John Williams was a Welsh-born goldsmith based in London who worked for the royal family. Hafod Lwyfog Farmhouse and Llyn Gwynant from below Bwlch y Rhediad col - geograph

Hafod Lwyfog Farmhouse and Llyn Gwynant from below Bwlch y Rhediad col - geograph

He was a son of William Coetmor, and is associated with the property Hafod Lwyfog in

Nant Gwynant Nant Gwynant (also spelt Nantgwynant) is a valley in northern Wales. The A498 road descends into the valley in about two miles (3 km) from Pen-y-Gwryd; it follows the Nant Cynnyd, the Afon Glaslyn and alongside Llyn Gwynant, then beside th ...

near

Beddgelert Beddgelert () is a village and community in the Snowdonia area of Gwynedd, Wales. The population of the community taken at the 2011 census was 455, and includes Nantmor and Nant Gwynant. It is reputed to be named after the legendary hound ...

. In 1610 he donated a silver chalice and paten-cover to the church in Beddgelert. He was an apprentice of the London goldsmith and Mayor Richard Martin in 1584. Martin supplied silver plate to Queen Elizabeth. By November 1598, he was working at the Sign of the Cross Keys in Cheapside. Williams worked for

James VI and I James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

and

Prince Henry Prince Henry (or Prince Harry) may refer to: People *Henry the Young King (1155–1183), son of Henry II of England, who was crowned king but predeceased his father *Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal (1394–1460) *Henry, Duke of Cornwall (Ja ...

. He provided silver gilt plate, cups and dishes, gold chains, and medallions with the king's portrait, many of which were given to ambassadors visiting London. Recipients of plate and medals bought from Williams between 1603 and 1606 include the Venetian diplomats

Nicolò Molin Nicolò Molin (1562-1608) was a Venetian noble and ambassador to England. The main residence of the Molin family in Venice was the Palazzo Molin del Cuoridoro. He commissioned the architect Vincenzo Scamozzi to build the Villa Molin near Padua ...

and Scaramelli, and to diplomats including

Andrew Sinclair Andrew Annandale Sinclair FRSL FRSA (21 January 1935 – 30 May 2019) was a British novelist, historian, biographer, critic, filmmaker, and a publisher of classic and modern film scripts. He has been described as a "writer of extraordinary flu ...

, Christian Barnekow, Steen Brahe,

Peder Munk Peder Munk of Estvadgård (1534–1623), was a Danish navigator, politician, and ambassador, who was in charge of the fleet carrying Anne of Denmark to Scotland. The events of the voyage led to witch trials and executions in Denmark and Scotland ...

, and

Henrik Ramel Henrik Ramel or Ramelius (died 1610), Danish politician, ambassador, and member of the council of regents. Career He was the son of a Pomeranian nobleman Gert Ramel and Margrethe Massow. After study in Padua in 1568, and travel in Europe and Asia, ...

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I; as such, she was Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and Queen of England and Ireland from the union of the Scottish and Eng ...

gave

John Florio Giovanni Florio (1552–1625), known as John Florio, was an English linguist, poet, writer, translator, lexicographer, and royal language tutor at the Court of James I. He is recognised as the most important Renaissance humanist in England. F ...

a cup of his making at his grandchild's christening. Williams supplied the gilt plate given by King James to

Adam Newton Adam Lee Newton (born 4 December 1980) is a former professional footballer who played for West Ham United, Peterborough United, Brentford and Luton Town. Born in England, he represented the England U21 national team and the Saint Kitts and Ne ...

, the tutor of

in June 1605 when he married Katherine Puckering. Williams provided Anne of Denmark with a "fountain of silver gilt, well chased, containing one basin with two tops, one of them being three satyres or wild men, the other a woman with a sail or flag". The fountain had three taps or cocks decorated with mermaids. It was used at Somerset House. The wild men were heraldic supporters of the Danish royal arms.

Michael Drayton Michael Drayton (1563 – 23 December 1631) was an English poet who came to prominence in the Elizabethan era. He died on 23 December 1631 in London. Early life Drayton was born at Hartshill, near Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England. Almost nothin ...

mentioned his friend John Williams in a preface to ''

Poly-Olbion The ''Poly-Olbion'' is a topographical poem describing England and Wales. Written by Michael Drayton (1563–1631) and published in 1612, it was reprinted with a second part in 1622. Drayton had been working on the project since at least 1598. ...

'' (London, 1612), addressed "to my Friends the Cambro-Britans". In 1614 he made gilt plate given to

Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia Elizabeth Stuart (19 August 159613 February 1662) was Electress of the Palatinate and briefly Queen of Bohemia as the wife of Frederick V of the Palatinate. Since her husband's reign in Bohemia lasted for just one winter, she is called the Win ...

at the baptism of her son Henry Frederick. He also made plate given to Jean Drummond on her marriage to Lord Roxburghe, to John Murray of the bedchamber, and

Audrey Walsingham Lady Audrey Walsingham (; 1568–1624) was an English courtier. She served as Lady of the Bedchamber to queen Elizabeth I of England, and then as Mistress of the Robes to Anne of Denmark from 1603 until 1619. Family connections Sometimes called ...

. He loaned £5000 to King James in 1621 on the security of ten jewels from the royal collection.''Calendar State Papers Domestic James I, 1619-1623'', pp. 293, 308. A son, also John Williams (d. 1637) was a London goldsmith.

References

External links

Warrant to pay John Williams, 23 July 1604, Folger Shakespeare Library

Warrant from King James to pay John Williams, 31 December 1604, Folger Shakespeare Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, John 17th-century Welsh businesspeople Welsh goldsmiths Material culture of royal courts