Researching William Williams

In addition to his writing, Williams had a long career as a physician practicing both pediatrics and general medicine. He was affiliated with Passaic General Hospital, where he served as the hospital's chief of pediatrics from 1924 until his death. The hospital, which is now known as St. Mary's General Hospital, paid tribute to Williams with a memorial plaque that states "We walk the wards that Williams walked".

He was from Amlwch on Anglesey and at age 26 was serving as a seaman in the Royal Naval Reserve during the First World War when the following deed took place:

* On 7 June 1917, HMS Pargust (a Q ship) was out in the Atlantic Ocean when her engine room was damaged by a torpedo fired from the U-boat SM UC-29. The explosion loosened the gun covers and Seaman Williams, with great presence of mind, took the whole weight on himself and physically prevented the covers from falling and betraying the ship to the enemy.

The Pargust's 'panic party', the decoy crew carried on every Q ship for the purpose of leaving it apparently abandoned when attacked, took to the lifeboats and the U-boat then surfaced, believing the Pargust to be a crewless and defenceless merchant vessel. When the U-boat was about away, the captain of HMS Pargust gave the order to fire and the submarine was blown up and sank.

In the case of a gallant and daring act in which all men are deemed equally brave and deserving of the Victoria Cross a secret ballot is drawn. The crew of HMS Pargust selected William Williams to be the recipient of the award due to a rating in the action.

Like all other Archdruids, Crwys had himself won several major prizes at the National Eisteddfod. He was a three-time winner of the crown: at Colwyn Bay in 1910, at Carmarthen in 1911, and at Corwen in 1919. A cast bronze bust in honour of the poet is on display at Carmarthen Castle.

Born in Llanpumsaint, Carmarthenshire, and having had only a basic education, Williams began working in a cotton warehouse in London and soon built up his own business. In 1833 he became a member of the Common Council of the City of London, and in 1835 was elected MP for Coventry. After losing the seat in 1847, he became MP for Lambeth in 1850.

As a result of a speech made by Williams on 10 March 1846, a government inquiry into the state of education in Wales was launched, culminating in the "Treachery of the Blue Books". In 1863 he chaired the meeting that launched the campaign for a University of Wales.

William Williams was a generous benefactor to the village of his birth, paying for the construction and furnishing of the village school in 1862.

William Williams died on 26 April 1865, after falling from his horse in Hyde Park, London. He is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery, London, in a grave north-east of the main chapel, alongside his parliamentary friend Joseph Hume. A plaque is dedicated to him in the village school he founded in Llanpumsaint.

Williams was a part owner of the Cincinnati Bengals from the team's founding in 1968 until his death.

Before baseball, Williams was chairman of Western & Southern Life Insurance Company, co-founded by his father in 1888. He joined the family firm in 1939 and was on the firm's board of directors from 1954 to 1984. For a brief break, Williams was president of North American Management and Development Company. He returned to Western & Southern as president and COO and then as president and CEO.

Williams graduated from Georgetown University in 1939.

In 2006, his sons William Joseph Williams Jr. and Thomas L. Williams teamed up with a group to obtain controlling interest in the Reds.

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 at an 1889 by-election, 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.

Williams was born in Sydney. He studied medicine at University College (M.R.C.S., 1879; L.R.C.P., 1880). In 1883, he was staff surgeon of the New South Wales Artillery at the rank of captain.

He reorganized the medical service in 1888 including to start the Permanent Medical Staff Corps. There he designed light ambulance wagons, which attracted notability in the Sudan and which were more advanced than those in the British Royal Army.

Williams was promoted surgeon general and made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in January 1901.

He served in the Australian Army Medical Corps in World War I, for which he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1916 Birthday Honours.

The date of his arrival, 15 March, in Mizoram is adopted as "Chanchin Tha Thlen Ni" by the Mizoram Presbyterian Church in its 89th General Assembly in 2012.

Williams was born on 6 March 1808 near Aberpergwm in the Vale of Neath, the son of Noah and Joan Williams, who attended the Unitarian chapel at Blaengwrach. At a young age he moved to Tredegar, and later to Llwydcoed, Aberdare, where, in 1832, he married, raised a family, and spent the rest of his life running the Stag Inn.

He first became politically active during the time of the Chartists and contributed to their Welsh journal, Udgorn Cymru. At this time, he was also a member of a society known as the 'Free Enquirers' at Aberdare.

In 1841, Williams held the first of many eisteddfodau at the Stag, and a friendly society known as the 'Cymreigyddion of the Carw Coch' was established. Amongst those associated with this movement was David Williams (Alaw Goch), the Rev. Thomas Price of Calfaria, Aberdare and many other local poets and writers. The Carw Coch eisteddfod continued for many years and many of the compositions published in a volume known as Gardd Aberdâr (1853 onwards).

Williams was a staunch Unitarian, a leading member of Hen Dy Cwrdd at Trecynon and a contributor to their journal, Yr Ymofynydd. He was also one of the founders of the newspaper Y Gwladgarwr ( 1857–83) and wrote a regular column for the paper until his death.

During the 1868 General Election he played a peripheral role in the campaign of Henry Richard and sought assurances at a meeting held at Ebenezer, Trecynon that Richard supported the reform of the House of Lords.

Williams died on 26 September 1872, and was buried at St Fagan's, Aberdare. His son, Lewis Noah Williams (Ap Carw Coch) became a leading public figure and a member of the Aberdare Urban District Council.

Williams moved to Colfax County in Nebraska after the war and worked as a brick layer, police officer and postal worker. In 1904 he was sent a newer version of the Medal of Honor without explanation. In 1912 Williams was featured as a rural mail carrier on the 4-cent U.S. Parcel Post stamp. He died in Colfax County, Nebraska, in 1916.