It may not be a bad idea, I would not care for working much with them myself now. At all events I hope he will succeed; he is young yet, and if things come to the worst, he can but pick up the old tools again. He appears just now to be the most thoughtful of the whole concern. ... I had a few lines from him in Calcutta, and to my lasting shame must record that I never acknowledged it. After giving me a good deal of information which I dearly valued, the dear boy went on to tell of his dear wife having a dear child. Indeed though I had to pay the Postman four "annas" I did not consider it a dear letter.

Referring to first cousin  Joseph and his wife Maggie nee Martin:
"Has Josey and you resumed your old "Chumship".  Is his place far from yours. Dont forget the Cards. Do you notice much change in him dont forget chart this last dont forget should be where the first one is and vica versa as you will see. I hope that Josey will do well.  I recollect that there was some report got up, that he did not like the place and that he was coming home again, I think it came through Maggie, but I never enquired into the truth of it.  I was speaking to James Martin on the subject of going out.  He is quite pleased now, that he did not go, as he is evidently under the impression that Josey does not like, as he was to write to him if he did.  He has now made arrangements to live and die at home, being quite content to being up to the neck in mud and whiskey.

Referring to Tom ? and John Stuart  who married his sister Susan:

"I dont know whether I will mention Tom or not. They say there is good and bad in everythng, but the saying is sadly at fault when applied to him. he is all one sort and that is bad, a real bad
"forget me not". Stuart will claim my attention on another page, as I wish  to insert another verse or two of poetry, I believe I sent to Susan, but I have now altered some lines and it is now a favourite of mine.

Family in Ireland:
"In the mean time I will tell you what the people look like at home, though it is painfully evident that of all matters I might on, this will interest you least.  You care not how they look, if you did, you would see for your self.

"In my Father and Mother, and Uncle Joseph and Aunt, I really can see no change in them, since I remember, except the grey hairs, which are yearly increasing.  It must be because 1 see them so often, for no doubt they as we, are getting older and no doubt they are beginning to feel that they are not young.  They have all acted their part in life well.  Let us pray then that their declining years may be cheered and smoothed by the believers hope that it is but the dawn of a new and happier existence, and that when time and Death comes to take away from us our parents, may they be ready and willing to go and may theirs be the Christians end.  Tom is a fine little fellow, I am very fond of him.  His leg is never well yet, and I dont know when it will, but I think it is getting better.  Though my fathers health is not good, yet he looks very well.  He still enjoys his pipe, but it requires an exertion of all my persuasive powers to get him to join me in a glass of            . I do like to go to Down with him and my Uncle Joseph, it is the best chance I have got.

"My Mother and my Aunt, [Susannah and Margaret nee Bingham] are still the same hurrying, bustling, never idle creatures.  They take very little rest themselves, and make it a point to keep every body else alive.  My Aunt has lost two teeth, and perhaps her talking is a little impaired.  My mother can still boast of the full compliment of grinders, but I fancy her tongue is not capable of its former vigorous activity.
Still they are the active partners, and know what is going on without as well as within.  So that, as of old, both men servants and maids still regard their clever mistresses with awe and with respect.

"Newel, like myself is still single.  What his reasons are for being so I know not; they may be like my own as fully explained in a former page, but I am inclined to think they are not and that as far from enlisting the sympathy of his friends, as I have done I hope, his apathy is indeed strongly to be censured.  Why he does not get a wife to love and cherish him and comb his hair; Why he does not follow his fathers example and beget sons and daughters, mystery, Pity him; no, reserve it for me, who weepingly deplores my lonely condition.

"Then there is little Bingham, poor little fellow, he does not seem to be very robust but I believe he is healthy.  He is a nice boy and I think resembles his mother more than his father, he inherits his mothers full blue eyes in perfection.  By the bye I have in contemplation an account of the loss of the "Alma" sometime when I have more leisure, but if I think I cannot surpass all of my former pieces I will not attempt it.

"Now all of that used to be, I have told you all that remains on the hill,   [Crew Hill, Crew Kildare] I sent that a change, and Oh how lonely it does seem.  Eliza Jane is a good affectionate sister, I hope her married life will be a happy one, I think it will for it was a love match.

"My Uncle MacKilale is still in bad health, and my Aunt, though still active busy - as she will be to the last - Yet you would well know her to be the oldest of the family.

