David Williams - London, England, UK
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 51° 30.740 W 000° 07.938
30U E 698982 N 5710699
This memorial is located at St Anne's Church on Wardour Street in London.
Waymark Code: WMM2VA
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/10/2014
Views: 4
A plaque, affixed to the front of the church, reads:
"David Williams
1738 - 1816
FOUNDER OF
The Royal Literary Fund
1790
Resided in this parish
at 36 Gerrard Street Soho
buried in St Anne's churchyard".
Wikipedia (
visit link) adds the following about the philosopher and author:
"Literary fund
Main article: Royal Literary Fund
The idea of a 'literary fund' to aid 'distressed talents' was again suggested by Williams in a club of six persons, formed on the discontinuance of his Sunday lectures (1780), and meeting at the Prince of Wales's coffee-house, Conduit Street. Among its original members, besides Williams, were Captain Thomas Morris[disambiguation needed], John Gardner[disambiguation needed] (vicar of Battersea), and perhaps the printer John Nichols. Fruitless applications were made after 1783 to William Pitt the Younger (who thought the matter very important), Charles James Fox, Edmund Burke, and Sir Joseph Banks. An advertisement was published (October 1786), 'with no material effect'. The death in a debtors' prison (1 April 1787) of Floyer Sydenham led Williams to press the matter. The club, not being unanimous, was dissolved, and another (of eight members) formed. At its first meeting (spring of 1788) the constitution of the Literary Fund, drawn up by Williams, was adopted, each member subscribing a guinea. An advertisement (10 May 1788) invited further subscriptions. The first general meeting to elect officers was held on Tuesday 18 May 1790 at the Prince of Wales's coffee-house. In the course of twelve years £1,738 was distributed among 105 persons. The society was incorporated 19 May 1818; in 1842 it became the Royal Literary Fund. By the close of the century it possessed an income exceeding £4,000, half from investments, and half from annual contributions."