William Williams Pantycelyn
Encyclopedia
William Williams Pantycelyn (1717 – 11 January 1791), also known as Williams Pantycelyn and Pantycelyn, is generally acknowledged as 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...

' most famous hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...

 writer. He was also one of the key leaders of the 18th century Welsh Methodist revival
Welsh Methodist revival
The Welsh Methodist revival was an evangelical revival that revitalised Christianity in Wales during the 18th century. Methodist preachers such as Griffith Jones, William Williams and Howell Harris were such powerful speakers that they converted thousands of people back to the church...

, along with Daniel Rowland
Daniel Rowland
Daniel Rowland —sometimes spelt as Rowlands—was one of the foremost leaders of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist revival along with Howell Harris and William Williams. For most of his life he served as curate in the parishes of Nantcwnlle and Llangeitho, Ceredigion...

 and Howell Harris
Howell Harris
Hywel Harris was one of the main leaders of the Welsh Methodist revival in the 18th century, along with Daniel Rowland and William Williams Pantycelyn.-Life:...

. As a poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

 and prose
Prose
Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure...

 writer he is today considered to be one of 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...

' greatest writers. The son of John Williams, a small farmer at Pantycelyn ("holly hollow"), his mother's name was Dorothy. His father died in 1742. The farm is located 4 miles from Llandovery
Llandovery
Llandovery is a market town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the River Tywi and the A40 road.The town is served by Llandovery railway station, where there is a park and ride to Llanelli and Shrewsbury via the Heart of Wales Line...

 in West Wales. As a boy he attended a non-conformist church (Welsh usage: chapel) at Cefnarthen. Later the family identified with the Calvinist doctrines and moved church. Later, after his conversion, Williams was a painstaking upholder of traditional Reformation doctrine in its Calvinist form and gave stern warnings against Arminianism
Arminianism
Arminianism is a school of soteriological thought within Protestant Christianity based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius and his historic followers, the Remonstrants...

, Arianism, Socinianism, Sandelmanism and other deviations (ref.p.7 G. T. Hughes).

Life

Williams was born in the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...

 of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn
Llanfair-ar-y-bryn
Llanfair-ar-y-bryn is a community located on the A483 just north of Llandovery in Carmarthenshire, Wales.The Llanfair-ar-y-bryn church stands on the Alabum site, a Roman auxiliary fort, and was the parish church until 1883. William Williams Pantycelyn who is generally acknowledged as Wales's most...

, Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...

, early in 1717. His family were nonconformist
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...

. He was educated locally and intended to become a doctor. This changed when he had a religious conversion while listening to Howell Harris
Howell Harris
Hywel Harris was one of the main leaders of the Welsh Methodist revival in the 18th century, along with Daniel Rowland and William Williams Pantycelyn.-Life:...

, the evangelical reformer, preaching in Talgarth
Talgarth
Talgarth is a small market town and community in southern Powys , Mid Wales, with a population of 1,645. Notable buildings in the town include its 14th-century parish church and 13th century Pele Tower, located in the town centre, now home to the Tourist Information and Resource Centre...

 in 1737.
He took deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...

's orders in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

 in 1740 and was appointed curate to Theophilus Evans
Theophilus Evans
Theophilus Evans was a Welsh clergyman and historian.Originally from Cardiganshire, Evans served curacies in Brecknockshire and incumbencies in both counties...

 (1693–1767) in the parishes of Llanwrtyd
Llanwrtyd
Llanwrtyd – "Gwrtyd's church" – is a rural parish in Powys, mid-Wales, through which flows the River Irfon.The parish church of St David dates from the 11th century and is surrounded by scattered farms...

, Llanfihangel Abergwesyn and Llanddewi Abergwesyn. Because of his Methodist activities he was refused ordination as a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...

 in 1743 and from then on he committed himself entirely to that movement. He travelled throughout Wales preaching and establishing seiadau (singular: seiat), local fellowships of Methodist people, for the converts he won. Together with Daniel Rowland and Howell Harris, he was the leader of the Methodists in Wales in the 18th century. Especially through his hymns, he was one of the most important influences on Welsh language culture in the 19th and 20th centuries. He died in 1791 and is buried in the churchyard at Llanfair-ar-y-bryn on the outskirts of Llandovery. He is commemorated by a memorial chapel at Llandovery.

In common with many other Welsh people whose names are less than unique, he was known by a nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....

 or bardic name
Bardic name
A bardic name is a pseudonym, used in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany, by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement....

: Pantycelyn, the name of the farm in the parish of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn where he lived for most of his life.

His virtuosity as a hymnwriter also earned him another nickname: Y pêr ganiedydd (The sweet songster).

Hymns

He wrote some of his work in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

, but the great majority is in his native Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...

