W. Llewelyn Williams

Who was W. Llewelyn Williams?

W. Llewelyn Williams, was a Welsh journalist, lawyer and Liberal Party politician.

He was born at Brownhill Llansadwrn, Towy Valley, Carmarthenshire; a memorial plaque was erected in front of the house in 1938. Born into a well-off Congregationalist family, William Llewelyn Williams was educated at Llandovery College and Brasenose College, Oxford University. At Oxford he was a founder member of the Dafydd ap Gwilym Society with O. M. Edwards.

On his return to Wales, he became a journalist, editing the South Wales Star at Barry, then the South Wales Post at Swansea. He spent some time on the staff of the South Wales Daily Post, Cardiff, and the Star of London. He wrote a couple of short stories in Welsh, neither of any real quality. Other work for the Cymmrodorion was later published in book form in 1919 as The Making of Modern Wales. He was not a professional, and saw Welsh history more in terms of Welsh Nationalism than an objective account of the past. Accordingly, he refused to accept the evidence of Iolo Morgannwg's forgeries.

W. Llewelyn Williams set up the first branch of Cymru Fydd in Barry in 1891. He was later appointed the movement's South Wales Organiser by David Lloyd George. Additionally, he was heavily involved in the struggle to secure the Disestablishment of the Church in Wales.