WILLIAMS, RICHARD (Gwydderig; 1842 - 1917), collier and poet

Name: Richard Williams
Pseudonym: Gwydderig
Date of birth: 1842
Date of death: 1917
Parent: Mary Williams
Parent: Daniel Richard Williams
Gender: Male
Occupation: collier and poet
Area of activity: Business and Industry; Poetry
Author: William Llewelyn Davies

Born 16 February 1842 in a cottage called Pen-y-graig, Brynaman, the son of Daniel Richard Williams, collier, and Mary, his wife, the daughter of a farmer. Gwydderig was brought up in a house named Bryn Hafod, Brynaman, Glamorganshire. He lost his father when he was only a boy and went early to work in a coal mine. He began to contribute poems to Y Gwladgarwr at a time when William Williams (Caledfryn) was editor of the poetry column of that journal. When a depression came to the Brynaman and surrounding districts, Gwydderig went to work in Pennsylvania, U.S.A. After his return he continued to write poems, particularly englynion, and won prizes at national and other eisteddfodau; he became, in fact, known in many parts of Wales as 'Bardd yr englyn.' It is said that, in conjunction with Evan Gurnos Jones (Gurnos), another poet, he began to compile a dictionary giving examples of cynghanedd. It does not appear that a collected edition of his poems was published; they must, therefore, be sought in newspapers and journals of his time - there are some examples in the articles in Y Geninen noted below. He died 30 March, and was buried 4 April 1917 in the burial ground attached to Gibea chapel, Brynaman.

Author

Published date: 1959

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