b. in
Oystermouth
,
Gower
(though some sources say in
Aberclydach
,
Tal-y-bont on Usk, Brecks.
),
4 Oct. 1867
, fourth child of
John James
Williams
,
M.D.
(‘
Brychan
’), one of two sisters of
William Retlaw
Williams
(see below)
. She came in her youth under the influence of
Lady Llanover
(
DWB
, 334
, under
Hall
,
Benjamin
), and throughout her long life she retained her
interest in Welsh and Celtic cultural and political movements
. Her name with that of her sister
GWENFRIDA
(‘
Cate
’
, ‘
Gwenffreda ferch Brychan
’), is linked with that of
Lady Llanover
in a poem entitled ‘
An Diou Vag
’, which
François
Jaffrennou
(‘
Taldir
’) composed after the
national
eisteddfod
held at
Cardiff
in
1899
, and published in
Gwerziou gant Abherve ha Taldir
,
St. Brieuc
,
1899
. The two sisters were ‘
Y
Ddau Wynne
’, joint
authors
of the novels
One of the Royal Celts
,
London
1889
, and
A Maid of Cymru
,
London
1901
.
Gwenfrida
d. in
1914
. As
Maud
Williams
of
Aberclydach
(
Llanfigan, Breckns.
),
Mallt
was the second person to join
Urdd y Delyn
founded by
Owen M.
Edwards
(
DWB
, 192)
in
1896
. For years this League offered prizes for
penillion
singing, harp-playing, reading Welsh books and speaking Welsh. Later she used to
present prizes for the harp
, under the name of ‘
Gwobrwyon Aberclydach
’, at
national
eisteddfodau
. She was the founder and leader of
Ysbïwyr y Frenhines
in
Byddin Cymru
under the auspices of
Cymru'r Plant
from
1911 to 1916
. The members took an oath to serve
Wales
with heart, mind, tongue and hand. By then she had moved to live at
Plas Gwynnon Dôl
in
Llanarthne, Carms.
In
1915
she moved again, this time to
Plas Pantsaeson
near
St. Dogmaels, Pembs.
, where she spent the remainder of her life. She lived there with her younger brother,
‘
Jim
’,
FREDERICK GEORGE ROBERTSON
WILLIAMS
,
who had left
Aberclydach
when his elder brother inherited the estate. He first settled at
Capel Isaf
near
Llandeilo
, but in
1916
he purchased the
Plas Pantsaeson estate
and went to live there with his wife ‘
Daisy
’ or ‘
Modie
’,
Hylda Marguerite
, dau. of
Major
Penry
Lloyd
.
Robertson
Williams
was
interested in afforestation
and as part of his endeavour to improve the estate he
planted trees
extensively. Like his sister
Mallt
he was
conspicuous at Celtic gatherings
on account of his dress modelled on the conjectured style of a
Welsh
lord of the thirteenth century. He d. at the age of 75 on
11 Jan. 1945
and his body was borne on a gambo to his resting place in
Monnington
churchyard. He is described in the inscription on his tombstone as
Hollgelt
(‘a complete Celt’). His widow d. at the same house on
2 Feb. 1952
. They had two sons and one daughter.
The elder of the boys
Ioan Penry Brychan
Robertson
, co-operated with his aunt
Mallt
in the
publication of a Welsh birthday book
,
Llyfr Penblwydd
, in
1929
.
Mallt
attended meetings of Welsh and Irish national movements zealously
and
stood firm for Welshness in speech and dress
. In her annual address to
Ysbïwyr y Frenhines
she urged the members to imitate the zeal of the
Irish
, but after the
Easter Rising
of
1916
she was more subdued. Throughout the years she consistently supported the
National
Eistedfod
,
Urdd Gobaith Cymru
and
Plaid Cymru
. In her latter years her hundred pounds headed the list of subscriptions to the annual
St. David's Day fund
of the
Blaid
. She was a
stalwart supporter of the campaign against the establishment of a training camp
for the
Royal Air Force
at
Porth Neigwl
and
Penyberth
; and it was she who coined the name
Ysgol Fomio
(‘bombing school’). She was a strict vegetarian and a disciple of
Mary Baker
Eddy
. She d.
28 Oct., 1950
at
Plas Pantsaeson
and was cremated at
Pontypridd
; her ashes were scattered in the churchyard at
Llansanffraid, Breckns.
Her portrait can be seen on p.44 of
Cymru
, XXIX,
1905
.