. He published his first work in 1744, the first part of Aleluia, a collection of hymns. This was followed by further collections:
  • Hosanna i Fab Dafydd (Hosannah to the Son of David), 1751
  • Rhai hymnau a chaniadau duwiol (Some godly hymns and songs), 1759
  • Caniadau y rhai sydd ar y môr o wydr (The songs of those on the crystal sea), 1762
  • Ffarwel weledig, groesaw anweledig bethau (Farewell seen, and welcome unseen things), 1763;
  • Gloria in excelsis, 1771;
  • Ychydig hymnau (A few hymns), 1774;
  • Rhai hymnau newyddion (Some new hymns), 1782.

He also published two collections of English hymns:
  • Hosannah to the son of David, 1759
  • Gloria in excelsis, 1772.


Possibly his best known hymn is Arglwydd, arwain trwy'r anialwch (in English, Lord, lead me through the wilderness, translated as the English Hymn Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah), usually sung to John Hughes' Cwm Rhondda
Cwm Rhondda
Cwm Rhondda, the Welsh name for the Rhondda Valley, is a popular hymn tune written by John Hughes and first performed in 1907. It is often erroneously called Bread of Heaven and is usually used in English as a setting for William Williams's text Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah , originally...

 
.

Poetry

His hymns were not his only major contribution to the success of Calvinistic Methodism. He wrote two long poems on theological and religious themes. Golwg ar deyrnas Crist (A view of Christ's kingdom), 1756, deals with the whole history of salvation and God's grace in Christ. Bywyd a marwolaeth Theomemphus (Life and death of Theomemphus), 1764, deals with the religious experience of conversion and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

 living.

He also wrote a series of elegies in memory of various Methodist and other Christian leaders, including Griffith Jones (Llanddowror), Howel Davies (Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....

), George Whitefield
George Whitefield
George Whitefield , also known as George Whitfield, was an English Anglican priest who helped spread the Great Awakening in Britain, and especially in the British North American colonies. He was one of the founders of Methodism and of the evangelical movement generally...

, and Daniel Rowland
Daniel Rowland
Daniel Rowland —sometimes spelt as Rowlands—was one of the foremost leaders of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist revival along with Howell Harris and William Williams. For most of his life he served as curate in the parishes of Nantcwnlle and Llangeitho, Ceredigion...

.

Prose works

Williams also wrote original prose works and translated others from English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

. They were mostly intended to be used by members of the Methodist fellowships he established.

In 1762 he published Llythyr Martha Philopur at y Parchedig Philo Evangelius eu hathro (Martha Philopur's letter to the Reverend Philo Evangelius her teacher) followed by Atteb Philo-Evangelius i Martha Philopur (Philo-Evangelius's reply to Martha Philopur) in 1763. These works were intended to defend and teach the significance of the 1762 revival at Llangeitho
Llangeitho
Llangeitho is a village and community in Ceredigion, Wales situated on the upper river Aeron about 6 km due west of Tregaron and 11 km north of Lampeter. It has a population of 874....

. The 1762 revival was a very powerful one which manifested its power physically. As a result, Methodists in Wales were very often known as 'Jumpers'.

Works such as Doctor Nuptarum neu gyfarwyddwr priodas (Teacher of the Nuptials or the marriage guide), 1777, and Drws y society profiad (A gateway to the experience meeting), 1777, were written as practical guides to Christian living for the converts who were members of the seiadau or societies.

Other works:
  • Pantheologia, Neu Hanes Holl Grefyddau'r Byd (1762) (Pantheologia, or a History of all the World's Religions)
  • Crocodil Afon yr Aifft (1767) (Crocodile of the River of Egypt)
  • Hanes Bywyd a Marwolaeth Tri Wyr o Sodom a'r Aifft (1768) (A history of the life and death of three men of Sodom and Egypt)

Sources

  • Hughes, Glyn Tegai (1983), Williams Pantycelyn. Writers of Wales series. Cardiff : University of Wales Press on behalf of the Welsh Arts Council. In English.
  • Roberts, Gomer Morgan (1949,1958), Y pêr ganiedydd : Pantycelyn. 2 vols. Aberystwyth : Gwasg Aberystwyth. In Welsh.
  • 'Williams, William (1717–1791)'. In Meic Stephens (ed.) (1998), The new companion to the literature of Wales. Cardiff : University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-1383-3.
  • E. Wyn James, 'The Evolution of the Welsh Hymn', in Dissenting Praise, ed. I. Rivers & D. L. Wykes (OUP, 2011)
  • Eifion Evans, Bread of Heaven: The Life and Work of William Williams, Pantycelyn (Bridgend: Bryntirion Press, 2010)


An extensive bibliography is to be found in Derec Llwyd Morgan (ed.), Meddwl a Dychymyg Williams Pantycelyn (Llandysul: Gwasg Gomer, 1991)

External links

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