"Our Ballynegrass friends are still the same rough country people that they ever were.  I believe that is a district of country that will never change.

"In passing on to Downpatrick, George's is the first call.  You will have heard all about his illness and his wifes death.  Josey can tell you more about George than I can and while you are listening to him I will slip down to the opposite side of the street for a chat with my sweet cousins, Mary and Lizzie.  I wonder if I would ask one of these pretty girls to Marry, what she would say, I cannot guess, but I know they have always been very good and kind by Jove if it was not for the strong prohibition against cousins marrying, before I was much older, I would know what she would say to such a question.  Uncle Martin is going down the hill of life fast, and I am sorry for it.  I hope he will live many years yet, I dont know what I will do when I have no one down street to go to see.

 "Mrs Dorman is well and hearty, and quite the Matron.  Like her own orchard she brings forth fruit annually.

" Mrs Cotter is as lively as a young kitten.  She is a lighted cheerful woman as full of fun as she was twentyyears ago and looks almost as young.

"Mr Arthur looks very well too and is much stouter than he used to be. I suppose he is a stone heavier than I am, 1 can seldom exceed 154 lbs.

 "Mr & Mrs McCrimack are I believe in good health and are living very comfortable.  I dont know what name they gave to the last boy, but like some of my friends in Australia I fancy they will soon be run out of names.

  My Aunt Shaw is living in Liverpool with her daughter.  Billy Commands Couries Ship "Charger", this is his maiden voyage.

"The Johnstones are unchanged.  Adam unmarried and Ballie unaltered.  Sam Swail has got a wife and got to children, while tho no wife has got children, and how they have managed it is the whole country talk.

 "Old Barney Huges lost two more teeth last May, he can now hardly say by-God of ye.  They say that Matty has never slept with a man yet although two or three wanted to go to bed with her.  She is a sweet creature, and was put out of the shop for eating lozenges.

 "Billy Ramsay is still alive and Betsy still single.  By and Bye I may tell you about somebody else, but at present 1 will not write another line till I compose some verses, for I am getting on too fast.
....
[End of Local people and family in letter]

Life as a Ship's Captain:
excerpts from 1864 and 1865 letter from William James Munce to his elder brother Hugh Muntz living in Victoria, Australia. [spelling is his own] [more coming about his family and people in village] many pages of introspection about his brother's reaction to his comments how how he lives his life on shore and in his head. He comments on his brother Hugh's life style and wife whose name he can't remember and other women he has known and what he has done and not done that he might have done with his life etc etc and romantic poetry]

[How he was sent to sea:]
"May I ask Sir, if you remember the strong desire you had for going to sea yourself when a boy.  It was a remarkable turn that circumstances gave to our respective walks in life.  As far as our tastes in the adoption of a trade or pursuit was concerned, ours was perfectly dissimilar at that time.

"I remember when we were drawing stones from Ardglass, one day we saw a ship passing, and you expressed a real earnest desire to be a commander of such an one. You would no doubt have been  willingly indeed it was hard to hold you, and you thought yourself very very hardly used.  While I who never dreamed of such a thing, who could not have even the thought of it. I whose young aspirations may have been no lower than your own, but had not the slightest reference to sea.

"I who was just then indulging in foolish dreams of ambition and of greatness founded on quite another foundation, was almost forced to abandon all and take to the water. When I say forced I say so literally although I never openly expressed my reluctance to comply. My father had a letter from Captain Cotter on Sunday morning to know if I would go to sea with him, and you are aware that this happened at a time, when he was beginning to think seriously what he was going to do with me (at least I think so) for they believed that they had you settled at home.

"Well as I was saying this letter came, and I of course was formally consulted and was told not to decide to hastily but that I must give an answer before three o'clock (post time). I went to dress in our own little closet that you know so well and I may safely say that no pen could describe the thrilling emotions, the thousands of confused thoughts and ideas that crowded each upon the other.  This new idea so suddenly raised, and so much at variance With my wishes was almost more than I could bear. But pride came to my assistance. I thought of you and what you would think of me if I did not go. I thought of my cousins and school fellows, what would they think, in fact I saw know way of getting out of it, and when I met Susan at the door, and when she asked me if I would go, almost entertainingly, I told her that of course I would go and was glad of the chance. She was delighted, but to me my own words sounded like a death knell for I would never retract.

