George Williams (YMCA)

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George Williams

Sir George Williams (born October 11, 1821 in Dulverton , Somerset , England , † November 6, 1905 in London , England) is the founder of the YMCA in 1844 in London.

Early years

George Williams was born the youngest of eight children. His mother's name was Ann Betty when she was single. His father Amos Williams was a farmer. He ran the Ashway Farm on the edge of a huge raised bog, about six miles from the village center of Dulverton, since about 1809. George Williams attended Gloyn's Grammar School in Tiverton until he was 13 , a time of hardship and suffering for him. At that time, based on the information in the marriage registers, around a third of the population were illiterate and the quality of schools was mostly very poor.

In 1835, George Williams was converted to Jesus Christ in the Bridgwater Congregational Church . In the winter of 1837 the words of the evangelist Evan James from Wales, who preached there, made a deep impression on George: Give your hearts to God while you are still young. On February 4, 1838 he was accepted as a member of this community.

Working years

George Williams is described as small, petite, narrow, restless and delicate-tempered. After he and his family had come to the deep-seated realization that George was not called to be a farmer, he did an apprenticeship as a cloth merchant, where he worked and lived with 27 other employees. Those around him noticed his affable nature and his practical intelligence combined with great intuition.

In October 1841 he joined the trading company Hitchcock & Rogers in the City of London , where at that time about 130,000 people lived. London was the largest and most important trading city in the world. With about 140 colleagues he lived in a very small space on one of the upper floors of the trading house in St Paul's Churchyard near St Paul's Cathedral . George worked 13 hours a day, six days a week.

George Williams attended Thomas Binney's service at The Old King's Weigh House Chapel . Binney used to be a printer and bookseller and is now probably the most famous London preacher before Charles Haddon Spurgeon's time . His church had 1,500 seats. George became secretary of the Sunday school there in January 1843.

The Christian influence at Hitchcock & Rogers increased from 1842 onwards. As a result, working hours were reduced to seven hours a day from November 1, 1843. This event reverberated across the industry. Many employees belonged to the Movement for the early closing time ( Early Closing Movement to), including George Williams belonged. He also had an influence in the formation of a corresponding national association. The end of the seven-year, severe economic crisis in England raised the courage for new paths. The Times reported the improvements in the company on October 10, 1844. As a result of the reduction in working hours, the young employees have become hard-working, friendly and cheerful. The company boss George Hitchcock did not want the employees to go for a walk at the expense of attending church services on Sunday and therefore gave them Saturday afternoon off. In addition, on August 13, 1843, he introduced a daily company prayer service at seven o'clock in the morning. Hitchcock paid £ 400 into the closing movement till in 1857 to save them from bankruptcy.

YMCA

On June 6, 1844, seven to eleven colleagues (the founders' memories differ) from George met with him in room number 14. They did not want to discuss the spiritual meetings that were being held at Hitchcock's house, but rather an association for found young Christians. As a result, various meetings were held for this purpose. At the 5th meeting on July 4, 1844, the name was discussed. Among other things, the Berea Association was proposed. The definitive name was decided a little later.

“In No. 14 a meeting took place to found a society with the aim of awakening the converted men in the various cloth trade shops of the metropolis in the sense of their obligation and responsibility as Christians so that they spread religious knowledge among those around them either through prayer communities or other means that you consider suitable ... "

- Treasurer Valantine : The size of the small beginning.

On June 6, 1844, parliament passed a new law on working hours. The maximum permitted working time was henceforth twelve hours a day, although the applicant Lord Ashley had requested a maximum of ten hours. His request was only followed up with effect from May 1, 1848. Ashley became chairman of the YMCA on February 28, 1846, and remained so for over 35 years.

In December 1845, the first general meeting of the YMCA at the Sergeant's Inn was attended by 161 men, the second on March 6, 1845 at Radley's Hotel by 300 people, including 160 members. In 1869, Charles Haddon Spurgeon spoke at the general meeting .

Hitchcock and Williams

George Williams married Helen Hitchcock on June 9, 1853, who was eleven years younger than him and the daughter of his boss. He accepted his son-in-law and made him a partner before the marriage. The company was now called George Hitchcock, Williams & Co. Based on the April 8, 1861 census, it is known that George Williams lived at No. 30 in Woburn Square with his wife and four sons Frederick (born 1855), Howard, Charles and Percy. This included a few single maids who lived in the same house. In 1883 the sons Frederick and Howard became partners in the company.

George Williams, who politically belonged to the Tories , moved to the awakened Anglican Church in Portman Square on the edge of Hyde Park . George Williams did not want to write down his memories, as biographer Siegfried Fischer notes. George Williams' children joked that he was looking for vacation spots by the blank spots on the YMCA map.

George Hitchcock died only 58 years old on September 22, 1863. As a result, George took over the position of YMCA treasurer in place of Hitchcock. When the YMCA World Federation was founded in Paris in 1855, George Williams was elected President of the Conference. But he held back and was one of many. In 1882 George became President of the UK YMCA National Association and in 1886 President of YMCA London.

