Revd John Williams, "Yr Hen Syr"

William Roos was a popular portrait painter and mezzotint engraver. He was born near Amlwch, North Wales, in 1808. Although he based himself in Wales, he spent periods of time in  London and frequently travelled in order to sustain his portrait work. He produced many portraits of the well-known Welsh individuals of his day, including John Elias, Christmas Evans and John Jones, 'Talhaiarn.'

His strengths lay in portrait oil painting and mezzotint engraving, but he also produced landscape, still-life and watercolour paintings. He painted some historical landscapes for Eisteddfod competitions and his paintings of ‘The Death of Owen Glyndwr’ and ‘The Death of Captain Wynn at Alma’ were awarded prizes at the Llangollen Eisteddfod in 1858.