P. B. (Peter Bailey) Williams

author

P. B. (Peter Bailey) Williams

1763–1836

A Welsh clergyman with a lively interest in public life, local history, and literature, he spent most of his career serving parishes in Caernarvonshire. He also wrote travel and historical works, supported early Sunday school education, and helped encourage Welsh writers of his time.

1 Audiobook

The Tourist's Guide through the Country of Caernarvon

by P. B. (Peter Bailey) Williams

About the author

Born in 1763 at Llandyfaelog, Carmarthenshire, he was educated at Carmarthen grammar school and later at Oxford. After being ordained in 1788, he worked in England for a few years before becoming rector of Llanrug and Llanberis in 1792, roles he held for the rest of his life.

He was more than a parish clergyman. For many years he was active in the public life of Caernarvonshire and served as a justice of the peace. He strongly supported education for ordinary people, and the Sunday school he began at Llanrug in 1793 is described as one of the earliest in the county.

His writing ranged across religion, history, and travel. He translated works by Richard Baxter into Welsh, published The Tourist's Guide to the County of Caernarvon in 1821, and contributed historical pieces to periodicals. He also collected and copied old manuscripts and encouraged local Welsh writers, helping preserve and promote the literary culture around him.