William Williams Pantycelyn - Life

Life

Williams was born in the parish of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn, Carmarthenshire, early in 1717. His family were Nonconformist. He was educated locally and intended to become a doctor. This changed when he had a religious conversion while listening to Howell Harris, the evangelical reformer, preaching in Talgarth in 1737.

He took deacon's orders in the Church of England in 1740 and was appointed curate to Theophilus Evans (1693–1767) in the parishes of Llanwrtyd, Llanfihangel Abergwesyn and Llanddewi Abergwesyn. Because of his Methodist activities he was refused ordination as a priest in 1743 and from then on he committed himself entirely to that movement. He travelled throughout Wales preaching and establishing seiadau (singular: seiat), local fellowships of Methodist people, for the converts he won. Together with Daniel Rowland and Howell Harris, he was the leader of the Methodists in Wales in the 18th century. Especially through his hymns, he was one of the most important influences on Welsh language culture in the 19th and 20th centuries. He died in 1791 and is buried in the churchyard at Llanfair-ar-y-bryn on the outskirts of Llandovery. He is commemorated by a memorial chapel at Llandovery.

In common with many other Welsh people whose names are less than unique, he was known by a nickname or bardic name: Pantycelyn, the name of the farm in the parish of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn where he lived for most of his life.

His virtuosity as a hymnwriter also earned him another nickname: Y pêr ganiedydd (The sweet songster).