WILLIAMS, JOHN (1801 - 1859), physician and naturalist

Born in 1801 at Pentre'r Felin, Llansantffraid, in the Conway valley, second son of Cadwaladr Williams, miller, Cadwaladr Williams was the cousin of John Jones of Tal-y-sarn (1796 - 1857) - their fathers being brothers. John Williams was educated in Liverpool, but so great was his desire to become a naturalist that much of his time was spent at Ashridge and in Kew gardens. He was apprenticed to his elder brother, William, who was a physician and apothecary at Abergele; later, he went to Dublin where he obtained his M.D. In 1832 he started to practise at Corwen; but, in 1849, he joined in the gold rush and went off to California. There his health broke down, and he returned to this country in 1853, practising as a physician at Froncysylltau and Wrexham. He died in 1859. His claim to be remembered lies in the book which he published at Llanrwst in 1830, before setting up as a medical man. This book, which deals with the natural history of Llanrwst, has the Latin title Faunula Grustensis, and the amusing sub-title ' An Outline of the Natural Contents of the parish of Llanrwst.'

Author

• Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, (1881 - 1969)

Sources

• Bye-Gones, relating to Wales and the Border Counties, 1893, 225, by his son
• Owen Williams, Llyfryddiaeth Sir Ddinbych (1935-7, 1951), part 3

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q16737333

Published date: 1959

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