Robert Dewi Williams
Encyclopedia
Robert Dewi Williams was a Welsh schoolteacher, Presbyterian minister and author.
in what was then the county of Denbighshire
. He went to school in Blaenau Llangernyw followed by a couple of months at the school in Llanfair Talhaearn before going to school in Llandudno
and in Bala
– he began to preach when attending the last of these. He was then a student at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth and Jesus College, Oxford
before being ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1900. He was the minister of Cesarea chapel in Llandwrog
from 1898 to 1904, then the minister of Jerusalem chapel in Penmaenmawr
from 1904 to 1917. He was appointed the headmaster of the school in Clynnog Fawr
in 1917, remaining headmaster when the school moved to Clwyd College, Rhyl
. Williams retired in 1939 and lived in Rhuddlan
until his death on 25 January 1955, serving as Moderator of the North Wales Association of the Presbyterian Church from 1950 onwards.
, Williams being regarded the pioneer of this story form in Welsh. Other writings included contributions to periodicals, some of which were collected under the title (1973). The National Library of Wales
holds various papers of Williams in its archive: some unpublished stories, as well as scrapbooks, drawings, cartoons and family photographs.
Life
Williams was born on 29 December 1870 at Llwyn-du Isaf, Pandy TudurPandy Tudur
Pandy Tudur is a village in Conwy county borough, north Wales, and lies some 5 miles NE of Llanrwst.It takes its name from the pandy which was located there....
in what was then the county of Denbighshire
Denbighshire (historic)
Historic Denbighshire is one of thirteen traditional counties in Wales, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which covers an area in north east Wales...
. He went to school in Blaenau Llangernyw followed by a couple of months at the school in Llanfair Talhaearn before going to school in Llandudno
Llandudno
Llandudno is a seaside resort and town in Conwy County Borough, Wales. In the 2001 UK census it had a population of 20,090 including that of Penrhyn Bay and Penrhynside, which are within the Llandudno Community...
and in Bala
Bala, Gwynedd
Bala is a market town and community in Gwynedd, Wales, and formerly an urban district of the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies at the north end of Bala Lake , 17 miles north-east of Dolgellau, with a population of 1,980...
– he began to preach when attending the last of these. He was then a student at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth and Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
before being ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1900. He was the minister of Cesarea chapel in Llandwrog
Llandwrog
Llandwrog is a village and community in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, most notable for the presence of the headquarters of Welsh record label Sain and the site of Caernarfon Airport...
from 1898 to 1904, then the minister of Jerusalem chapel in Penmaenmawr
Penmaenmawr
PenmaenmawrConwyPenmaenmawr is a town in the parish of Dwygyfylchi, in Conwy County Borough, Wales. The population was 3857 in 2001. It is a quarrying town, though the latter is no longer a major employer, on the North Wales coast between Conwy and Llanfairfechan.The town was bypassed by the A55...
from 1904 to 1917. He was appointed the headmaster of the school in Clynnog Fawr
Clynnog Fawr
Clynnog Fawr, often simply called "Clynnog", is a village on the north coast of the Llŷn peninsula in Gwynedd, north-west Wales.Clynnog Fawr lies on the A499 road between Caernarfon and Pwllheli, at . It had a population of 130 in 1991...
in 1917, remaining headmaster when the school moved to Clwyd College, Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
. Williams retired in 1939 and lived in Rhuddlan
Rhuddlan
Rhuddlan is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire , in north Wales. It is situated to the south of the coastal town of Rhyl and overlooks the River Clwyd. The town gave its name to the Welsh district of Rhuddlan from 1974 to 1996...
until his death on 25 January 1955, serving as Moderator of the North Wales Association of the Presbyterian Church from 1950 onwards.
Works
In addition to his skills as a preacher and teacher, Williams was a highly-regarded writer. He wrote a long short-story, , which was published in the first edition of the literary journal Y Beirniad published by John Morris-JonesJohn Morris-Jones
Sir John Morris-Jones was a Welsh grammarian, academic and poet.He was born at Llandrygarn, Anglesey and educated at Friars School, Bangor. Whilst at Jesus College, Oxford, Morris-Jones co-founded the Cymdeithas Dafydd ap Gwilym...
, Williams being regarded the pioneer of this story form in Welsh. Other writings included contributions to periodicals, some of which were collected under the title (1973). The National Library of Wales
National Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales; one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies.Welsh is its main medium of communication...
holds various papers of Williams in its archive: some unpublished stories, as well as scrapbooks, drawings, cartoons and family photographs.