William Thomas

Who was William Thomas?

William Thomas, better known by his bardic name of Gwilym Marles, was a Welsh minister and poet, and the great-uncle of Dylan Thomas. Dylan was given his middle name, "Marlais", in honour of William Thomas, who is also believed to have inspired the character of Rev. Eli Jenkins in the play Under Milk Wood.

Thomas was born in Brechfa near Llandysul, and studied at the Presbyterian College in Carmarthen, but won a scholarship which enabled him to go on to the University of Glasgow in 1856. After graduating, he became a minister at Llwynrhydowen. As well as his poems, which were published in 1859, he wrote hymns and stories, and a novel which was published in 1855 in the periodical Seren Gomer. An advocate of the views of Theodore Parker, he became a champion of Unitarianism. He opened a grammar school, and was politically active, supporting local farmers in a tithe war and campaigning on behalf of the Liberal Party in Parliamentary elections. In 1876, local landlords evicted him from his chapel as a result of these activities.