WILLIAMS, ROBERT DEWI (1870 - 1955), minister (Presb.), headmaster of Clynnog School and writer

Born 29 December 1870 at Llwyn-du Isaf, Pandytudur, Denbighshire, son of Isaac and Elizabeth Williams. He was a pupil at the local British School (Blaenau Llangernyw School, or Pandy School) and he had two months' education at the grammar school kept by his relative, Robert Roberts ('Y Sgolor Mawr ', 1834 - 1885), at Llanfair Talhaearn; he subsequently attended a school at Llandudno and the preparatory school at Bala where he began to preach. After a period at the University College, Aberystwyth, he completed a four-year honours course at Jesus College, Oxford. He was ordained in 1900, and served as minister of Cesarea, Llandwrog, Caernarfonshire (1898-1904) and Jerusalem, Penmaen-mawr (1904-17). In 1917 he was appointed headmaster of Clynnog School, and he retained the post when the school moved to Clwyd College, Rhyl, remaining there until he retired in 1939. He lived at Rhuddlan during the last years of his life. He was greatly respected by his students. It is clear that he was an excellent teacher with a deep knowledge of the classics and other subjects; he taught dozens of students - some of them rather unpromising - who had set their hearts on the ministry. He was a very acceptable preacher himself, and his vivid and pithy comparisons were long remembered. He was elected Moderator of the North Wales Association of the Pres. Church in 1950. He was also a fine writer, with a natural instinct for savouring words and sayings. His long short-story, ' Y Clawdd terfyn ' was published in the first issue of Y Beirniad, and later published in Clawdd terfyn, straeon a darluniadau in 1912 (2nd. ed. 1948); he is considered to be the pioneer of this type of story in Welsh. He also wrote for periodicals, and some of his articles in Y Drysorfa were collected under the title Dyddiau mawr mebyd in 1973. In 1908 he married Helena Jones Davies, and they had a son. He died 25 January 1955 at Rhuddlan.

Author

• Reverend Gomer Morgan Roberts, (1904 - 1993)

Sources

• Blwyddiadur y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd, 1956, 265
• Y Goleuad, 9 and 16 February 1955
• Y Drysorfa, 1950, 59-62
• W. Morris (ed.), Ysgolion a cholegau y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd, y rhai a gaewyd (Caernarfon 1973) (1973), 61ff.
• information from Alford Pritchard, Pandytudur
• [ W. J. Edwards, Cerdded y clawdd terfyn cofiant R. Dewi Williams (Denbigh 1992) (1992) ]

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: Robert Dewi Williams

Additional Links

• VIAF: 58855792
• Wikidata: Q7343516

Published date: 2001

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