Dictionary of Welsh Biography

WILLIAMS, GWYN ALFRED (1925 - 1995), historian and television presenter He was born at 11 Lower Row, Pen-y-wern, Dowlais, Glamorgan, on 30 September 1925. He was one of three children born to Thomas John Williams (1892-1971) and Gwladys Williams née Morgan (1896-1983), both of whom were schoolteachers. His roots were deep in the iron-making town and he took pride in being the archetypal 'bachgen bach o Ddowlais' (little boy from Dowlais). The house where he was
WILLIAMS, HUGH DOUGLAS (Brithdir; 1917 - 1969), teacher and artist Born 7 June 1917 in 8 Albert Street, Upper Bangor, Caernarfonshire, son of David Thomas Williams and Mary Jane (née Williams) his wife, but was brought up in 4 Regent Street after the family moved there. He won a scholarship to Friars School when he was ten years old, and went from there to Manchester School of Art in 1936, where he gained a teaching diploma in art in 1941. He was president of
WILLIAMS, IOLO ANEURIN (1890 - 1962), journalist, author and art historian Born 18 June 1890 in Middlesborough, Yorkshire, son of Aneurin Williams, M.P., ironmaster, and his wife Helen Elizabeth (née Pattinson). He married in 1920 Francion Elinor Dixon of Colorado, U.S.A., and they had one son and two daughters. He was educated at Rugby School and King's College, Cambridge. From 1914 to 1920 he served with or in the army, chiefly in France, and retired as captain. He
WILLIAMS, ISAAC JOHN (1874 - 1939), museum official married (1) Annie (neé Summers) died 1932, and (2) Beatrice Lily, sister of his first wife. He died at Cardiff, 25 December 1939. He bequeathed £3,500 to the National Museum of Wales (The Isaac and Annie Williams Bequest Fund).
WILLIAMS, JOHN JOHN (1884 - 1950), school-teacher, education administrator, producer and drama adjudicator Born 12 July 1884, in High Street, Caernarfon, the only child of John Williams and Anne (née Jones). The father was a quarryman. The mother ran a guesthouse for travellers; she died when the child was only eight years of age. He received his early education at the towns Board School and afterwards at Llanrug British School. One of his contemporaries at Caernarfon central school (c. 1896-98) was
WILLIAMS, LLYWELYN (1911 - 1965), minister (Congl.) and politician Born in Llanelli, 22 July 1911 one of the four children of William Williams and his wife Jessie (née Phillips). The father was a collier until he lost his health which caused him to spend the rest of his life as an insurance collector. The children were reared in a cultured home at 63 Marble Road. They were imbued with the principles of religion and education, a love of Wales and a commitment to
WILLIAMS, LUCY GWENDOLEN (1870 - 1955), sculptress Born in 1870 at New Ferry, near Liverpool, daughter of Henry Lewis Williams, priest, and Caroline Sarah (née Lee), his wife. Her father was the son of John Williams, Highfield Hall, Northop, Flintshire, but Gwendolen Williams can hardly be said to be Welsh from the point of view of her professional dedication. She studied art under Alfred Drury at Wimbledon Art College before proceeding to the
WILLIAMS, MARGARET LINDSAY (1888 - 1960), artist Born 18 June 1888, daughter of Samuel Arthur Williams, Barry Dock, Glamorganshire, who had a flourishing business as shipbroker in Cardiff, and Martha Margaret (née Lindsay) his wife. The daughter had private tuition before entering Cardiff Technical College where she won a gold medal for art. After a year working in Pelham school of art, London, she moved to the Royal Academy in 1906 where she
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, MEIRION (1901 - 1976), musician William Robert Williams was born on 19 July 1901 in Glanywern, Dyffryn Ardudwy. He began to use the name 'Meirion' when a student and adopted it officially during the Second World War. He was the son of Robert Parry Williams and Mary Elizabeth (née Roberts), the father a shopkeeper and sub-postmaster. His dark colouring was attributed by some to Italian ancestry on his mother's side. Meirion
WILLIAMS, RAYMOND HENRY (1921 - 1988), lecturer, writer and cultural critic Raymond Williams was born on 31 August 1921 in Pandy, near Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, the only child of Henry Joseph Williams, a railway signalman, and his wife Esther Gwendoline (née Bird). Aspects of his upbringing and the lives of his parents are conveyed in his first novel, Border Country (1960), most centrally the ways in which the General Strike and Lockout of 1926 exposed strains within a
WILLIAMS, ROBERT (1782 - 1818), composer of the hymn-tune 'Llanfair' which appears in all Welsh congregational tune-books and in Songs of Praise and other English hymn-books; Dr. R. Vaughan Williams has composed variations upon it. Robert Williams was born at Mynydd Ithel farm, Llanfechell, Anglesey, son of Owen Williams and Mary (née Davies). He was baptised at Llanfechell on 27 October 1782. He was blind from birth and earned his living by basket-making, but was

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