"Thus was my fate fixed, all my little idols were dashed to the earth and Monday Morning saw me on my way to Belfast there to be apprenticed to my now own dear element. Belfast did not change my way of thinking much, with respect to the sea. At the end of a fortnight my dislike of it was increased ten fold.  The smell of the ship made me sick. I was put to work with old riggers whose vile and profane language made me shudder, and who gave themselves a great deal of unnecessary trouble in impressing me with the fact, (as I thought) that I would never cease to curse the day I went to sea; and to crown all I was kept at work all day getting no dinner till night.  Many and many a salt tear I shed but had I been going astray I have then went on without complaining or flinching.

"The few days that I got at home helped me wonderfully, I came out in my new clothes and it had a kind of soothing effect. Need I say that having irrevocably fixed my own destiny, and being once launched upon the deep, my motto was, go on.  This I kept always in view and in the first trying years of apprenticeship (for I found it no better than I expected) it was the only cheering ray that was left to me. Ever dreaming; Ever looking on; away in the horizon of my young hopes, I could see myself Commander. But it is not only this ambitious feeling that keeps the respectable youth at sea after his first voyage there is two more causes, one that he is ashamed to confess that he is tired of it, his school fellows would call him coward, he thinks that everyone would look down on him, and pride keeps at sea. The other reason is that when he gets on shore he forgets and his sorrows, he gets a week or fortnight to visit his friends instead of his "Chummies" looking down on him, as in the case of him leaving the sea. Now they look on him as a hero the fellow begins to get of their  puts himself down as something or somebody that should  be looked up to and envied.

"I have told you what I thought about sea at first, and how I was sent to it against my will.  This is a singular fact, for above any other trade or profession it is seldom that boys are compelled to be sailors. Would you like to know what I think of it now? Well I believe it was the best thing I could have done, and I am quite pleased that circumstances prevented me from entering on anything else.  What else could I have done that would have been half so good, 350 pounds a year is no inconsiderable income, besides the pirquisite of yachting and a free passage to all parts of the world expenses paid while in a foreign Port.  Yes indeed I am pleased, and Providence has been very gracious to me. There is no mistake but there is a fair ordeal to be gone through before one can arrive at ease and competence, but what of that the recompense is grand.  So much am I changed from my former dislike to the sea, that I am now dearly fond of it, and can now set down and write.

[Payment at sea]
... "You see I am still in the same ship.  I had the offer of changing into the "Edith Moore" when I was at home last time, but they expressed some reluctance at putting a stranger here especially this voyage as they are going to continue her on the first letter when she goes home.  The fact is, I am exceedingly comfortable where I am.  I have much better accommodation than I would in an Iron Vessel.  My pay is the same as I would have in a new one, and I don't care whether I change or not.

"Charles Moore & Co. is a first class house, if equalled certainly not surpassed by any other.  There ships and all connected with them are of the very best quality - Don't think that I include the captains, though if they are not they should be.  Our employers are not of that greatly to despatch. 25 Pounds per day is the value of my ship and if by sacrificing ten or fifteen pounds I save a day I do without hesitation.  The consequence is that Moore's Ships and Commanders are patronised and petted wherever they go.  We can get Pilots and berths and cargos and despatch and are off while some Ships are thinking about beginning, Last voyage in Bombay- a place where there is very little " ......."  given I gave away Rs 700 in presents, it was when my Ship was in the Government Dock.  For that trifle (a large amount to those I gave it to) I made RS 11,000, that is the way to work and that's what Moore likes.  They never ask for receipts or question us about what money we give away, they presume it is well spent.

"I don't know what the highest pay is in our employ.  They made me a present of 50 Pounds last time, and my salary is raised 30 Pounds it is now 280 Pounds per annum, that is my standing pay, then I get 72 Pounds a year for finding the Cabin in Wines, preserves etc., in fact all but the following which they provide - Beef, Pork, Bread, Flower, Rice, coarse Sugar and Tea - which I don't much use - Coffee, Fish, Potatoes, Butter, Raisins & Currants, Soap, Candles, besides a good supply of Plate crockeryware, Glasses etc. including linnen and everything else required to furnish the table in good style.  You will naturally suppose that my wants should be very few after getting all these and as I look over the items I have just noted, I would be half of your way of thinking was it not for the fact that my bill of Bonded and other stores is seldom under 60 Pounds that is including about 15 Pounds worth of tobacco on which I make three hundred per cent.  It would be hard to enumerate all the little items that run up a bill, I know that I only take a moderate quantity of Wines & Beer.  In allowing seventy Pounds they seem to know pretty well what it should take and they are not far wrong.

