The Printed Works of William Williams, Pantycelyn

William Williams, Pantycelyn is generally acknowledged as Wales's most important hymn writer. He was also one of the key leaders of early Methodism in our country and a renowned poet and author. Today he is considered to be one of our greatest writers.

Who was William Williams, Pantycelyn?

Williams was born in 1717 in Cefn-coed in the parish of Llanfair-ar-y-bryn, Carmarthenshire. He was educated locally and intended to become a doctor. This changed in 1737 when he had a religious conversion while listening to Howel Harris (1714-73), the evangelical reformer, preaching in Talgarth in 1737. He took deacon's orders in 1740 and was appointed curate to Theophilus Evans (1693-1767) in the parishes of Llanwrtyd, Llanfihangel Abergwesyn and Llanddewi Abergwesyn. Because of his Methodist activities he was refused ordination as a priest and from then on he committed himself entirely to that movement. He travelled throughout the country preaching and establishing seiadau (local fellowships of Methodist people). He died in 1791, and a copy of Pantycleyn's will can be viewed on the Library’s website (SD/1791/107).

The hymns of William Williams, Pantycelyn

‘Williams of Pantycelyn’ was the chief hymn-writer of the Methodist awakening in Wales, and nearly 1000 were published during his lifetime. Much of the success of Welsh Methodism can be attributed to the popularity of his hymns. He published his first volume of hymns, Aleluia in 1744 and he continued to publish volumes of hymns in Welsh and English in this order: Aleluia (six parts between 1744 and 1747, and in one volume in 1749); Hosanna i Fab Dafydd (1751-1754), and an English collection, Hosannah to the Son of David (1759); Rhai Hymnau a Chaniadau Duwiol (1757); Caniadau (y rhai sydd ar y môr o wydr) (1762); Ffarwel Weledig, groesaw anweledig bethau (3 parts, 1763-1769, and in one volume Haleluia Drachefn, c. 1790); Gloria yn Excelsis (2 parts, 1771 and 1772, as well as an English collection of the same name, 1772); Ychydig Hymnau (1774) and Rhai Hymnau Newyddion (1781-1787). Although the quality of his work is uneven, Pantycelyn is considered Wales's most important hymn writer because of the symbolic richness and directness of his work.

The poems and prose of William Williams, Pantycelyn

As well as hymns, he composed 2 epic poems Golwg ar Deyrnas Crist (1756) and Bywyd a Marwolaeth Theomemphus (1764), and volumes of shorter poems. He also wrote about twenty-eight elegies, the most well known to his fellow Methodists Howel Harris and Daniel Rowland.

He also turned his hand to prose in order to promote the spiritual development of his fellow Methodists, such as Llythyr Martha Philopur (1762) and Atteb Philo-Evangelius (1763); Crocodil Afon yr Aipht (1767); Tri Wyr o Sodom a'r Aipht (1768); Liber Miscellaneorum (1773); Ductor Nuptiarum: Neu, Gyfarwyddwr Priodas, (1777); Templum experientiae apertum, neu, Ddrws y society profiad (1777) and Pantheologia, Neu Hanes Holl Grefyddau'r Byd published in parts between 1762 and 1778. Pantheologia discusses world religions and contains geographical, historical and natural descriptions from all parts of the world. He also had a keen interest in the sciences, as can be seen in his volume Aurora Borealis (1774), which is in part a description of the 'Northern Lights'.

By the time of his death in 1791 he had published almost 90 books and pamphlets. In 2017 to celebrate three hundred years since his birth, the National Library of Wales digitized all of William Williams Pantycelyn's published works, as well as two of his manuscripts. The collection, which contains over 4,000 pages, will be the basis for raising awareness of the author and hymnwriter's contribution to the life of Wales and the world, and will be a great resource for anyone studying or interested in his work.

All published works of William Williams held in The National Library of Wales