Williams, George

Church of England, layman, the founder of the Y^oung Men's Christian A ociation; b. at a farmhouse in the parish of Dulverton, Somersets hire, Eng., Oct. 11, 1821. Having completed his education, he began his busine -life at Bridge water. There he was converted in 1837, and immediately endeavored to lead his a ociates to Christ. In this he was so succe ful that a considerable number profe ed religion. In 1841 he became a junior a istant in the dry-goods establishment of Me rs. George Hitch cock & Co., 72 St. Paul's Churchyard, London. Finding that the majority of his fellows (there were some 120 in all) were indifferent to religion, while many were licentious, in 1843 he induced a few of the spiritually minded a istants to hold with him, at regular intervals, a prayer meeting in a bedroom of the establishment, — it being then customary for clerks to occupy rooms in the busine houses where they were employed, — for the conversion of their fellow-clerks; and out of that meeting originated the Young Men's Christian A ociation movement. Mr. George Hitch cock, their pi'incipal, who had been converted since Mr. Williams came, having mentioned these meetings to his friend Mr. W. D. Owen, proprietor of a large drapery establishment in the West End, the latter spoke of them to Mr. James Smith, his principal a istant, who immediately commenced similar meetings amongst the young men. In the spring of 1844, Mr. Williams was impre ed with the importance of introducing similar meetings in all the large establishments of London. He broached the subject, first of all, to his most intimate friend and fellow-a istant, the late Mr. Edward Beaumont, 'on a Sunday evening in the latter part of May, 1844. The following week, after the prayer-meeting, three or four of the most zealous^j'emained behind for conversation upon the subject; and it was then resolved to call a meeting of all the religious young men of the establishment, to meet on Thursday, June 6, 1844, to consider the importance and practicability of establishing a society for improving the spiritual condition of young men engaged in the drapery and other trades. At this meeting the following persons were present: Me rs. George Williams, C. W. Smith, James Smith (from Mr. Owen's, by invitation of Mr. Williams), Norton Smith, Edward Valentine, Edward Beaumont, Gla on, Francis John Cockett, Edward Rogers, John Harvey, John C. Symons, William Creese. Mr. James Smith was chosen chairman; Mr. Valentine, treasurer; and Me rs. Symons and Creese, secretaries. 249 It was decided to form the projected society; and Mr. C. W. Smith, being delegated to choose a name for it, suggested among others that of The Young Men's Christian A ociation, which was afterwards adopted, Thursday, July 4. Mr. Williams being a young man, and merely a draper's a istant, modestly kept himself in the background in the early meetings of the A ociation, yet in the absence of the first chairman was always asked to preside; but to him, under God, belongs the credit of being the founder of that organization which has spread all over the world, and to it he has freely given his time and his means. He was the treasurer of the parent a ociation from 1863 to 1885, succeeding Mr. Hitch cock; and is now president, succeeding the late Earl of Shaftesbury. He was taken by Mr. Hitch cock into partnership, and now is the head of the firm of Hitch cock, Williams, & Co., in which establishment he was a clerk. Besides the Young Men*s Christian A ociation, Mr. Williams is the president of the Commercial Travellers' Christian A ociation, the Christian Community, the Young Men's Foreign Mi ionary, and of several other societies. He takes an active interest in the British and Foreign Bible Society, the London City Mi ion, the Sunday-school Union, the Bishop of London's Diocesan Council for Young Men, the Young Women's Christian A ociation, and many others. The succe of the Young Men's Christian A ociation was a ured from the start. Its membership was twelve on June 6; in five months the a ociation numbered seventy, each of whom had been carefully examined as to his Christian zeal before admittance, and religious services had been founded by it in ten drapers' establishments. On March 6, 1845, the membership was 160; on Nov. 5, 1846, the second annual meeting, branch a ociations in different places in London and in other cities were reported. In 1848, 480 members in London, and 1,000 in all, were reported. In 1849 the Earl of Shaftesbury became president, and so continued until his death, Oct. 1. 1885, when he was succeeded by Mr. Williams. In September, 1886, it was reported that there were 3,376 branch a ociations throughout the world, with nearly 200,000 members and a ociates. For an interesting and trustworthy history of the parent a ociation, see George J. Stevens on's Historical Records of the Young Men's Christian A ociation from 1844 t° 1884, London, 1884; for a brief account of the movement in general, see article, Young Men's Cliristian A ociation, in the Schaff- Herzog Enci/clopaidia, vol. iii. 2564-2566.