Watkin Hezekiah Williams (1844–1905), known as Watcyn Wyn, was a Welsh schoolmaster and poet.

Early life

Born on 7 March 1844 at his mother's home at Ddolgam, in the Llynfell valley,

Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire (; or informally ') is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. ...

, was the son of Hezekiah and Ann Williams. He was brought up, the second of a family of ten, on his father's farm of Cwmgarw Ganol, near Brynaman. At an early age he found employment in the coal mines then being opened up in the district, and he worked, chiefly as a collier, with occasional periods of attendance at local schools, until the age of 27.

Teacher

In 1870 Williams married Mary Jones of Trap,

Carreg Cennen Carreg Cennen Castle () is a castle sited on a high rocky outcrop overlooking the River Cennen, close to the village of Trap, four miles south east of Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire, Wales. ''Castell Carreg Cennen'' means ''castle on a rock next ...

; the death of his wife in less than a year led him to leave his home and occupation. In January 1872 he entered the school of his relative, Evan Williams of

Merthyr Merthyr Tydfil () is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydfil, daughter of Kin ...

. He was soon assisting Evan Williams and his successor, J. J. Copeland. In 1874 he decided to qualify for the independent ministry; he returned home, began to preach at Gibea Chapel, and, after a preliminary training, was admitted to the

Presbyterian College at Carmarthen Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pre ...

in 1875. On the conclusion of his course in 1879 he married Anne Davies of Carmarthen. Instead of a pastorate, Williams took a post as teacher of a private school at

Llangadog Llangadog () is a village and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, which also includes the villages of Bethlehem and Capel Gwynfe. A notable local landscape feature is Y Garn Goch with two Iron Age hill forts.The Welsh Academy Encyclopedia of ...

. Differences among the staff led to his moving, with the Rev. D. E. Williams, to

Ammanford Ammanford ( ) is a town and community (Wales), community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census the community had a population of 5,445, and the wider built up area had a population of 8,285. Ammanford is se ...

in 1880, where they founded the Hope Academy. In 1884 Watkin took sole charge, and in 1888 he adapted for school purposes a building to which he gave the name of "Gwynfryn". Until his death he ran the institution as a preparatory school, for those about to enter the dissenting ministry or other professions. He was ordained an independent minister in 1894, but held no pastoral charge.

Death

Williams died on 19 November 1905, and was buried at Ammanford.

Works

As "Watcyn Wyn", Williams had a wide reputation as a Welsh poet, dating from 1875, when he divided a prize with

Islwyn The Borough of Islwyn was one of five local government districts of Gwent from 1974 to 1996. History The borough was formed in 1974 as a local government district of Gwent. It covered the whole area of three former districts and part of a fou ...

Pwllheli Pwllheli ( ; ) is a market town and community on the Llŷn Peninsula (), in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It had a population of 4,076 in 2011, which declined slightly to 3,947 in 2021; a large proportion (81%) were Welsh language, Welsh speaking. ...

. Both the silver crown and the bardic chair, the two chief poetic prizes of the

eisteddfod In Welsh culture, an ''eisteddfod'' is an institution and festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music. The term ''eisteddfod'', which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: , meaning 'sit', and , meaning 'be', means, a ...

, were won by him, the former at Merthyr in 1881 for a poem in free metre on "Life", and the latter at

Aberdare Aberdare ( ; ) is a town in the Cynon Valley area of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, at the confluence of the Rivers Dare (Dâr) and River Cynon, Cynon. Aberdare has a population of 39,550 (mid-2017 estimate). Aberdare is south-west of Merthyr Tydf ...

in 1885 for an ode in the strict metres on the subject "The Truth against the World". He was also the winner of the crown at the World's Fair eisteddfod of 1893 at Chicago, the subject being "George Washington". He published: * ''Caneuon Watcyn Wyn'', Wrexham, n.d.; second edit. 1873. * ''Hwyr Ddifyrion'', Swansea, 1883. * ''Llenyddiaeth Gymreig'' (a survey of Welsh literature), Wrexham, 1900. * ''Storiau Cymru'' (versified folk-tales), Wrexham, 1907, and other minor works. His autobiography ''Adgofion Watcyn Wyn'', edited by

John Jenkins (Gwili) John Jenkins (8 October 1872 – 16 May 1936) was a Welsh poet and theologian. Known by his bardic name of Gwili, he served as Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales from 1932 to 1936. Early life and education Gwili was born at Hendy in ...

, appeared, with portrait, in 1907 (Merthyr).

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Watkin Hezekiah 1844 births 1905 deaths Welsh educators People from Carmarthenshire 19th-century Welsh poets 19th-century Welsh educators