WILLIAMS
,
PETER
(
1723
-
1796
),
Methodist cleric, author, and Biblical commentator
;
b.
15 Jan. 1723
at
West Marsh
,
Llansadyrnin, Carms.
, son of
Owen
and
Elizabeth
Williams
. He was educated at
Carmarthen grammar school
; while there, after listening (
1743
) to a sermon preached by
George
Whitefield
, he was converted. He was for a short time a
schoolmaster
at
Cynwyl Elfed
. He was ordained
deacon
in
1745
and became a
curate
successively at
Eglwys Gymyn
,
Swansea
,
Llangrannog
, and
Llandysilio Gogo
, but his
Methodism
got him into trouble in his parishes and the
bishop
refused to make him a priest. He joined the
Methodists
in
1747
and began to tour the country,
preaching
. In
1748
he m.
Mary
Jenkins
of
Llanlluan
and, before long, settled at
Gelli Lednais
,
Llandyfaelog
, where he d.
8 Aug. 1796
.
Eliezer
and
Peter Bailey
Williams
(qq.v.)
were his sons.
Peter
Williams
was one of the outstanding leaders of the
Methodist movement
in
Wales
. He was also a
writer
and a
poet
. His hymns are to be found in
Rhai Hymnâu ac Odlau Ysprydol
,
1759
, and
Hymns on Various Subjects
,
1771
; he also published elegies on
William
Davies
of
Neath
,
1787
, and on
Daniel
Rowland
,
1790
. His chief books are
Blodau i Blant
,
1758
;
Galwad gan wyr eglwysig
,
1781
;
Cydymaith mewn Cystudd
,
1782
;
Yr Hyfforddwr Cymreigaidd
,
1784
;
Y Briodas Ysbrydol
,
1784
;
Ymddygiad Cristianogol
,
1784
. He also adapted and
translated
a number of
English
books. He had something to do with the publication of
Trysorfa Gwybodaeth, neu, Eurgrawn Cymraeg
, the first Welsh periodical,
1770
, but the question whether he or
Josiah
Rees
(q.v.)
was its
editor
has not yet been decided.
His life's greatest achievement was the publication of successive editions of the
Bible
, each chapter having its own separate commentary. The first edition was published and sold out in
1770
and there were calls for many more editions. ‘
Beibl
Peter
Williams
’ was tremendously popular in
Wales
for several generations and many thousands of copies were issued at one time or another. In
1773
he published the
Mynegeir Ysgrythurol
, which was a great help to the
Welsh
folk in their study of the
Bible
. His commentary on
John, i, 1
, aroused the suspicion that he was inclining to
Sabellianism
, but it was after his publication of a
Welsh
edition of
John
Canne
's ‘
Little Bible
’ (
1790
) that the storm broke. He was accused of publishing the Sabellian heresy and at the
Llandeilo C.M. Association
,
1791
, was excommunicated. He spent the last years of his life in bitter controversy with the
Methodists
, and it was during this period that his last books were published. They were:
Llythyr at Hen Gydymaith
,
1791
;
Tafol i Bwyso Sosiniaeth
,
1791
;
Dirgelwch Duwioldeb
,
1792
; and
Gwreiddyn y Mater
,
1794
.
Bibliography:
-
Owen Williams
,
Cofiant, neu Hanes bywyd a marwolaeth y Parchedig Peter Williams, o Gaerfyrddin
… Wedi ei gasglu a'i gyfieithu
, Caernarfon, 1817
,
1817
;
-
St. George A. Williams
,
The English works of the late Rev. Eliezer Williams, M.A., Vicar of
Lampeter and Caio cum Llansawel … : with a memoir of his life
, London, 1840
;
-
Cylchgrawn Cymdeithas Hanes y Methodistiaid CalfinaiddJournal of
the Historical Society of the Presbyterian Church in Wales
, 1916 ff. Also entitled
, vi, 35; xxxiv, 49;
-
the manuscript sources are given in
G. M. Roberts
,
Bywyd a Gwaith Peter Williams
, Cardiff, 1943
.
Author:
Rev. Gomer Morgan Roberts, M.A., (1904-93), Pont-rhyd-y-fen / St
Dogmael's / Llandybïe.
