WILLIAMS family, of Bron Eryri, later called Castell Deudraeth, Meirionnydd

DAVID WILLIAMS (Dewi Heli; 1799 - 1869), solicitor and Liberal Member of Parliament for Merioneth

Born 30 June 1799 at Saethon in the parish of Llanfihangel-Bachellaeth, Caernarfonshire, son of David Williams and Margaret his wife. He was articled to his brother John Williams (high sheriff of Merioneth, 1841-2), then a solicitor at Llanfyllin, Montgomeryshire, and practised at Pwllheli and Portmadoc, becoming also controller of the Madocks estate. In course of time he acquired much property, forming the estate associated with the house called Castell Deudraeth, Merioneth, formerly called Bron Eryri, where his brother John formerly resided. David Williams had literary interests and contributed to some Welsh periodicals; letters which he wrote to Ebenezer Thomas (Eben Fardd) and John Thomas (Siôn Wyn o Eifion) are preserved in Cwrtmawr MS 404C . He was clerk of the peace for Merioneth, 1842-59, one of the deputy-lieutenants for Merioneth and Caernarvonshire, high sheriff for Merioneth, 1861-2, and for Caernarvonshire, 1862-3. He contested Merioneth as a Liberal in 1859 and 1865, unsuccessfully, but he won the seat in 1868. He married 25 September 1841, Annie Louisa Loveday (died 16 June 1904), daughter of William Williams, of Peniarthucha, Meironnydd, barrister-at-law, and they had a large family; the eldest and the youngest sons are briefly noticed below. He died 15 December 1869, and was buried at Penrhyndeudraeth.

David Williams was succeeded in the Deudraeth estate by his eldest son

(Sir) ARTHUR OSMOND WILLIAMS (1849 - 1927), politician

Born 17 March 1849, he was educated at Eton, was justice of the peace and deputy-lieutenant for Caernarvonshire, chairman of quarter sessions for Merioneth, constable of Harlech castle, lord-lieutenant of Merioneth, 1909-27, and created a baronet in 1909. He was Liberal Member of Parliament for Merioneth, 1900-10. Sir Osmond Williams died 28 January 1927, in Australia. He had married, 3 August 1880, Frances Evelyn Greaves; their elder son, OSMOND TRAHAEARN DEUDRAETH WILLIAM (1883 - 1915), served in the South African War, was a captain in the newly-formed Welsh Guards in the first Great War, and was killed in action in the battle of Loos, 1915.

The youngest son of David Williams was

LEONARD LLEWELYN BULKELEY WILLIAMS (1861 - 1939), physician and writer

Born 2 October 1861, he was educated at Marlborough, at the University of Glasgow (where he took his medical degrees), and in France and Germany. He wrote articles to medical and scientific journals and was the author of numerous books dealing, mainly, with medicine, Paris, Spain, and the Spanish language; for titles of some of his publications see Who's Who, 1939, and the obituary notice in The Times, 21 August 1939. He died 20 August 1939.

Another son of David Williams was Edmund Trevor Lloyd Wynne Williams (1859-1946), co-founder of the British Gramophone Company.

Alice Williams ('Alys Meirion', 1863-1957) was a daughter of David Williams.

Author

Sir William Llewelyn Davies, (1887 - 1952)

Sources

J. E. Griffith, Pedigrees of Anglesey and Carnarvonshire Families (1914), 317
J. Jones ('Myrddin Fardd'), Enwogion Sir Gaernarfon (1922)
Edward Davies, Traethawd ar Enwogion Swydd Feirion, hen a diweddar, yn gelfyddydwyr, beirdd, gwyddonwyr, pregethwyr
E. Breese, Kalendars of Gwynedd â€¦ (1873)
W. R. Williams, The parliamentary history of the principality of Wales, from the earliest times to the present day, 1541-1895 (Brecknock 1895)
T. R. Roberts, Eminent Welshmen: a short biographical dictionary of Welshmen... from the earliest times to the present (1908)
Burke's â€¦ Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage
Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage, and Companionage
Baner ac Amserau Cymru, 18 December 1869

Additional Links

Wikidata: Q20734715

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-RUU/1.0/