Williams claimed he "got up the first radical meeting in south Wales"[1] in the autumn of 1836 when he founded Carmarthen Working Men's Association.
Chartism in Wales reached its climax in November 1839 with the Newport Rising and subsequent treason trial of Chartist leaders.
In the months that followed, Hetherington visited the area from London, however it was the influence of Birmingham radicals that particularly introduced Chartism into this part of Wales.
Further branches of the Working Men's Associations (WMAs) were founded in Newtown, Llanidloes and Welshpool on the model of the Birmingham Political Union.
[2] It was towards the end of July 1838 that a branch was formed at Newport.Its founders were baker William Edwards and veteran radical and printer Samuel Etheridge.
The Merthyr branch of the Working Men's Association was formed in October 1838, where Morgan Williams, described by Jones as a "small entrepreneur"[2] was its secretary and leading spokesman at the time.
[4] Although Chartism was very much a British political movement, the Welsh language was a factor in allowing Chartists to organise in relative secrecy in Wales.