William Williams (6 March 1808 – 26 September 1872), known by his bardic name, ''Carw Coch'' (literally Red Stag), was a prominent literary figure in

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

, and south Wales generally, during the mid-nineteenth century, and an important figure in the development of the eisteddfod movement. His bardic name was derived from the Stag Inn, the public house that he ran at

Trecynon Trecynon is a village near Aberdare situated in the Cynon Valley, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It dates from the early nineteenth century and developed as a result of the opening of the Aberdare Ironworks at Llwydcoed in 1800. Etymology The se ...

, Aberdare. Williams was born on 6 March 1808 near

Aberpergwm Aberpergwm is the site of a colliery in the Vale of Neath near Glynneath in south Wales. Mine history The site at Aberpergwm had been worked since 1811 as a series of drift mines, but full commercial working began from the 1860s when W. Williams o ...

in the Vale of Neath, the son of Noah and Joan Williams, who attended the Unitarian chapel at

Blaengwrach Blaengwrach ( ; ) is a community near Glynneath and Resolven in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It is also the name of an electoral ward of Neath Port Talbot county borough, which is a larger area than the Community. The principal ...

. At a young age he moved to

Tredegar Tredegar (pronounced , ) is a town and community situated on the banks of the Sirhowy River in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent, in the southeast of Wales. Within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, it became an early centre of the In ...

, and later to

Llwydcoed Llwydcoed is a small village and community north of the Cwm Cynon, near the town of Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, with a population of 1,302 as of 2011 census. History The village initially developed in the Tregibbon area, where in 1801 ...

, Aberdare, where, in 1832, he married, raised a family, and spent the rest of his life running the Stag Inn. He first became politically active during the time of the

Chartists Chartism was a working-class movement for political reform in the United Kingdom that erupted from 1838 to 1857 and was strongest in 1839, 1842 and 1848. It took its name from the People's Charter of 1838 and was a national protest movement, w ...

and contributed to their Welsh journal, ''Udgorn Cymru''. At this time, he was also a member of a society known as the 'Free Enquirers' at Aberdare. In 1841, Williams held the first of many eisteddfodau at the Stag, and a friendly society known as the 'Cymreigyddion of the Carw Coch' was established. Amongst those associated with this movement was David Williams (''Alaw Goch''), the Rev. Thomas Price of

Calfaria Chapel, Aberdare Calfaria Baptist Chapel, Aberdare, was one of the largest baptist churches in the South Wales Valleys and the oldest in the Aberdare valley. The chapel had an ornate interior, including a boarded ceiling with a deeply undercut rose, while the ...

and many other local poets and writers. The Carw Coch eisteddfod continued for many years and many of the compositions published in a volume known as ''Gardd Aberdâr'' (1853 onwards). Williams was a staunch Unitarian, a leading member of

Hen-Dy-Cwrdd Hen-Dy-Cwrdd (The Old Meeting Place) is a disused Unitarian chapel in Trecynon, Aberdare, Wales. Services at the chapel were conducted in the Welsh language. Origins and early history With the exception of the twelfth century St John's Church, H ...

at Trecynon and a contributor to their journal, ''Yr Ymofynydd''. He was also one of the founders of the newspaper

Y Gwladgarwr ''Y Gwladgarwr'' ("The Patriot") was a liberal Welsh language newspaper, established in 1858, published weekly in Aberdare by Abraham Mason, and distributed around the districts of South Wales. Devoted to Welsh literature, the paper provided poet ...

( 1857–83) and wrote a regular column for the paper until his death. During the 1868 General Election he played a peripheral role in the campaign of

Henry Richard Henry Richard (3 April 1812 – 20 August 1888) was a Congregational minister and Welsh Member of Parliament between 1868–1888. Richard was an advocate of peace and international arbitration, as secretary of the Peace Society for forty year ...

and sought assurances at a meeting held at

Ebenezer, Trecynon Ebenezer, Trecynon was an Independent (Congregationalist) chapel in Ebenezer Street, Trecynon, Aberdare, Wales. It was one of the earliest Independent chapels in the Cynon Valley and remained an active place of worship until 2009. Early history ...

that Richard supported the reform of the House of Lords. Williams died on 26 September 1872, and was buried at St Fagan's, Aberdare. His son,

Lewis Noah Williams Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...

(''Ap Carw Coch'') became a leading public figure and a member of the

Aberdare Urban District Council Aberdare Urban District Council was a local authority in Aberdare, Wales. History It was created in 1894 as a result of the 1894 Local Government of England and Wales Act and the 1894 Aberdare Urban District Council election saw the election of ...

References

1808 births 1872 deaths Welsh activists Welsh writers People from Aberdare {{Wales-bio-stub