John Edward Lloyd

“ Few Welsh poets have shown a greater mastery of the language than Owen, whose classical training is reflected in the purity and suppleness of his Welsh style. He wrote entirely in the strict metres, favouring especially the ‘cywydd’ form. His letters are models of racy, idiomatic Welsh prose. ”

“ MADOG (fl. 1294–1295) , leader of the North Welsh rebellion, is termed by Trivet ‘quemdam de genere Lewelini principis ultimi;’ Walter of Hemingburgh says he claimed to be descended ‘de sanguine principis Leulini;’ the ‘Annals of Worcester’ call him ‘Madocus ap Lewelin.’ Contemporary narratives of his rebellion only supply accounts of him, but it may safely be concluded that he was a natural son of Llywelyn, the last prince of Wales [see Llywelyn ab Gruffydd, d 1282.] The occasion of the rebellion was the heavy taxation levied in 1294 towards the king's projected expedition to Gascony. ”

“ WILLIAMS, MORRIS (1809–1874) , Welsh poet, known in bardic circles as ‘Nicander,’ was the son of William Morris of Pentyrch Isaf by his wife Sarah, daughter of William Jones of Coed Cae Bach, in the parish of Llan Gybi, Carnarvonshire. He was born on 20 Aug. 1809 at Carnarvon (Geninen, iv. 143–4) , but the family settled soon afterwards at Coed Cae Bach. After attending school at Llan Ystumdwy he was apprenticed to a carpenter; he showed at an early age much skill in writing Welsh verse, and contributed an ode to the ‘Gwyliedydd’ in 1827. ”

“ The salient feature of Madog's career is not, however, his success against the English, but his friendship with them. During the first half of the twelfth century Gwynedd had been gradually growing at the expense of the minor northern principalities, until in Madog's time it was a formidable neighbour to Powys, conterminous with it from Machynlleth to Chester. Madog first adopted the policy, which afterwards became popular with princes of Powys, of protecting his realm by cultivating the friendship of his English neighbours. ”

“ Madog was a contemporary of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth [q. v.] , and is at all times found acting with the minor princes whom that great ruler controlled and occasionally drove into rebellion. He joined Llywelyn, Gwenwynwyn, and the South Welsh princes in writing to complain to Innocent III of the ecclesiastical tyranny exercised by England over Wales (Giraldus Cambrensis, De Jure et Statu Menevensis Ecclesiæ, Dist. iv.) In 1211, when John invaded Wales in order to humble Llywelyn, Madog was one of the band of princes who seized the opportunity to cast off the yoke of Gwynedd. ”

“ While still a schoolboy in Carnarvonshire Dewi Wyn showed an aptitude for composing in the alliterative ‘strict’ metres of Welsh poetry. The most prominent Welsh poets of the day were, with one or two exceptions, Carnarvonshire men, and Robert Williams of Bettws Fawr (Robert ap Gwilym Ddu) tilled a farm in the same parish as Dewi's parents. Thus the young poet lived in a congenial atmosphere, and was already a skilful composer at the age of eighteen. ”

“ Though the bardic system, of which he was the champion, is known to be a modern fabrication, it was accepted in good faith by Iolo. Other bardic papers of his were used after his death by John Williams ‘ab Ithel’ (1811–1862) [q. v.] in the compilation of ‘Barddas.’ Iolo was one of the three editors of the ‘Myvyrian Archaiology’ (1801) , for which he collected and transcribed many manuscripts; the Welsh Manuscripts Society published in 1848 what was meant by the bard to be a continuation of this work, under the title ‘Iolo MSS.’ (Llandovery, reprinted at Liverpool in 1888) . ”

“ Some fruitless efforts were made by Lewis Morris and his family to find him a place in Wales. His next move was, in 1753, to a curacy at Walton, near Liverpool, worth 35l. per annum, to which were soon added a house in the churchyard and 6l. for the superintendence of the school. Owen was now in fairly good circumstances, but he was in ill-health, and visited Liverpool taverns more frequently than was desirable. In May 1755 he accepted the post of secretary to the newly established Cymmrodorion Society of London, with the prospect of becoming minister of a Welsh church in the metropolis. ”

