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Aneurin Williams (11 October 1859 – 20 January 1924) was a British
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
politician.


Background

He was born in
Dowlais Dowlais () is a village and Community (Wales), community of the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Merthyr Tydfil, in Wales. At the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census the electoral ward had a population of 6,926, The populati ...
, Glamorganshire, the second son of Edward Williams, CE, JP, ironmaster, of Cleveland Lodge,
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
. He was the great-grandson of
Iolo Morganwg Edward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg (; 10March 174718December 1826), was a Welsh antiquarian, poet and collector.Jones, Mary (2004)"Edward Williams/Iolo Morganwg/Iolo Morgannwg" From ''Jones' Celtic Encyclopedia''. R ...
, founder of the
Gorsedd Gorsedd Cymru (), or simply the Gorsedd (), is a society of Welsh-language poets, writers, musicians and others who have contributed to the Welsh language and to public life in Wales. Its aim is to honour such individuals and help develop and p ...
. He was educated privately before attending
St John's College, Cambridge St John's College, formally the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge, is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch L ...
where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Tripos in 1880 and a Master of Arts in 1883. He married, in 1888, Helen Elizabeth Pattinson, of Shipcote House,
Gateshead Gateshead () is a town in the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough of Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank. The town's attractions include the twenty metre tall Angel of the North sculpture on the town's southern outskirts, ...
. They had one son Iolo Aneurin Williams and one daughter, Helen Ursula Williams. His wife Helen died in 1922.


Professional career

He was Called to Bar,
Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...
in 1884. He was one of the acting partners at Linthorpe Ironworks, in
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
from 1886 to 1890.


Political career

He joined the Liberal Party. He was firstly the unsuccessful Liberal candidate for the safe Conservative
Medway Medway is a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in the ceremonial county of Kent in South East England. It was formed in 1998 by merging the boroughs of City of Roche ...
Division of Kent at the 1906 General Election. He was one of the successful Liberal candidates for the dual member
Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
Division of Devon at the January 1910 General Election. He was defeated at the
Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
in the December 1910 General Election. He was the successful Liberal candidate for the North West Durham Division at the 1914 North West Durham by-election. In September 1915, Williams, along with
Lord Bryce James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce, (10 May 1838 – 22 January 1922), was a British academic, jurist, historian, and Liberal politician. According to Keith Robbins, he was a widely traveled authority on law, government, and history whose expe ...
, attempted to publicize the
Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...
. In a public letter published in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', Bryce wrote that he agreed with Williams that "the civilized world ... ought to know" about the Ottoman Turks' "plan of extirpating Christianity by killing off the Christians of the Armenian race". This letter estimated that 250,000 Armenians had escaped from the Ottoman Empire, while "perhaps 500,000 have been slaughtered or deported". A series of speeches in Parliament by Williams, Lord Robert Cecil, and T. P. O'Connor about the Armenian genocide were later published as a pamphlet entitled ''The Armenian Question''. He served as a Justice of the peace in
Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
. He was Director of the First Garden City Ltd. He was Chairman of the executive committee of the Land Nationalisation Society. He was Chairman of the Executive of the International Co-operative Alliance. He was a Director of the Welsh National House Trust Ltd. He was the successful Liberal candidate for the
Consett Consett is a town in the County Durham (district), County Durham district, in the ceremonial county of County Durham, Durham, England, about south-west of Newcastle upon Tyne. It had a population of 27,394 in 2001 and an estimate of 25,812 in ...
Division of Durham at the 1918 General Election. * denotes candidate who was endorsed by the Coalition Government. He was Joint Honorary Secretary of the Labour Co-partnership Association. He was Chairman of the British Armenia Committee. He was Treasurer of the Proportional Representation Society. He was Chairman of the House of Commons Committee on Public Accounts, from 1921 to 1922. He was a Member of the Executive of the
League of Nations Union The League of Nations Union (LNU) was an organization formed in October 1918 in Great Britain to promote international justice, collective security and a permanent peace between nations based upon the ideals of the League of Nations. The League o ...
. At the next General Election he was finally defeated; Both his children also stood as Liberal Party candidates. His son Iolo contested Chelsea in 1924 and 1929. His daughter Ursula came close to re-gaining her father's seat of
Consett Consett is a town in the County Durham (district), County Durham district, in the ceremonial county of County Durham, Durham, England, about south-west of Newcastle upon Tyne. It had a population of 27,394 in 2001 and an estimate of 25,812 in ...
at the 1923 General Election.British parliamentary election results 1885-1918, Craig, F.W.S.


Publications

* ''Twenty-eight Years of Co-partnership at Guise'' (1908) Labour Co-Partnership Association * ''Co-partnership and Profit-sharing'' (1927) Williams and Norgate * article on Co-operative Societies in the ''
Encyclopædia Britannica The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...
''


Family tree


External links

* * *


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Aneurin 1859 births 1924 deaths Liberal Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1910 UK MPs 1910–1918 UK MPs 1918–1922 Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge People from Dowlais Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Plymouth Members of the Inner Temple