Moses Williams was a Welsh

Welsh people

The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...

 antiquarian scholar.

He was born the son of Samuel Williams, Vicar of Llan Dyfriog and Rector of Llan Gynllo, Cardiganshire, and his wife, Margaret, daughter of Jenkin Powell Prytherch, in Y Glaslyn, near Llandysul

Llandysul

Llandysul is a small town in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. The community of Pont Tyweli lies directly across the Teifi River in Carmarthenshire. It is in the valley of the River Teifi and is visited for its fishing and canoeing....

, Ceredigion

Ceredigion

Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...

, in south-west Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

.

He was ordained a deacon in 1708 and a priest in 1713. he was made Curate of Chiddingstone, Kent (1708–1713), Vicar of Llanwenog, Cardiganshire (1715–1742), Vicar of Devynock of Defynnog

Defynnog

Defynnog is a small village in the community of Maescar in the county of Powys, Wales. It lies immediately south of Sennybridge and a few miles west of Brecon within the Brecon Beacons National Park...

, Breconshire (1716–1732), Rector of Chilton Trinity, Somerset and lastly Vicar of St Mary, Bridgewater (1732–1742).

He supervised new editions of the Bible and Prayer Book in Welsh; his library, containing many Welsh books and manuscripts came into the possession of William Jones and then into the library of George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield

George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield

George Parker, 2nd Earl of Macclesfield, FRS was an English peer and astronomer.Styled Viscount Parker from 1721 to 1732, he was Member of Parliament for Wallingford from 1722 to 1727, but his interests were not in politics...

 at Shirburn Castle. He worked closely with Edward Lhuyd

Edward Lhuyd

Edward Lhuyd was a Welsh naturalist, botanist, linguist, geographer and antiquary. He is also known by the Latinized form of his name, Eduardus Luidius....

 on the Archaeologia Britannica (1707) and with William Wotton

William Wotton

William Wotton was an English scholar, chiefly remembered for his remarkable abilities in learning languages and for his involvement in the Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns. In Wales he is remembered as the collector and first translator of the ancient Welsh laws.-Early years:William Wotton...

 on the Leges Wallicae, a parallel text edition of the laws

Welsh law

Welsh law was the system of law practised in Wales before the 16th century. According to tradition it was first codified by Hywel Dda during the period between 942 and 950 when he was king of most of Wales; as such it is usually called Cyfraith Hywel, the Law of Hywel, in Welsh...

 of Hywel Dda

Hywel Dda

Hywel Dda , was the well-thought-of king of Deheubarth in south-west Wales, who eventually came to rule Wales from Prestatyn to Pembroke. As a descendant of Rhodri Mawr, through his father Cadell, Hywel was a member of the Dinefwr branch of the dynasty and is also named Hywel ap Cadell...

 published in 1730.

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1719.

He died in Bridgewater, Somerset. He had married Margaret Davies of Cwm Wysg, Defynnog.