Born: December 12, 1802, Cwmcynfelin, Cardiganshire, Wales. Died: May 1, 1865, Stinchcombe, England. Buried: Stinchcombe, Gloucestershire, England. |
Tutored by an English clergyman, Williams developed a fondness for Latin poetry. He became so proficient in Latin that he actually began to think in it, and when writing was sometimes obliged to translate his ideas from Latin to English. In 1812, he entered Trinity College, Oxford, and two years later won the University’s prize for Latin verse. This fact became a turning point in his career, as it brought him into contact with John Keble, who took on Williams as a sort of protégé. In 1829, Williams was ordained as Curate of Windrush, a few miles from Fairford, where Keble lived. However, Williams soon won a Trinity Fellowship and returned to Oxford, where he met John Newman. He became Newman’s Curate at St. Mary’s, Oxford, where he stayed until 1842, when he became Curate at Bisley. He moved to Stinchcombe in 1848, where he lived in retirement for many years, devoting himself to literary work. Williams’ works include:
Sources
Hymns
Translations