| Description | Letter 32 - Contains the Oxford Pass List, (Easter, 1827), which contains the name of "Griffith Gulielmus e Coll. Iesu."
Letter 33 - From his mother, full of Llangefni and county gossip, and detailing his friends' delicate wirepulling to get him the post at Beaumaris.
Letter 34 - From William Griffith to his brother Griffith at Dublin conveying the good news of his appointment.
Letter 37 - From Henry Griffith, his friend, who had a few years before been given the livings of Llandrygarn and Bodwrog. (A.Ivor Pryce : Dioc. of Bangor, 62).
More interesting are the letters of his old friend St. George Armstrong Williams, who graduated at Jesus at the same time as W.G., and who was now (1831-1832) chaplain of Caernarfon Gaol and perpetual curate of Betws Garmon. Williams was a rather despondent conservative in politics (see his strictures on the Reform Bill) and a moderate Churchman (of the same school as W.G. and H.G.). He is sorry to see the Established Church losing ground in Caernarfonshire on account of the lethargy of its ministers and the attractions of sectarian "dynion dieithr;" he regrets the ravages of drink, especially after the passing of the new Beer Act, among Churchmen and Sectarians alike, and thinks that an exchange of duties amongst the clergymen would be a policy of good to them and their people (see esp. letter of 22 April 1832, Letter 44).
Letter 41 - From a Bala cleric (curate?) named Thomas. He read the magazines and newspapers - both Welsh and English - very naturally praises the Gwyliedydd, rejoices in the death of the London Cymro, "that revolutionary periodical" and would be glad if the Seren (Gomer) would follow it to its doom. He gives some news of Alun's promotion in South Wales and adds a graceless note about the marriage of Miss Charles of Bala (evidently one of the daughters of Thomas Rice Charles, and grand-dr. of Thomas Charles) "this is the third in this class of society since Xmas."
Letters 39 and 42 - From Bishop Bethel about curacies
Letter 30 - From the Vicar of Sussex (his old vicar). |
| AdminHistory | William Griffith was a graduate of Jesus College, Oxford, curate for a time at Heathfield in Sussex, and usher for even a shorter time at the Beaumaris Grammar School.
He seems to have been a brilliant young man whose career was blighted by poor health (it is almost certain he would have obtained a Fellowship at Jesus if he had been well enough to go up for examination).
William Griffith passed away in 1832, only 25 years of age. |