Thomas Rhondda Williams (1860 – 21 November 1945) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

Congregational minister. Born at

Cowbridge Cowbridge ( cy, Y Bont-faen) is a market town in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, approximately west of the centre of Cardiff. The Cowbridge with Llanblethian community and civil parish elect a town council. A Cowbridge electoral ward exists for e ...

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, Williams' father was a Methodist minister. Williams was one of eighteen children, and was sent out to work at the Penygraig Colliery when he was nine years old. He found religion to be a welcome relief from long working days, and began preaching when he was thirteen years old. In 1877, Williams won a Dr Williams Scholarship to study at Carmarthen College, and he was ordained three years later. From 1884, he was a minister at

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, then in 1888 he transferred to

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

, where he became interested in socialism. The ''

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'' described him as "holding advanced views on religion, which he expressed vigorously... regarded by older people as almost too heretical for the Congregational ministry". However, he became known as a powerful and persuasive preacher, and won a considerable following. Williams was a founding vice-president of the League of Progressive Thought in 1908, working closely with the Reverend R. J. Campbell. He transferred to Brighton in 1909, taking over Campbell's congregation, and remained there for the rest of his career. At the

1918 United Kingdom general election The 1918 United Kingdom general election was called immediately after the Armistice with Germany which ended the First World War, and was held on Saturday, 14 December 1918. The governing coalition, under Prime Minister David Lloyd George, sent ...

, Williams stood for the Labour Party in

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

, taking 24.7% of the vote. Williams served as chair of the Congregational Church of England and Wales in 1929/30. He wrote many religious tracts, and after his retirement in 1931, he wrote two autobiographical works: ''Faith Without Fear'' and ''How I found my Faith: a Religious Pilgrimage''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Thomas Rhondda 1860 births 1945 deaths Labour Party (UK) parliamentary candidates People from Cowbridge Welsh Congregationalist ministers