"You will see by the above that my yearly pay is 350 Pounds, and now for the deductions.
...
"In the first place there is 60 Pounds for the Cabin, that leaves 290 Pounds.  What else?  Well there is nothing else that I know of except Pocket money, Clothes etc. and you may think that 40 Pounds would be too much for that but it is true that I cannot save two hundred and fifty a year, though I might do so, and perhaps will now yes and much more too."
....

"I said just now that I was busy this last two days, and so I was, I have been making out the mens account of wages and squaring up my own general accounts and as they turn out something satisfactory, I will give you a rough sketch of how I stand. I find that my bill for stores and live stock when leaving home was 54 pounds.  This I always let the Owners pay so that it is in advance For 9 pounds, 10's worth of tobacco included in that bill I have now coming to me 34 pounds, 15's besides what I used myself and some left to bring home to father.  That is a good proffit, but I dont charge too much, certainly no more than other people and not as much as some, and I am different from other people in another sense because my motive for charging a fair price is truely a Christian one...,

“The little adventure that I had of Cheese  and Ham  Etc. [ we don’t have any mention of this in our letter] after clearing my private expenses in Calcutta which were considerable, leave a surplus of 9 pounds 10 shillings, so that my account for the 10 months stand thus     -----

 Wages for 10 months @ 280 per Annum       233.  6. 8.
 Tobacco to crew                                             34. 15.0
 Surplus Cash in Hand                                      9.  10. 0
                                                                         ______
                                                                        277. 11. 8.
 

 store bill paid by owner on leaving                 54. 0. 0.
 

                                     product                        223. 11. 8.
 Allowed to find Cabin 6 pounds per                 60.0.0.
                                             month
 

                                     Balance Due               283. 11. 8.
                                                                        __________

"That looks all very well on paper,  ....
"This is a salary that would be considered something good by a shore going "cove", and he
would consider himself somebody if he had it for 12 months instead of 10, besides this is after having covered and paid the house rent and taxes.

...

[sport]
"I am still fond of the sport and still keep my hand in practise.  I have got rifles on board and I take some amusement out of them.  On the passage out I killed an "Albatross' the first shot at some 12 or 1500 yds distant and I shot several of them on the wing, with the same rifle, but I dont get as much fishing as I would like;  do you know I think I will soon die with idleness, ...   Sometimes I get on first rate and am glad to be away from all the hurry and bustle of shore or rather town life, but at other times I feel very very lonely and I scarcely wonder that I would be inclined to make up for it when an opportunity offers.  I am begining to wish for some change in my life.  If I had 3 or 4 hundred a year to live on shore and do nothing I think I would chance it for a little while.

[Navy?]
"When I wast home last time I was about to join the "Naval Reserve". I could get a Lieutenants Commission and pay when on duty with all the pentions etc etc appertaining thereto, and would be put in command of a Privatere, Gun Boat, Sloop, or Transport before a real Navy lieutenant.  The worst of it is that there is 28 days drill to be done in each year until you are perfect.  This can be done in any port either at home or abroad and as many days as you like at a time.  Nice money 1 pound per day on drill.  I was so near joining that I made my application, had my uniform ordered, and all the papers sent to me from London, to fill up.  However I got bothered and vexed about one thing and another about the ship and came away without entering.  Would'ent it be a glorious change for a fellow if War was to break out.  There number of officers was limited and I am only affraid that they will be all supplied, if not I will certainly join this time.
...
[Home straits]
"Hurray old Ireland is in sight I have just got a glimpse of its blue hills in the distance.  It is well that this letter is finished for the going up channel will require my attention.  I have made a first class passage and never had a finer one.  It is almost incredible but quite true that my Topsail has only been reeft once these last 10 months and that was on the passage out.  Coming home I carried royal studdessy sails right round the Cape though it was in the dead of winter.
 

