Williams, Isaac

(1802-1865)

   Born near Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire, the son of a London barrister, he was educated at Harrow School. A skilled Latin scholar, he went on to Trinity College, Oxford, where a serious illness nearly cost him his life, so his hopes of a double first were dashed. His academic history: B.A, 1826; M.A., fellow of Trinity and ordained priest, 1831; lecturer in philosophy, 1832; dean of Trinity, 1833; lecturer in rhetoric, 1834-1840; B.D., 1839; vice-president of Trinity, 1841-1842. He was one of the members of the Oxford Movement and contributed verses to the British Magazine, later published as Lyra Apostolica (1864). He was curate to John Keble at Dartington, Devon, from 1842 to 1848 when he retired to Stinchcombe, where he died. Some of his publications: Hymns Translated from the Parisian Breviary, 1839. Sacred Verses, 1845. The Altar, 1847. The Christian Scholar, 1849. The Christian Seasons, 1854. The Baptistery, 1858. Some of his poems: "Invitation," "King George III," "The Athanasian Creed," "The Church in Fear," "The Church in Wales," "The Lord's Prayer," "The Nicene Creed."

   Sources: Dictionary of National Biography. Electronic Edition 1.1. Oxford University Press, 1997. English Poetry: Author Search. Chadwyck-Healey Ltd., 1995 (http://www.lib.utexas.edu:8080/search/epoetry/author.html). Stanford University Libraries and Academic Information Resources (http://library.stanford.edu). The Cyber Hymnal (http://www.cyberhymnal.org/index.htm). The Oxford Companion to English Literature. 6th edition. Margaret Drabble, ed. Oxford University Press, 2000.