“ About 1782 he took into his own hands the slate quarry at the entrance to Nant Ffrancon, now well known as the Penrhyn Quarry, and with true business instinct set about its development. A quay was erected at the mouth of the Cegin for the shipping of the slates, and in 1801 this was connected with the quarry by means of a tramroad. In this way a marked impetus was given to the Welsh slate trade, which has since risen to very great proportions. Lord Penrhyn also greatly improved the estate by building and planting on an extensive scale. ”

“ On her death he left Glamorganshire, and for about seven years worked as a journeyman mason in various parts of England. He then returned to Wales, and in 1781 married Margaret, daughter of Rees Roberts of Marychurch. His occupation interfering with his health, he set up in 1797 a bookseller's shop at Cowbridge, but found the confinement irksome, and took to land surveying instead. Flemingston, in the vale of Glamorgan, now became his home, and from this centre he made long expeditions, always on foot, in search of manuscripts bearing on Welsh history. ”

“ He lived sparely, dressed quaintly, and set no store by money. A keen opponent of slavery, he renounced some property left to him by slave-holding brothers in Jamaica, and in his Cowbridge shop advertised for sale ‘East India sugar, uncontaminated by human gore.’ He was a unitarian and in warm sympathy with the early revolutionary movement in France, and thus came into contact with Priestley, Gilbert Wakefield, and David Williams. ”

“ He and his three brothers, called ‘Brodyr Marchwiail,’ played prominent parts in the fourteenth-century movement for the revival of Welsh poetry. Madog, according to tradition, won the chair and the birchen wreath offered for the best love song in the third of the three ‘Eisteddfods of the Renaissance.’ He was the friend of Dafydd ap Gwilym, who playfully introduces him into one of his poems as the priest of his mock marriage with Morfudd (Barddoniaeth Dafydd ap Gwilym, Liverpool edition, p.94) . ”

“ Tradition, the only authority for his career, asserts that he was a Geraldine, of the Desmond branch of that family. On this assumption Sir William Betham, Ulster king of arms, thought he was in all probability a son of John FitzThomas, the first Geraldine lord of Decies and Desmond (d. 1261) . The circumstances of his settlement in Ardudwy (North-west Merionethshire) are unknown, though it may be conjectured that he was driven to seek a home in Wales by the temporary overthrow of the Geraldine influence in Desmond which followed the battle of Callan (1261) . ”

“ Dewi Wyn first became known to the Welsh public as a poet of promise in 1804. The Gwyneddigion Society of London, under the leadership of Dr. William Owen Pughe [q. v.] and Owen Jones (Owain Myfyr) , was endeavouring to revive the old bardic customs, and, among other enterprises, offered for several years an annual medal for the best poem on a given subject in the strict metres. The subject for 1803 was ‘The Memory of Goronwy Owain.’ Dewi Wyn competed, and was assigned the second place, Griffith Williams (Gutyn Peris) being declared the winner of the medal. ”

“ The king then flees with his wives to the west and there perishes miserably, consumed by fire from heaven.
The next to deal with the story of Vortigern was Geoffrey of Monmouth, who manipulates it with his customary skill. The British king is identified with the Gerontius who figures in the history of Britain about 409, and Bede's brief notice of this man is expanded into a narrative which tells how Vortigern, at first simple earl of Wessex (‘consul Gewisseorum’) , raises to the throne and then supplants Constans, once a monk and the son of Constantine of Brittany. ”

“ Like most of the men who took part in the early conflicts with the English, Urien became a hero of British tradition, and so shadowy is the part he and his family play in the mediæval poems and romances that Professor Rhys inclines to the view that the historical ‘Urbigena’ and a mythological ‘Urogenos’ have united to furnish the traits of the later ‘Urien’ (Arthurian Legend, pp. 242–3) . ”

