William-Williams-AS. William Williams (1840 – 21 April 1904) 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 ...

businessman and

Liberal party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

politician. Williams started work as a boy on the

cold rolling In metalworking, rolling is a metal forming process in which metal stock is passed through one or more pairs of rolls to reduce the thickness, to make the thickness uniform, and/or to impart a desired mechanical property. The concept is simil ...

lines of the Upper Forest Tinplate Works,

Morriston Morriston (; cy, Treforys ) is a Community (Wales), community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales and falls within the Morriston (electoral ward), Morriston ward. It is the largest community in Swansea county. Morriston is sometimes ref ...

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

. His leg was crushed in the mills, requiring amputation. He returned to work after the accident as a clerk in the mill's office. There he showed a talent for business, and soon had built up sufficient capital to start business on his own account. In 1868 he formed his own company, the Worcester Tinplate Works, which eventually absorbed his former employer to become the Upper Forest & Worcester Steel and Tinplate Works Ltd. At the time of his death he was described as "one of the leading tinplate makers in the world". He was also a director of the Capital and Counties Bank Limited, the Swansea Gas Company, the

Swansea and Mumbles Railway The Swansea and Mumbles Railway was the venue for the world's first passenger horsecar railway service, located in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. Originally built under an Act of Parliament of 1804 to move limestone from the quarries of Mum ...

and the Dillwyn Colliery Company. Williams was a prominent member of the Liberal Party in Swansea, and was president of the local Liberal Association. He was elected to Swansea Town Council, and was

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of Swansea in 1883– 1884. He retired from the town council in 1886, but returned to local politics when he was elected to the first

Glamorgan County Council Glamorgan County Council was established in 1889 together with the administrative county of Glamorganshire under the Local Government Act 1888. The first elections to the council were held in January 1889. The council was abolished under the Local ...

at an 1889 by-election, representing Morriston. He was also a member of the local

board of guardians Boards of guardians were ''ad hoc'' authorities that administered Poor Law in the United Kingdom from 1835 to 1930. England and Wales Boards of guardians were created by the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, replacing the parish overseers of the poor ...

, rural sanitary authority and a

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

for Swansea and Glamorgan. When the sitting

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

(MP) for Swansea District, Sir Hussey Vivian, was elevated to the peerage in June 1893, Williams was elected unopposed in his place. He did not defend the seat at the next general election in 1895. His son,

Thomas Jeremiah Williams Thomas Jeremiah Williams (1872 – 12 June 1919) was a Welsh barrister and Liberal politician. Family and Education Thomas Jeremiah Williams was the eldest son of William Williams who was Liberal Member of Parliament for the Swansea Distric ...

, was elected as MP for the same constituency at a by-election in 1915. He died at his home, Maes y Gwernen Hall,

Llangyfelach Llangyfelach is a village and community located in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. Llangyfelach is situated about 4 miles north of the centre of Swansea, just west of Morriston. It falls within the Llangyfelach ward. To the west is open ...

, in 1904, aged 64.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, William 1840 births 1904 deaths Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Swansea constituencies Liberal Party (UK) MPs for Welsh constituencies UK MPs 1892–1895 Politicians from Swansea Members of Glamorgan County Council Mayors of Swansea