WILLIAMS, JOHN (Ioan ap Ioan; 1800 - 1871), Baptist minister and author

Born at Trwyn-swch, Llanddoged, Denbighshire, 1800, son of John and Jane Williams. He was baptized at Llanrwst, where his mother was a member, and started to preach at the age of 25 at Cefnbychan, where he kept school. He was a student at Abergavenny, 1828-31, and although he spent some months on probation at Penrhyn-coch, it was from Aberduar that he received his first and only 'call.' He was ordained 29-30 November 1831 and remained there till his death, 31 December 1871. He married at Aberduar 13 August 1841, Eleanor Hughes, daughter of D. Hughes, Glandyforiog, Llanybydder, who bore him two sons and four daughters. He was buried at Aberduar. His ministry was prosperous, the chapel at Aberduar being extended as early as 1834, and as a preacher he became famous for his eloquence and his original sayings, but he is best remembered to-day as a poet and biographer. He published (1) Lloffyn y Prydydd , 1839, a volume of poetry, in both strict and free metres, on Biblical, social, and local subjects and including a number of elegies; (2) Cofiant … Dafydd Saunders, Merthyr, 1842; (3) Cofiant y Parch John Jones, Llandyssil , 1859; and (4) a biography of Benjamin Thomas, Baptist minister, Penrhiw-goch, in Seren Gomer, 1860. His own biography by J. Davies, Llandysul, was published in 1874.

Author

• Benjamin George Owens

Sources

• John Davies, Cofiant y Parch John Williams ("I. ab Ioan"), Aberduar (Caerfyrddin 1874)
• Seren Gomer, 1840, 341; 1841, 286; 1860, 97
• Greal y Bedyddwyr, 1832, 56
• Seren Cymru, 5 and 12 January 1872
• David Jones, Hanes y Bedyddwyr yn Neheubarth Cymru (1839), 334
• Baptist Handbook, 1873
• Williams, Hanes Athrofeydd y Bedyddwyr yn Sir Fynwy yn nghyd â byr grybwylliad am athrofeydd Hwlffordd a Llangollen (Aberdâr 1863), 35
• Y Geninen, 1896, 219

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q28361538

Published date: 1959

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