WILLIAMS
,
JOHN
(
1745/6
-
1818
),
cleric and schoolmaster
;
b. in the
spring of 1745/6
, eldest son of
David
Williams
,
Swyddffynnon, Cards.
(a
blacksmith
by trade, and
one of the early Methodist exhorters
). [He was a brother of
Evan
Williams
,
1749
-
1835]
. He was a pupil of
Edward
Richard
at
Ystrad Meurig
, and in
1765
he went to
teach
in a school at
Woodstock chapel
,
Ambleston, Pembs.
Early in
1766
he went to
teach
at
Cardigan
, and he was ordained
deacon
by
bishop
Moss
of
S. Davids
,
26 Dec. 1768
. He
received priest's orders
on
19 Aug. 1770
; and in
Jan. 1771
, he went to
Ross, Herefs.
, as
curate
and
schoolmaster
. He stayed there till the
autumn of 1776
, when his health broke down; but he returned to his native
Cardiganshire
and began to get better. When
Edward
Richard
d. in
1777
,
John
Williams
was appointed in his stead, on
19 Aug.
, and he began work in Sept. He remained there till his death on
20 March 1818
, and was buried at
Ystrad Meurig
.
During his long
headmastership
he succeeded in placing high standards of scholarship before his pupils, and many of them were accepted for holy orders after no further preparation than that which they received at
Ystrad Meurig
. Many of them became prominent in the life of the Church (see the list in
D. G.
Osborne-Jones
,
Edward Richard of Ystrad Meurig
, 60-2). He m.
Jane
, daughter of
Lewis
Rogers
(
high sheriff of Cardiganshire
in
1753
), and they had three sons and one daughter. After becoming
headmaster
of
Ystrad Meurig
,
John
Williams
was
licensed to curacies
at
Lledrod
and
Llanafan
; in
April 1793
, he was appointed
rector
of
Llanfair
Orllwyn
; in
1795
,
perpetual curate
of
Blaenporth
in
June 1799
,
curate
of
Ystrad Meurig
, in
May 1804
,
vicar
of
Nantmel
, near
Rhayader
, and at the same time to a
canonry
in
Christ College
,
Brecon
. He was known as ‘
Yr Hen Syr
,’ and
between 1810 and 1815
he
built a new schoolroom
at
Ystrad Meurig
.
Bibliography:
-
Oxford Dictionary of National
Biography
;
-
Benjamin Williams (Gwynionydd)
,
Enwogion Ceredigion
, 1869
;
-
D. G. Osborne-Jones
, op. cit.;
-
Eminent Welshmen
, 1908
;
-
Geirlyfr Bywgraffiadol o Enwogion
Cymru
, 1870
;
-
National Library of Wales Manuscript
13916;
- S. David's Diocesan registers in N.L.W.;
-
Cymru
, iv, 45, 127; vi, 124.
Author:
Thomas Iorwerth Ellis, M.A., (1899-1970), Aberystwyth