[Earthquake]
" If I recollect right the last sensible letter I wrote you was from Calcutta in June.  I will now give you a brief account of what I have been doing since. I was ten months over that voyage and made a good thing of it grossing nine thousand pounds.  On the passage home got into a frightful Hurricane near the Mauritius.  For two days it blew with incredible fury, but our good Ship stood it well.  I lost our spars but a hugh sea or rather a pyramid burst on board throwing her on her beam-ends, washing all the spars of the House, and taking the lee Bulwarks completely away.  This happened on the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd of December, and in thirteen days afterwards we had an Earthquake, or sea quake of the S.E. end of Madagascar and about three hundred miles distant.  So strong indeed was the shock that it broke some of the glasses in the pantry.  It was nearly dark and although the ship trembled violently we could see no change in the slight confusion of the sea that was at the time.  It was accompanied with noise like that of distant thunder.  It lasted 45 seconds.  So ends list of the wonders of that voyage.  I had a nice spell at home that time being more than two months in London and one in the country.  ....

[Telegraph cable laying:]
"Without exception that was the pleasantest time I have had since going to sea, and in after years it will be with a pleased rememberance that I call to mind the time I had the Telegraph Cable.  The Ship was entirely in the hands of the Government, paid by the month, so that 1 had nothing to do but amuse myself the best way 1 could and I did it to perfection.

They built three great water-tight Iron Tanks in the Ships hold, and after the cable was coiled down they filled them full of water.  From the moment it passed through the last process in making till it was immersed  in the  Persian Gulf it was never out of water, but in passing from the Works to the Ship.

We had some curious Machinery at work in the getting of it on board.  The Ship was moored off the "Works" at North Woolwich for twenty days while it was a coiling in and there we had crowds of people, whole steamboat loads of them coming to see it.  The same engine that coiled the wire on board, we kept for the purpose of renewing the water in the tanks when it got too hot.  My fore Cabin was fitted up for a testing room having all sorts of machinery and any amount of Galvanic batteries.

After it was all in the two ends were led in their and at sea there was a current sent through it every morning to see that it was alright.  And during the operation of laying it was constantly under test.  We kept up a continual correspondence with the station on shore.  On the passage out I had seven Engineers and Electricians in the Cabin and nine Cable hands between decks.

"I arrived in Bombay during the Northeast Monsoons and anticipating light winds my instructions were to get in with the first land I could make on the "Malabar" coast and to go on shore and  telegraph on to B-bay for a steamer to meet me at the same time to make the best of my way along the coast keeping a look out for her.

"It so happened with the winds I had that I could not make land until I was well up with the post where if it had been worth while to have sent them word I could not have done it as there was no station.  They did send a steamer down along the land four or five hundred miles expecting that she might find me but I was in before she came back.

"Then came a season of splendid indolence.  Sir Charles Bright and his staff came out over land and had not yet arrived, and when they did it took all the Dockyard men in the place three weeks to fit the machinery up for laying.

"I happened to have a good many friends their just then, amoungst the number was Margaret and between one thing and another I really did enjoy myself. it would be too tedious to enter into all the particulars of laying.  We had seven of the East India Co. Steamers in attendance, and we had some great days especially when landing the ends.

"Many a barrel of powder was burned and many a bottle of wine  cracked.  Sometimes I had as many as 130 people on board.  When up the Gulf we got messages from B-bay every day they came into the Cabin to us. I telegraphed to my Agents their several times all I had to do was write it out and pass it in to  the testing room.  When  all was over they towed my vessel back to Bombay, put her in Dock and spared no expense but made a better Ship of her than ever she was.  That was a 16,000 pound voyage (fourteen months)....

He was present at the death of both his parents in 1884 in Crew Kildare.

His death Certificate states he "died at Claremont institution for the insane in Perth, Western Australia  of chronic brain disease and senile decay. His occupation was given as ship's captain aged 71 years. " The undertaker was the informant and he did not know William's parents names but did know he had lived in West Australia for 10 years. He is "buried in the Karrakata Cemetery in the Church of England  compartment BC grave 47 courtesy of the Government 6th April 1907."

I don't think he had any relatives or friends in Western Australia at this time - his last 10 years ...
 

Arrest papers  kindly provided  by Dr Finbar McCormick, Queens University Dublin.