WILLIAMS, MATHEW (1732 - 1819), landsurveyor, author, and almanack-maker[?]
Date of birth: 1732
Date of death: 1819
Gender: Male
Occupation: landsurveyor, author, and almanack-maker[?]
Area of activity: Engineering, Construction, Naval Architecture and Surveying; Literature and Writing
Author: William Llewelyn Davies
It is known that he lived at Llangadock in 1774 and at Rhos-maen, near Llandeilo, in 1788. He published (a) Y Mesurwr Cyffredinol (Carmarthen, 1775; another ed. in 1785); (b) Speculum Terrarum et Caelorum: neu Ddrych y Ddaear a'r Ffurfafen … (Carmarthen, 1784; other eds. in 1804 and 1826); (c) Hanes Holl Grefyddau'r Byd, yn enwedig y Grefydd Grist'nogol (Carmarthen, 1799); (d) a series of (Welsh) almanacks - Britannus Merlinus Liberatus - from 1777 until at least 1814; and (e) De Ultimo Judicio: neu Gan am y Farn Ddiweddaf … Wedi ei gyfansoddi a'i gydmaru a gwaith Saesonaeg B[enjamin] Francis (Carmarthen, 1794?). It is possible that he was the translator of Traethawd ynghylch Caersalem Newydd o waith E. Swedenborg (Carmarthen, 1815; another ed. in 1885). In a diary of David Jones, Wallington - it is now in the Cardiff Public Library - is a reference under August 1790 to the death of ' Mathew Williams, author of a Welsh Almanack, this 14 years past, printed yearly in Carmarthen. He was from them parts by birth, by trade a weaver, by profession a dissenter, 55 years of age '; note, however, that our Mathew Williams describes himself as ' land surveyor ' in some of his works.
It is possible that there has been confusion between two men of this name. A Mathew Williams, land-surveyor, made his will 30 May 1819, and was buried at Llandeilo-fawr on 30 September 1819, aged 87; the will was proved 24 March 1820 (parish and probate records in N.L.W.).
Author
- Sir William Llewelyn Davies, (1887 - 1952)
- T. R. Roberts, Eminent Welshmen: a short biographical dictionary of Welshmen... from the earliest times to the present (1908)
- Cylchgrawn Cymdeithas Hanes y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd, 1949, 48
- John Davies, Rhestr o lyfrau argraffedig yng Nghaerfyrddin gan John Ross rhwng y blynyddoedd 1763 a 1807 (Carmarthen 1916)
- Notable Welshmen (1700–1900) (1908)
Sources
- Mathew Williams, Benjamin Francis, De Ultimo Judicio: neu, gan am y Farn Ddiweddaf. Yn bedair rhan. Wedi ei gyfansoddi a'i gydmaru a gwaith Saesonaeg Mr. B. Francis (Caerfyrddin 1788?)
Works
- Wikidata: Q20733891
Additional Links
Published date: 1959
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-RUU/1.0/
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