Christopher Mark Williams (9 March 1963 – 4 April 2024) was a Welsh academic, best known for his work on editing the diaries of

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...

. Williams was Head of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, and Professor of History at

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) () is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork (city), Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one of three Queen's Universit ...

, Ireland, from 2017 to 2024."Two major appointments for UCC", UCC News Archive, 2017 Press Releases, 11 April 2017
Accessed 9 December 2020

Career

Williams was a graduate of

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

, and obtained his doctorate from

Cardiff University Cardiff University () is a public research university in Cardiff, Wales. It was established in 1883 as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire and became a founding college of the University of Wales in 1893. It was renamed Unive ...

before becoming a lecturer there. He subsequently worked at the

University of Glamorgan The University of Glamorgan () was a public university based in South Wales, that merged with University of Wales, Newport to form the University of South Wales in April 2013. The university was based in Pontypridd, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, with ...

and in 2005 became Professor of Welsh History and Director of the Research Institute for Arts and Humanities at

Swansea University Swansea University () is a public university, public research university located in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. It was chartered as University College of Swansea in 1920, as the fourth college of the University of Wales. In 1996, it chang ...

. He was a Royal Commissioner with the

Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW; ; ), established in 1908, is a Welsh Government sponsored body concerned with some aspects of the archaeological, architectural and historic environment of Wales. ...

and was Chairman of the Welsh Heritage Schools Initiative. In 2013 he took up his appointment at Cardiff University. Williams was appointed Head of the College of

Arts The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creativity, creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive ...

Celtic Studies Celtic studies or Celtology is the academic discipline occupied with the study of any sort of cultural output relating to the Celts, Celtic-speaking peoples (i.e. speakers of Celtic languages). This ranges from linguistics, literature and art h ...

and

Social Sciences Social science (often rendered in the plural as the social sciences) is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of society, societies and the Social relation, relationships among members within those societies. The term was former ...

in 2017 at UCC. In 2016, Williams was elected a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales.

Research

Williams' edition of the Burton diaries was published by

Yale University Press Yale University Press is the university press of Yale University. It was founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day and Clarence Day, grandsons of Benjamin Day, and became a department of Yale University in 1961, but it remains financially and ope ...

. The diaries were donated to

by Burton's widow, Sally Burton, in 2006. He wrote extensively on the history of the

South Wales Coalfield The South Wales Coalfield () extends across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen. It is rich in coal deposits, especially in the South Wales ...

and on modern Welsh history and most recently on the history of political cartoons and caricature in Britain from the 18th century to the Second World War.

Personal life

Williams was born in

Griffithstown Griffithstown is a large suburb of Pontypool in the borough of Torfaen, Wales, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It is an ecclesiastical parish, formed in May 1898, from Llanfrechfa Upper and Panteg, and includes Sebastopol, but ...

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South East Wales, south east of Wales. It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east; the Severn Estuary to the s ...

, Wales on 9 March 1963, to Peter and Josephine Williams. He spent the first three years of his life in Newport, but his family later moved to Swindon, where he did his O-Levels and

A-Levels The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational ...

, spending a year in the army before going to the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

. He lectured on

mountaineering Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become mounta ...

around the world and in Wales. A keen walker, he climbed La Breche De Rolland in the French Pyrenees,

Ben Nevis Ben Nevis ( ; , ) is the highest mountain in Scotland, the United Kingdom, and the British Isles. Ben Nevis stands at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the Highland region of Lochaber, close to the town of Fort William. The mount ...

Snowdon Snowdon (), or (), is a mountain in Snowdonia in North Wales. It has an elevation of above sea level, which makes it both the highest mountain in Wales and the highest in the British Isles south of the Scottish Highlands. Snowdon i ...

and Pen-y-Fan. Williams died from a heart attack on 4 April 2024, at the age of 61.

Works

*'' B. L. Coombes'' (Writers of Wales series) (with William D. Jones; 1999) *''With Dust Still in His Throat: A B.L.Coombes Anthology'' (with Bill Jones; 1999) *''Postcolonial Wales'' (ed, with Jane Aaron; 2005) *''

Robert Owen Robert Owen (; 14 May 1771 – 17 November 1858) was a Welsh textile manufacturer, philanthropist, political philosopher and social reformer, and a founder of utopian socialism and the cooperative movement, co-operative movement. He strove to ...

and his Legacy (ed., with Noel Thompson; 2011) *''The Richard Burton Diaries'' (ed; 2012) *''The Gwent County History'', vol. 4 (ed, with Sian Rhiannon Williams; 2011) *''The Gwent County History'', vol. 5 (ed, with Andy Croll; 2013)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Chris 1963 births 2024 deaths Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Alumni of Cardiff University Academics of Swansea University Academics of Cardiff University 21st-century Welsh historians Historians of Wales Fellows of the Learned Society of Wales People from Pontypool