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).
Read more about this topic: William Williams Pantycelyn
Famous quotes containing the word life:
“Age. That period of life in which we compound for the vices that remain by reviling those we have no longer the vigor to commit.”
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1914)
“I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgment, but never with a view to injury and wrongdoing. Neither will I administer a poison to anybody when asked to do so, nor will I suggest such a course. Similarly, I will not give to a woman a pessary to cause abortion. I will keep pure and holy both my life and my art.”
—Hippocrates (c. 460–c. 370 B.C.)
“We hear a great deal of lamentation these days about writers having all taken themselves to the colleges and universities where they live decorously instead of going out and getting firsthand information about life. The fact is that anybody who has survived his childhood has enough information about life to last him the rest of his days.”
—Flannery O’Connor (1925–1964)