WILLIAMS, JOHN (fl. 1739-1779), Methodist exhorter and hymn-writer

In 1739 Howel Harris mentions 'dear Jack of Errwd '; there was, in fact, a family with that surname living at 'Erwood,' in the parish of Cerrig Cadarn, Brecknock. He and his brother, William, were exhorters in 1742-3 and the Methodist society met at their house. William (died 1746) married Ann Bowen of Tyddyn. Sarah, his sister, married Thomas James (died 1751), the Builth exhorter. In 1748 Howel Harris was godfather to John Williams's son, but in 1750 the Erwood family, acting under the influence of Thomas James, deserted Harris and by 1751 had joined Thomas Bowen's independent party. John Williams is believed to have been the author of a little collection of hymns published at Brecon in 1779, Ychydig Hymnau: O waith John Williams o Sir Frecheiniog. The collection comprises four very mediocre hymns. One man of this name was buried at Cerrig Cadarn 28 July 1779, and another 22 December 1783. A collection of his hymns, Hymnau o Fawl i Dduw a'r Oen, etc., was published by the Trevecka press in 1805.

Author

• Reverend Gomer Morgan Roberts, (1904 - 1993)

Sources

• Cylchgrawn Cymdeithas Hanes y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd, xxvii, 100; xxviii, 123; xxxi, 116; xxxiv, 31, 34, 75
• R. Bennett, Methodistiaeth Trefaldwyn Uchaf, 1738–1852 (1929), iii, 182, 187
• Cerrig Cadarn register
• Charles Ashton, Llyfryddiaeth Gymreig o 1801 i 1810 (1908), 109

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20821181

Published date: 1959

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