Late life

In 1884 the 50th anniversary of the YMCA took place in London with 1972 participants from all over the world. This conference, which opened at Westminster Abbey and a thanksgiving service at St Paul's Cathedral, honored George Williams. In May 1894 he became an honorary citizen of London. On 18 July 1894 he was Queen Victoria to the Knights defeated. George was active in some way in 33 associations. In 1905 he insisted on going to the YMCA conference in Paris:

“Young men from France ... I would like to tell you one thing: if you want to have a happy, meaningful and rich life, then give your hearts to God while you are still young. My last legacy - and it is a valuable one - is the Christian Young Men Association. I leave that to you, dear young men from so many countries, to carry on and to expand. I hope you will be as happy as I was at this work and even more successful. And that means blessings for their own souls and for the great majority of others. "

- George Williams : Siegfried Fischer, The size of the small beginning

Because of his merits, George Williams was buried in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral in 1905 . 2,600 tickets were printed for the funeral service. The funeral procession only ended after almost two hours and consisted of 200 carriages.

literature

  • JE Hodder Williams: From the farm to the cathedral. The life of Sir George Williams. Authorized translation by Herm. Helbing. Barmen 1907.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ J. Gordon Melton: Williams, George (1821-1905) . founder of the YMCA. In: Encyclopedia of World Religions . Encyclopedia of Protestantism, No. 6 . Facts of File, New York 2005, ISBN 978-0-8160-5456-5 , pp. 575 (English).
  2. ↑ Siegfried Fischer: The size of the small beginning. An idea goes around the world. George Williams (1821-1905). Aussaat, Wuppertal 1982, ISBN 3-7615-2282-7 , p. 19f.
  3. ↑ Erich Geldbach: Sport and Protestantism. Story of an encounter. R. Brockhaus, Wuppertal 1975, ISBN 3-7974-0058-6 , p. 176.
  4. ↑ Siegfried Fischer: The size of the small beginning. An idea goes around the world. George Williams (1821-1905). Aussaat, Wuppertal 1982, ISBN 3-7615-2282-7 , p. 24f.
  5. ↑ Siegfried Fischer: The size of the small beginning. An idea goes around the world. George Williams (1821-1905). Aussaat, Wuppertal 1982, ISBN 3-7615-2282-7 , p. 22f.
  6. ↑ Siegfried Fischer: The size of the small beginning. An idea goes around the world. George Williams (1821-1905). Aussaat, Wuppertal 1982, ISBN 3-7615-2282-7 , p. 34f.
  7. ↑ Siegfried Fischer: The size of the small beginning. An idea goes around the world. George Williams (1821-1905). Aussaat, Wuppertal 1982, ISBN 3-7615-2282-7 , p. 41f.
  8. ↑ Siegfried Fischer: The size of the small beginning. An idea goes around the world. George Williams (1821-1905). Aussaat, Wuppertal 1982, ISBN 3-7615-2282-7 , p. 50f.
  9. ↑ Siegfried Fischer: The size of the small beginning. An idea goes around the world. George Williams (1821-1905). Aussaat, Wuppertal 1982, ISBN 3-7615-2282-7 , p. 63.
  10. ↑ Siegfried Fischer: The size of the small beginning. An idea goes around the world. George Williams (1821-1905). Aussaat, Wuppertal 1982, ISBN 3-7615-2282-7 , pp. 66 and 78.
  11. ↑ Siegfried Fischer: The size of the small beginning. An idea goes around the world. George Williams (1821-1905). Aussaat, Wuppertal 1982, ISBN 3-7615-2282-7 , pp. 71 and 92.
  12. ↑ Siegfried Fischer: The size of the small beginning. An idea goes around the world. George Williams (1821-1905). Aussaat, Wuppertal 1982, ISBN 3-7615-2282-7 , pp. 87f. and 117.
  13. ↑ Siegfried Fischer: The size of the small beginning. An idea goes around the world. George Williams (1821-1905). Aussaat, Wuppertal 1982, ISBN 3-7615-2282-7 , pp. 87f.
  14. ↑ Siegfried Fischer: The size of the small beginning. An idea goes around the world. George Williams (1821-1905). Aussaat, Wuppertal 1982, ISBN 3-7615-2282-7 , pp. 88 and 114f.
  15. ↑ Siegfried Fischer: The size of the small beginning. An idea goes around the world. George Williams (1821-1905). Aussaat, Wuppertal 1982, ISBN 3-7615-2282-7 , p. 116f. and 128f.
  16. ↑ Siegfried Fischer: The size of the small beginning. An idea goes around the world. George Williams (1821-1905). Aussaat, Wuppertal 1982, ISBN 3-7615-2282-7 , p. 129.
  17. ↑ knerger.de: The grave of Sir George Williams
  18. ↑ Siegfried Fischer: The size of the small beginning. An idea goes around the world. George Williams (1821-1905). Aussaat, Wuppertal 1982, ISBN 3-7615-2282-7 , p. 131.
personal data
SURNAME Williams, George
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English founder of the Christian Association of Young People
DATE OF BIRTH October 11, 1821
PLACE OF BIRTH Dulverton , Somerset , England
DATE OF DEATH November 6, 1905
Place of death London