Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-19
Sir George Williams.


Written for The Star.
The founder of the Y NJ c. A.. Sly
George Williams. who was buried at 81
Faults Cathedral, London, last Tuesday.
was employed in 1874 as a clerk in dry
goods store in London. He roomed in the
store building with eighty other young
men, whose habits OF gambling, drunken
ness and immortality were appalling to him
even though he was well acquainted Win
the ways of young men of that day. he
became so deeply concerned about his tel
low-clerks that he invited a few of inc
Christian young men of the store TO meet
In his bed room for prayer and to talk
over means for remedying the conditions
of life about them
This led to the formation of the Young
Mems Christian Association. Little more
than bed room meetings and Bible ciasses
were held for some time, then literary
society was added. George hitchcock, me
PROPRIETOR of the store gave them a larger
room for their meetings, as he was que"
to recognize their influence for good among
his employees Mr.. Hitchcock himself ne
came a Christian, and later president of the
London association. He was succeeded ~
Lord Shaftesbury George Williams was
the leading spirit of the movement FROM
the date of the beginning, June g. ls4i'
and served forty-one years as treasurer
to the association, and his gifts were large
and generous all the following sixty years
as he became a wealthy man. His pro-
motion was rapid He became a member
OF the firm. married his employers daugE-
ter. and later succeeded TO the headship
of the business.
Mr. Williams was born IN the country
five miles from Dulverton, IN southern Eng
land. His father was a prosperous sheep
farmer, who gave his boy what was a
good education for those times. He was
apprenticed for six years to learn the ara
perry business al Bridswater, after which
he went to London. While at Bridgwater.
in 1895, he came under the influence of two
earnest Christian young men who held
prayer meetings in their bed room and IN
yited other young men to join them. This
was the period when laymen were begin
ming to be active in Christian service: That
little prayer meeting was undoubtedly the
real beginning of the association.
Associations were soon formed In eighteen
different establishments in London. The
movement spread from city to city and be
came national. In 1852 associations were
started nearly simultaneously at Montreal.
Boston and Calcutta, and shortly after at
New York, and, William E. Dodge early
became one OF the leading spirits in the
American associations. In England such
men as Samuel Morley and Lord Shaftes-
bury took leading positions. In 1883 the
membership of the forty-seven associations
in Great Britain was $500 and America
had thirty-six associations with 5000 mem
bers In 1880 Britain had $50 associations
with $4,000 members and North America
$40 with 5000 members, while today this
number is 373 600 Mr. Williams helped to
organize the association in Paris, and the
organization rapidly extended from nation
to nation until ii was shown at the world s
conference, at Paris, in April last, that the
association had extended to thirty-nine
countries and enrolled over 100000 members
in S245 organizations
At this gathering Mr.. Williams, though
enfeebled with age was able to be present
and receive the delegates al his hotel Eng
land so highly appreciated Mr.. Williams
services to her young men that Queen Vic