Elma Mary Williams

She was born in Moseley, Birmingham, in 1913 and educated at St John's Convent School.[1]

Having previously written several thrillers and romances, she became nationally well-known during the 1960s and early 70s for her books describing the animal sanctuary she had established on a farm at Tre'r Ddol near Machynlleth in Wales. Valley of Animals (1963) was a best-seller and was followed by several others, such as Animals under my Feet (1965, illustrated by Barry Driscoll), leading to a number of radio and television appearances.[2] Williams, a Roman Catholic who said she had drawn inspiration from St Francis of Assisi, later planned to develop a community where pensioners could retire along with domestic pets who they would otherwise not be allowed to keep. After initial planning setbacks she gained permission to proceed,[3] but died in 1971 before the plans were fully realised. The trust she set up initially planned to open a therapeutic facility on the site, but it was later sold and the last tenant, Winifred Berry, was asked to leave in 1975.[4]

In 1967, the composer Ian Parrott wrote a piece called Pant Glas Idyll inspired by Williams' farm.[5]

Her books were published as by Elma M Williams:

Fiction

• The Waiting Years (1957)
• House with Loving Walls (1958)
• To Africa – the Bride (1958)
• The Fifth Lake (1959)
• Something of the World (1960)
• Love in a Mist (1960)
• Strange Legacy (1961)
• Escape to Death (1961)
• The Valley (1961)
• Tomorrow a Stranger (1962)
• The Winking Cat (1963)
• Owls Do Cry (1964)
• The Shaft of Light (1965)
• Where is Sylvia? (1967)
• Paul’s Secret Courage (1967)

Pant Glas

• Valley of Animals (1963)
• Pig in Paradise (1964)
• Animals Under My Feet (1965)
• Elma M Williams Introduces The Valley of Animals, Pant Glas, Tre’r Ddol, Machynlleth (1969, booklet)
• Heaven on my Doorstep (1970) Foreword by Sir George Thomas.
• The Pant Glas Story (1970)
• Ride a Cock Horse (1970)