Orlo Williams

Born in 1883, Orlo Williams was a British writer and longtime House of Commons clerk whose career joined public service with a strong literary life. Reliable library and institutional records identify him as the author of works including The Essay, Charles Lamb, Some Great English Novels, and The Clerical Organization of the House of Commons, 1661–1850.

Reference sources also describe him as Orlando Cyprian Williams and show that he remained associated with the House of Commons for much of his working life. His writing reflects that unusual combination of interests: he published literary criticism and biography, worked as a translator, and also wrote on parliamentary history and procedure.

Williams died in 1967. Even now, he stands out as the kind of author who could write with ease about both books and institutions, bringing a practical insider's knowledge to subjects that might otherwise feel distant.