William Williams (Swansea MP)
Encyclopedia
William Williams was a Welsh
businessman and Liberal party
politician.
Williams started work as a boy on the cold rolling
lines of the Upper Forest Tinplate Works, Morriston
, Swansea
. 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 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
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
in 1889, representing Morriston. He was also a member of the local board of guardians
, rural sanitary authority
and a justice of the peace
for Swansea and Glamorgan.
When the sitting Member of Parliament
(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
, was elected as MP for the same constituency at a by-election in 1915.
He died at his home, Maes y Gwernen Hall, Llangyfelach
, in 1904, aged 64.
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...
businessman and Liberal party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician.
Williams started work as a boy on the cold rolling
Work hardening
Work hardening, also known as strain hardening or cold working, is the strengthening of a metal by plastic deformation. This strengthening occurs because of dislocation movements within the crystal structure of the material. Any material with a reasonably high melting point such as metals and...
lines of the Upper Forest Tinplate Works, Morriston
Morriston
Morriston is a community in the City and County of Swansea, Wales and falls within the Morriston ward. Morriston is sometimes referred to as a distinct town , however Morriston never had a town charter, and is now part of the continuous urban area around Swansea, the centre of which lies three...
, Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
. 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 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
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
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
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
County Council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
in 1889, representing Morriston. He was also a member of the local board of guardians
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:The boards were created by the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, replacing the parish Overseers of the Poor established under the old poor law, following the recommendations...
, rural sanitary authority
Sanitary district
Sanitary districts were established in England and Wales in 1875 and in Ireland in 1878. The districts were of two types, based on existing structures:*Urban sanitary districts in towns with existing local government bodies...
and a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
for Swansea and Glamorgan.
When the sitting Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Swansea District
Swansea District (UK Parliament constituency)
Swansea District or Swansea District of Boroughs was a borough constituency. It was represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
, Sir Hussey Vivian
Henry Vivian, 1st Baron Swansea
Henry Hussey Vivian, 1st Baron Swansea was a Welsh industrialist and politician.-Biography:Born at Singleton Abbey, Swansea, Henry was the eldest son of industrialist and MP John Henry Vivian and his wife Sarah, daughter of Arthur Jones, of Reigate. His uncle was Sir Richard Hussey Vivian, first...
, 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
United Kingdom general election, 1895
The United Kingdom general election of 1895 was held from 13 July - 7 August 1895. It was won by the Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who formed an alliance with the Liberal Unionist Party and had a large majority over the Liberals, led by Lord Rosebery...
.
His son, Thomas Jeremiah Williams
Thomas Jeremiah Williams
Thomas Jeremiah Williams 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 District from 1893-1895. He was educated at University College School, London, Sheffield...
, 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
The village of Llangyfelach is located in the City and County of Swansea, Wales, UK. 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 moorland....
, in 1904, aged 64.