Williams, D. Pryse (David Pryse), 1878-1952

Person

Williams, D. Pryse (David Pryse), 1878-1952

'Brythonydd', the Rev. David Pryse Williams (1878-1952), was a writer, local historian and Baptist minister. He was born at Penboyr, Carmarthenshire, and brought up in Troed-yr-aur, Cardiganshire. After studying at Dunoon Evangelical College, Argyll, Scotland, 1908-1910, he became pastor of the Baptist churches of Ffynnonhenri, Cynwyl Elfed, Carmarthenshire, 1910-1913, Philadelphia, Swansea, 1913-1920, and Libanus, Treherbert, Glamorgan, 1920-1952. He died on 27 October 1952. His personal researches were concerned, in early life, with the history of the lower Teifi Valley, especially the parishes of Cenarth, Carmarthenshire, and Penbryn, Cardiganshire. During this time he wrote articles and poems, published in periodicals such as Seren Gomer and Archaeologia Cambrensis and local newspapers. In 1902 he won the prize at the Newcastle Emlyn eisteddfod for an essay on the history of Cenarth. In later years he took an interest in Rhondda antiquities, with particular emphasis on his own church at Libanus. He was an assiduous collector and was responsible for the preservation of several valuable groups of manuscripts such as those of his paternal grandfather Benjamin Williams ('Gwynionydd', 1821-1891) and others and also original records of several parishes of the lower Teifi Valley.

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