William Williams

William Williams (1727 – 27 April 1791) was a Welsh-American painter who wrote a novel, The Journal of Llewellin Penrose, Seaman, considered by many to be the first American novel. Early life Williams was born in Bristol, England, but his family originated in Caerphilly, Wales. Seafaring and Penrose Williams is believed to have been a seafarer during the early part of his life. During that time he became a friend and shipmate of William Falconer. Williams wrote The Journal of Llewellin Penrose, Seaman, believed to be partly autobiographical, about a sailor who is cast away in the New World. This book is accounted by many scholars as the first American novel. Williams could not find a publisher for the book, however, because its clearly fictional elements did not fit in with the then-current vogue for true travel tales. The novel was not published until 1815, and then only in a revised form. The original text was not published until 1969.