WILLIAMS
,
JOHN
(
1792
-
1858
),
cleric, scholar, and schoolmaster
;
b. at
Ystrad Meurig
,
11 April 1792
, son of
John
Williams
(
1745/6
-
1818
) (q.v.)
and
Jane
his wife. He attended his father's school there, and then went to
teach
at
Chiswick
. After a further period at school at
Ludlow
he matriculated at
Oxford
from
Balliol College
,
20 Nov. 1810
. He took his
B.A.
in
1814
, after obtaining the highest honours in classics; he taught at
Winchester
for four years, and subsequently at
Hyde Abbey school
, near that city. During this period he
took holy orders
, and in
1820
, after the death of
Eliezer
Williams
(q.v.)
, he was offered the living of
Lampeter
by
bishop
Burgess
(q.v.)
. He accepted it, and continued the excellent work done by his predecessor. He was not chosen first
principal
of
S. David's College
, but his school so prospered that some boys were sent to him from
Scotland
, including a son of
Sir
Walter
Scott
. In
1823
, his brother
David
, who had succeeded their father as
headmaster
of
Ystrad Meurig
, died; but
John
Williams
did not succeed to his place. However, in
1824
, he was appointed first
rector
of
Edinburgh Academy
, and began his work there on
1 Oct.
Here he met with great success; and although he accepted in
Aug. 1827
the
chair of Latin
in
London University
(resigning it nine months later) he was re-elected to his rectorship and remained there till
1847
. When
Llandovery College
was founded,
John
Williams
(who had been
archdeacon of Cardigan
since
Oct. 1833
, being re-instituted in
Aug. 1835
owing to a technical error) was invited to become the first
warden
. He started on his work on
S. Davids Day, 1848
, and remained there till he retired owing to illhealth at
Easter, 1853
. By that time the school's reputation was established. After retiring,
John
Williams
lived at
Brighton
,
Oxford
and
Bushey
; he d. at the last-named place on
27 Dec. 1858
, and was buried there on
4 Jan. 1859
. He m.
Mary
, only daughter of
Thomas
Evans
of
Llanilar
, and they had six daughters.
John
Williams
was considered to be one of the best
classical scholars
whom
Wales
has produced; he was also, according to all accounts, an excellent
teacher
. There is a portrait of him in his old school at
Edinburgh
, and also a bust (unless recently removed) in the
University College of Wales
at
Aberystwyth
. He published a number of books on classical subjects (see the list in
D.N.B.
), and in
1851
produced an edition of
Theophilus
Evans
(q.v.)
,
Drych y Prif Oesoedd
.
Bibliography:
-
Oxford Dictionary of National
Biography
;
-
D. G. Osborne-Jones
,
Edward Richard of Ystradmeurig with the
story of his school and its associations under its
successive masters 1734-1934
, Carmarthen, 1934
;
-
Geirlyfr Bywgraffiadol o Enwogion
Cymru
, 1870
;
-
Foster
,
Alumni Oxonienses
;
-
Benjamin Williams (Gwynionydd)
,
Enwogion Ceredigion
, 1869
.
Author:
Thomas Iorwerth Ellis, M.A., (1899-1970), Aberystwyth
