Nantlais Williams

William Nantlais Williams (30 December 1874 – 18 June 1959), better known simply as Nantlais, was a Welsh poet and a Presbyterian Christian minister who played a prominent role in the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival.

Williams was born in Pencader, Carmarthenshire, the youngest of ten children. He received his elementary education at Ysgol y Bwrdd, New Inn, but because of the death of his brother he had to leave when he was twelve to take up an apprenticeship as a weaver.

At the age of twenty he started to preach and in 1895 he went to the prestigious Grammar School in Newcastle Emlyn. From there he went on to Trefeca College to train as a minister, but before he finished his studies he received a call to be minister of Bethany, Ammanford in 1900 and was ordained by the denomination (Presbyterian Church of Wales) in 1901. By 1902 he was married to Alice Maud Jones, a relative to J. T. Job, another leader of the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival. They had three children, including Rheinallt Nantlais Williams. His first wife died in 1911 and he married his second wife, Annie Price, a teacher, in 1916. Bethany, Ammanford was to be his only post as he stayed there until his retirement in 1944. He is buried in front of Bethany, Ammanford, next to J. T. Job and Gareth Davies.

Nantlais came heavily under the influence of the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival. In 1904 he was eager to be a popular poet-preacher, and at that he was already successful. He was a well sought after speaker at conferences all over Wales and his poetry won him various prizes including the Chair of the National Eisteddfod in 1902. Despite this success and popularity he became increasingly aware that there was something missing, he came to think that there was more to Christianity than being involved in the formal ministry and being culturally active.

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