John Williams (1792 – 27 December 1858) was a Welsh churchman, scholar and educator, Archdeacon of Cardigan from 1833, first rector of Edinburgh Academy and warden of Llandovery College.
[1] John Gibson Lockhart was a friend of Williams from Balliol, and Charles, the second son of Sir Walter Scott.
He resigned some nine months later, before taking up the duties, because of the opposition its secular policy had aroused among High churchmen.
A few weeks after his retirement from the rectorship Williams was appointed the first warden of the new school at Llandovery, just endowed by Thomas Phillips.
The school was opened in temporary premises on 1 March 1848, pending the erection of permanent buildings, which were completed by May 1851, and Williams's name was used in fundraising.
[1] With Sir Benjamin Hall, Williams publicly attacked Lampeter College for its training and its neglect of Welsh studies.
Ill-health, however, compelled Williams to end his scholastic career by retiring from the wardenship at Easter 1853, by which time Llandovery was making a reputation for itself.
[1] While at Lampeter William married Mary, only daughter of Thomas Evans of Llanilar, Cardiganshire, who predeceased him on 16 August 1854.
The eldest, Jane Eliza, in 1861 married Major Walter Colquhoun-Grant of the 2nd dragoon guards, who died the same year in India.