Dr T. W. Thomas Manuscripts,

Papers, [1769x1860], mainly of the political writer David Williams (1738-1816) from the collection of Dr T. W. Thomas, Caerphilly. They comprise: correspondence, 1783-1818, mostly addressed to David Williams; material, 1769-1845, by or relating to David Williams, his niece Mary Watkins and his daughter Emilia; papers, 1780-1807, relating to the Royal Literary Fund, which was founded by David Williams; and a draft prospectus, 1800, of a projected daily newspaper titled 'The Imperial Gazette', one of the prospective partners being David Williams; together with material, [19 cent.], of Monmouthshire interest

David Williams, writer and political pamphleteer, was born in the parish of Eglwysilan and received his early education at a local school run by his namesake, David Williams, Independent minister (1709-1784). From 1753 to 1757 Williams attended Carmarthen Academy, where he absorbed a number of unorthodox ideas. He served as Nonconformist minister at Frome (1759-1761), Exeter (1761-1769) and Highgate, Middlesex (1769-1773) but subsequently left the ministry because the salary was too deficient to maintain the lifestyle he desired. In 1773 Williams opened an expensive boarding school in Chelsea but gave up the project following the death of his wife in 1774. In that same year he had completed his Treatise on Education. With writer, natural philosopher and politician Benjamin Franklin, Williams formed the 'Thirteen Club', a gathering of deists for whom Williams wrote his Liturgy on the Universal Principles of Religion and Morality (London, 1776). Williams's political radicalism emerged in his publication Letters on Political Liberty (London, 1782), which promoted a programme of social reform aimed in defence of the American colonists. The book was translated into French and Williams subsequently became famous in France, where he spent some time extolling his social and political views. His greatest work in terms of volume was his History of Monmouthshire (London, 1796) and his most marked achievement probably the formation of the Royal Literary Fund in 1780, which aimed to support needy writers. Williams spent the last years of his life at the Fund's headquarters in Gerrard Square, Soho, and it was there that he died.

Arranged according to NLW MSS reference numbers: NLW MSS 10331-10338.

Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to abide by the conditions set out in information provided when applying for their Readers' Tickets, whereby the reader shall become responsible for compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation 2018 in relation to any processing by them of personal data obtained from modern records held at the Library.

Disgwylir i ddarllenwyr sydd am ddefnyddio papurau modern yn Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru gydymffurfio â Deddf Warchod Data 2018 a Rheoliadau Diogelu Data Cyffredinol 2018 yng nghyd-destun unrhyw brosesu ganddynt o ddata personol a gasglwyd o gofnodion modern sydd ar gadw yn y Llyfrgell. Nodir y manylion yn yr wybodaeth a roddir wrth wneud cais am Docyn Darllen.

Family of T. W. Thomas, per Miss Enid Thomas; Presentation; 1934

David Williams, writer and political pamphleteer, was born in the parish of Eglwysilan and received his early education at a local school run by his namesake, David Williams, Independent minister (1709-1784). From 1753 to 1757 Williams attended Carmarthen Academy, where he absorbed a number of unorthodox ideas. He served as Nonconformist minister at Frome (1759-1761), Exeter (1761-1769) and Highgate, Middlesex (1769-1773) but subsequently left the ministry because the salary was too deficient to maintain the lifestyle he desired. In 1773 Williams opened an expensive boarding school in Chelsea but gave up the project following the death of his wife in 1774. In that same year he had completed his Treatise on Education. With writer, natural philosopher and politician Benjamin Franklin, Williams formed the 'Thirteen Club', a gathering of deists for whom Williams wrote his Liturgy on the Universal Principles of Religion and Morality (London, 1776). Williams's political radicalism emerged in his publication Letters on Political Liberty (London, 1782), which promoted a programme of social reform aimed in defence of the American colonists. The book was translated into French and Williams subsequently became famous in France, where he spent some time extolling his social and political views. His greatest work in terms of volume was his History of Monmouthshire (London, 1796) and his most marked achievement probably the formation of the Royal Literary Fund in 1780, which aimed to support needy writers. Williams spent the last years of his life at the Fund's headquarters in Gerrard Square, Soho, and it was there that he died.

Title based on contents.

Formerly Dr T. W. Thomas MSS 1-8.

Preferred citation: NLW MSS 10331-10338.

Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume III (Aberystwyth, 1961), pp. 213-215.

September 2008 & June 2011.

Description compiled by Bethan Ifan for the retrospective conversion project of NLW MSS, and revised by Bethan Ifan. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: Handlist of Manuscripts in the National Library of Wales, Volume III (Aberystwyth, 1961); Y Bywgraffiadur Cymreig hyd 1940 (Llundain, 1953); Oxford Dictionary of National Biography on-line;

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales