William Ambrose

Who was William Ambrose?

William Ambrose, bardic name Emrys, was a 19th-century Welsh language poet.

Ambrose was born at Bangor, Caernarfonshire, north Wales, the son of a leading member of the local Baptist community, but was later apprenticed to a draper in Liverpool, and subsequently moved to London. Having gone on a preaching tour led by William Williams, he decided, instead of setting up in business, to become a minister, and was ordained on 7 December 1837. He remained the minister of the Independent chapel at Portmadoc until his death, aged 60.

"Emrys" edited the periodical Y Dysgedydd from 1853 to 1873, and narrowly missed out on the bardic chair at the Aberffraw Eisteddfod of 1849.