WILLIAMS, WILLIAM (Gwilym Peris; 1769 - 1847), poet
Pseudonym: Gwilym Peris
Date of birth: 1769
Date of death: 1847
Gender: Male
Occupation: poet
Area of activity: Poetry
Author: Griffith Thomas Roberts
Born at Tyn'r-aelgarth, Llanberis. After spending his youth wandering over the slopes of the Snowdonian range he went to live at Waun-fawr. He was there on 'All Saints' Day' (Old Style - 12 November) 1802, and Dafydd Ddu Eryri mentions him as one of those who had prepared an awdl on ' Happiness ' for the poets conference, which took place on that occasion at Llanddeiniolen. He is described as 'a married man, a slate quarryman, born in the parish of Llanberis but now resident at Waunfawr.' He wrote an awdl on ' Providence,' which was the subject prescribed by Humphrey Thomas, brother of Dafydd Ddu Eryri, as a set piece for the poets of Caernarvonshire at their meeting at Bontnewydd, Llanwnda, in 1803. In 1804 he sent an awdl on ' Ynys Prydain ' to the Gwyneddigion eisteddfod, but it was Dewi Wyn o Eifion who won the medal on that occasion. In 1813 Gwilym Peris published his poetical works in a book called Awengerdd Peris, which includes all the awdlau mentioned above. Later, he went to live at Llandygài, where he came into close contact with Gutyn Peris. A of greeting by Gutyn to Gwilym is included in the Awengerdd, and Gwilym's in reply is the most interesting piece he ever wrote. In it he describes the Llanberis district and Cwmglas Mawr, the home of Abraham Williams, who taught him and Gutyn the rudiments of prosody; then comes a description of Dafydd Ddu, 'their second teacher,' and then there is a reference to John Morgan (1743 - 1801), the curate, ' yn y lle yn gweini llan.' Gwilym Peris died in 1847, and was buried in Llanllechid churchyard.
Author
- Griffith Thomas Roberts
- Additional Manuscript in the British Museum 15027 (75)
- Hynafiaethau a Thraddodiadau Plwyf Llanberis a'r Amgylchoedd (1892) 93-5
- Llyfr Hanes Llenyddiaeth ac Enwogion Llanllechid a Llandegai (1921), 103
- Awen-gerdd Peris, neu, Gasgliad o ganiadau sef awdlau, cywyddau, englynion, carolau a cherddi, etc. (Trefriw 1813, 1843), 1813 (2nd imp., 1843)
Sources
Published date: 1959
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
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