Benjamin Thomas Williams

Benjamin Thomas Williams (19 November 1832 – 21 March 1890)^[1] was a Welsh barrister and Liberal Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1878 to 1882.

Williams was the eldest son of T R Williams of Narberth Pembrokeshire, and his wife Mira Thomas daughter of B R Thomas. He was educated at Glasgow University where he was senior prizeman in logic and university medalist in metaphysics. In 1859, he was called to the bar at Gray's Inn and then went on the South Wales and Chester circuits. He was Recorder of Carmarthen from 1872 to 1878 and became a Queen's Counsel in 1875. He was for a while editor of the Law Magazine and was a J.P. for Pembrokeshire, chairman of the South Narbeth School Board, and member of the councils of the University of Glasgow and the University College of Wales.^[2]

In 1867, Williams sought to be nominated as a candidate for the second seat for Merthyr Boroughs and held a public meeting at Aberdare to support his candidature. He protested against the actions of Thomas Price in using this meeting to promote the candidature of Richard Fothergill.^[3]

In May 1878 Williams was elected at an unopposed by-election as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Carmarthen Boroughs.^[4] He was re-elected in 1880 but resigned from Parliament in 1882 to become a County Court judge.^[4]

Williams died at the age of 57.

Williams married Margaret John daughter of T John of Dolemain in 1857.^[2]

References

1. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "C" (part 2)
2. Debretts House of Commons and the Judicial Bench 1881
3. "Local and District News". Cardiff Times. 29 June 1867. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
4. Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 503. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Benjamin Williams