William Spurrell

William Spurrell (30 July 1813 – 22 April 1889) was a Welsh printer and publisher, whose name is associated with one of the most popular Welsh language dictionaries, the Spurrell's Welsh Dictionary English-Welsh.

Family

William Spurrell was born 13 Quay Street, Carmarthen, and was the third son of Richard Spurrell, who was clerk to the county magistrates and held other public offices in Carmarthen, and Elizabeth Margaretta Thomas. William's grandfather John Spurrell had been an auctioneer in Bath and was the first member of the family to move to Wales.

In 1846, William Spurrell married Sarah Walter. They had eleven children, including:

William George Spurrell (1856–1949), Vicar of Carew, Pembrokeshire, and Canon of St. David's Cathedral Walter Spurrell JP (1858–1934), a printer and publisher (having inherited his father's business, W. Spurrell & Son) and mayor of Carmarthen Richard Spurrell (1864–1947), Rector of Rousdon, Devon Charles Spurrell (1866–1949), medical superintendent at Poplar and Stepney Sick Asylum

Spurrell attended Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Carmarthen, until age 16.

Career as printer and author

In November 1830, Spurrell began an apprenticeship with John Pritchard Davies, printer, of King Street, Carmarthen, where he remained for five years. An updated version of the Spurrell Dictionary is still published by HarperCollins as the Collins Spurrell Welsh Dictionary .

Spurrell was a Conservative in politics, and from 1857 until 1885, was the proprietor and publisher of Yr Haul. He was buried in the cemetery at St David's Church, Carmarthen.