b.
12 July 1809
at
Llwyn Drain
in the parish of
Ystrad Owen, Glam.
About
1821
his parents removed to
Aberdare
, and for a time he followed his father's trade as a
sawyer
. But he soon left that for
coal-mining
, and with marked ability, grit,
perseverance, and a large measure of luck he soon attained a prominent position in the
coal-mining
world of
South Wales
. His first attempt at becoming a
coal-owner
was in partnership with
Lewis
Lewis
(of
Cefn Coed
) at
Ynyscynon
,
Cwm-bach
, where they began sinking a pit in
1847
, and entered into a
lease of a coal-mine
, dated
31 Dec. 1844
, for 48 years (
N.L.W. Ewenny MS. 374
). After
Lewis
gave up,
David
Williams
carried on alone. After being successful here, he soon
opened another colliery
at
Aberaman
, obtaining a lease from
Crawshay
Bailey
(q.v.)
who gave him much assistance. This colliery at
Aberaman
was generally known as
Williams's Pit
. Then he sank the
Deep Duffryn colliery
at
Mountain Ash
, and, after winning the coal, he sold the colliery to
John
Nixon
for £42,000. With this money he again sank another colliery at
Cwmdare
in
1853
, and, after a further success, he again sold out. In this way he attained great wealth, buying up lands at
Llanwynno
(see
Glanffrwd
,
Llanwynno
,
1949
),
Trealaw
(in the
Rhondda Valley
), which is named after him, and
Miskin Manor
.
Although he became a man of wealth, he remained in close touch with the working classes, presiding and conducting and sometimes
adjudicating at their eisteddfodau
. Fond of
composing Welsh poetry
himself, he became a popular figure in the literary world of
Wales
, universally esteemed by all classes. He
spent considerable sums of money in helping on the movement to establish the national eisteddfod
alternately in North and South
Wales
, attending meetings at his own expense in both districts (
D. M.
Richards
,
Rhestr Eisteddfodau
, xxv-xxvii).
He was married in
S. John's parish church
,
Aberdare
,
3 Aug. 1837
, to
Ann
Morgan
, a sister of
William
Morgan
(
1819
-
1878
, q.v.)
and their early home at
Ynyscynon
,
Aberdare
, was the resort of poets and literary writers. Here their son,
judge
Gwilym
Williams
(q.v.)
, was born.
Alaw Goch
d. at
Bridgend
,
28 Feb. 1863
, and was buried in the
Aberdare
cemetery.
