Chris Williams, a historian and academic who left an indelible mark on Welsh scholarship, has died suddenly at the age of 61 after suffering a heart attack. Throughout his illustrious career, he had held positions at some of the UK's most prestigious institutions, including Cardiff University and the University College Cork.
Born in Newport, Gwent, to a music teacher mother and bank manager father, Williams' early life took an unexpected turn when he joined the army with the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment. However, military life proved unsuitable for him and he left after just one year, going on to pursue modern history at Balliol College, Oxford.
It was during his time at Oxford that Williams met fellow historian Siobhan McClelland, whom he married in 1985 and had a son with. The couple later divorced in 1993. Williams went on to complete his doctorate at Cardiff University under the tutelage of influential cultural historian Dai Smith.
Williams' academic journey took him to several institutions, including the Open University, Coleg Harlech and Swansea University. He held senior positions in sociology before returning to Cardiff and eventually moving to University College Cork in 2017.
His publications on Welsh historiography were numerous, including 'Democratic Rhondda', 'Capitalism, Community and Conflict: the South Wales Coalfield, 1898-1947' and 'Labour Party in Wales 1900-2000'. He also co-edited volumes of 'The Gwent County History'.
One of his most notable works was his 2012 edition of Richard Burton's posthumous diaries. Williams approached the project with scholarly rigour, seeking to contextualise and explain the actor's life beyond sensational details. This commitment to intellectual integrity was a hallmark of his career.