Dictionary of Welsh Biography

WILLIAMS, JANE (Ysgafell; 1806 - 1885), Welsh historian and miscellaneous writer therein; The Literary Remains of the Rev. Thomas Price, Carnhuanawc … with a Memoir of his Life (Llandovery, 1854-55); The Origin, Rise, and Progress of the Paper People (London, 1856), a little book about paper-cutting, with illustrations by lady Llanover; The Autobiography of Elizabeth Davis, a Balaclava Nurse, Daughter of Dafydd Cadwaladr (London, 1857); The Literary Women of England (London, 1861
WILLIAMS, JOHN (Ioan ap Ioan; 1800 - 1871), Baptist minister and author 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
WILLIAMS, JOHN (Ioan Mai; 1823 - 1887), poet him a friend of men of the calibre of Joseph Loth of the University of Rennes, and E. B. Cowell of Cambridge. He is reputed to have given the latter considerable help with his translations into English of the poems of Dafydd ap Gwilym. Ioan Mai wrote many poems in the free metres, some of them for competition at various eisteddfodau, but although his unfinished essay on 'The characteristics of Welsh
WILLIAMS, Sir JOHN KYFFIN (1918 - 2006), painter and author gallery. Although his mother would allow no Welsh to be spoken in the home, his parents were both fluent Welsh speakers, and Kyffin himself spoke a good deal of Welsh, being able to recite passages of poetry by Dafydd ap Gwilym, and he used to write to his close friends in Welsh. When Kyffin declared in the 1980s 'I paint in Welsh', this meant that he had overcome his mother's taboo. When signing books
WILLIAMS, MARIA JANE (Llinos; 1795 - 1873), folklore collector and musician Maria Jane Williams was born at Aberpergwm in the Neath Valley, Glamorgan, on 4 October 1795, the fifth and youngest child of Rees Williams of Aberpergwm (1755-1812) and his wife Ann (née Jenkins, 1759-1834) of Ystradfellte. The Williams family of Aberpergwm claimed descent from Iestyn ab Gwrgant and the poet Dafydd Nicolas had a home with them in the second half of the eighteenth century. The
WILLIAMS, MORRIS (Nicander; 1809 - 1874), cleric and man of letters number of hymns. Among his publications are Y Flwyddyn Eglwysig, 1843; translations of Dr. Sutton's Disce Vivere and Disce Mori, 1847, 1848; an edition of Llyfr yr Homiliau, 1847; a metrical version of the Psalter, 1850; an edition of the works of Dafydd Ionawr, 1851; and a number of essays on church matters. An interesting selection of his letters to Ebenezer Thomas (Eben Fardd) may be found in Adgof
WILLIAMS, OWEN (GAIANYDD) (1865 - 1928), Calvinistic Methodist minister, and author prizes at local eisteddfodau on historical subjects; he also acted as an adjudicator. He was married and had two sons and a daughter. He published ' Hanes Llanerchymedd a'i Henwogion ' in Hanes a Chyfansoddiadau Arobryn Eisteddfod Llanerchymedd (Cymdeithas Eisteddfod Môn, 1906); Ein Pobl Ieuainc … (Caernarvon, 1906); Dafydd Jones o Drefriw (1708-1785) (Caernarvon, 1907); Dewis Aelod Seneddol: Drama
WILLIAMS, OWEN (Owain Gwyrfai; 1790 - 1874), antiquary short, spare man with a round face and fair hair. He used to walk with short, quick steps, stooping a little, and he was never seen without a stick. A cooper by trade, he used to make wheel-barrows for sale to the Dinorwig quarries before the latter began to use waggons. When Dafydd Ddu Eryri kept a school at Waun-fawr and Betws Garmon, Owen Williams was one of his pupils and it was Dafydd Ddu who
WILLIAMS, PETER BAILEY (1763 - 1836), cleric and writer Revolution; but he was an ardent supporter of the movement for the education of the masses and there is little doubt that the Sunday school he started at Llan-rug in 1793 was one of the first in Caernarvonshire. He was the friend and patron of the local writers - Dafydd Ddu and his friends - and had a hand in bringing out the Greal, neu Eurgrawn (Ieuan Lleyn) in 1800, and Trysorfa Gwybodaeth (Dafydd Ddu
WILLIAMS, PHILIP (d. 1717), genealogist of Plas Dyffryn Clydach in the Neath valley, son of Philip Williams (died 1668). Besides being a genealogist, the son was steward of the manor of Cadoxton and of the Neath Abbey estate of Elizabeth Hoby (died 1699). He is included here because he is notable as an example of a Glamorgan man who encouraged and patronised Glamorgan local bards (such as Dafydd Evans, William Prees Crwth) as also did
WILLIAMS, THOMAS (Eos Gwynfa, Eos y Mynydd; c. 1769 - 1848), poet died November 1848 at the age of 79, and was buried 18 November in Llanfihangel churchyard. He wrote a great deal of poetry, mostly devotional carols suitable for the early Christmas service and for Easter, and five volumes of his works were published during his lifetime: Telyn Dafydd, 1820; Ychydig o Ganiadau Buddiol, 1824; Newyddion Gabriel, 1825, 2nd imp. 1834; Manna'r Anialwch, 1831; and Mer Awen
WILLIAMS, THOMAS OSWALD (ap Gwarnant; 1888 - 1965), Unitarian minister, author, poet and public figure Born 10 May 1888, one of the four children of Rachel and Gwarnant Williams, farmer, poet and public figure of Gwarnant farm, in the parish of Llanwenog, Cardiganshire. He was educated at Cwrtnewydd school and Dafydd Evans's school Cribyn (1901-02); he was apprenticed as a pupil-teacher and, for a period of ten years he was a deputy-teacher at Blaenau school, Gorsgoch and Cwrtnewydd school. In

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