Zephaniah Williams

Who was Zephaniah Williams?

Zephaniah Williams was a Chartist campaigner and one of the three leaders of the Newport Rising of 1839.

Williams was born near Argoed, Sirhowy Valley, Monmouthshire, Wales, with much of his childhood spent near the then village of Blackwood, also living for some periods in Caerphilly and Nantyglo. He was fortunate enough not only to have a fair amount of schooling, and becoming literate in both English and Welsh, but also having the character to be self-educated, particularly studying geology.

At the age of 25 he married Joan, then living for some time in Machen and having a son Llewellyn. Daughters Jane and Rhoda were born in 1825 and 1827 respectively.

At the age of 33 he came to Sirhowy, as a free thinking rationalist, with strong radical views, rather than one of religious conviction. Apparently, stories said that he spat every time the name of Christ was mentioned.

He became a coal miner or collier and later a Master Collier at Blaina and innkeeper, keeping the Royal Oak at Nantyglo, from where he used to pay his colliers.