“ OWEN, GORONWY or GRONOW (1723–1769?) , Welsh poet, son of Owen Goronwy, a tinker, and Jane Parry, his wife, was born on 1 Jan. 1723 in a small cottage at Rhos Fawr, in the parish of Llanfair Mathafarn Eithaf, Anglesey. His father, though not without talent, was idle and drunken, and it was only through the strenuous efforts of his mother, a woman of energy and character, that Owen obtained his early education. He first attended a school at Llanallgo, near his home, which has been supposed to be one of the many circulating schools established by Griffith Jones (1683–1761) [q. v.] ”

“ In the ‘Historia Britonum’ ascribed to Nennius there are, on the other hand, much legendary detail and an evident intention to represent Vortigern as the villain in the tragedy of British ruin. He receives the Saxons, who are exiles from their country, with favour, gives them Thanet to settle in, promises them food and clothes if they will fight his foes for him, and, when they are already a greater burden than the country can sustain, encourages them to bring over more of their kinsmen. ”

“ OWEN, DAVID (1794–1866) , Welsh journalist, best known as ‘Brutus,’ was born in 1794 at Llanpumsaint, near Carmarthen, where his father, Benjamin Owen (a shoemaker) , was parish clerk. His mother was a member of a baptist church. Though he was not sent from the district to school, he received a good education, including the elements of Latin. After a brief experience of medical studies he resolved to enter the baptist ministry. He joined the Baptist College at Bristol, but in a year the petty persecutions of his fellow-students, debt, and a roving spirit drove him back to Wales. ”

“ Unfortunatunely, he had no control over Owain's movements. Before the end of the year the fugative had returned, and, finding the new prince of Powys, Madog ap Rhiryd, at odds with the Normans, entered into an alliance with him, Henry set another ruler over Powys in the person of Iorwerth ap Bleddyn [q. v.] , whereupon Owain and Madog established themselves as freebooters, using Iorwerth's territory as a retreat. ”

“ Madog was prince of Powys during the reign of Stephen, the period during which the Welsh shook off the rigid control established by Henry I, and regained much which they had lost through the Norman conquest. ”

“ He received only an imperfect education, and was, at the age of eighteen, apprenticed to a shoemaker. According to his own account, he was a restless, idle youth, who, as he grew to manhood, spent his time in roving from place to place, no doubt earning a precarious livelihood as a cobbler. In the course of his wanderings he happened to hear Whitefield preach at Bristol, and this at once changed the current of his life. He joined the methodist society at Bradford, Wiltshire, and soon became one of the local preachers of the organisation, taking long journeys in discharge of his Sunday duties. ”

“ Being out of humour with the ‘Cymreigyddion’ or Welsh Language Society of Lleyn, he sent to ‘Seren Gomer,’ the leading Welsh magazine of the day, an article on ‘The Poverty of the Welsh Language,’ signed ‘Brutus, Lleyn.’ The ability of the article, which went to show that the Welsh had no literature worthy of mention, was at once recognised; it was answered by Gwallter Mechain and Carnhuanawc, and when Owen revealed himself as its author his reputation as a Welsh writer was established. Fame, however, did not bring him bread, and, under pressure of poverty, he falsely told Dr. ”

“ Owen bore a high character for temperance of life, generosity to the poor, and charity towards those who differed from him. He died on 15 March 1699–1700, in his sixty-first year, according to the inscription on his tombstone in Llanegryn churchyard. Of his children, John (d. 27 June 1700) succeeded him as minister at Bronclydwr; one daughter married Edward Kenrick of Wrexham (who succeeded his brother-in-law at Bronclydwr) , and another William Farmer of Whitley, Shropshire. ”

“ When the government resolved in 1822 to publish a uniform edition of the ancient historians of the country, the Welsh portion of the work was entrusted to John Humphreys Parry [q. v.] On Parry's death in 1825 his duties were transferred to Owen, who thus became the adviser of the Record Office upon all Welsh matters. His work falls mainly under two heads—the publication of the ancient Welsh laws, and the accumulation of material for an edition of the 'Chronicle of the v Princes.’ Both tasks were carried on concurrently during the period 1830–40 ”

“ OWEN, JOHN (1821–1883) , Welsh musician, known in Wales by his pseudonym of ‘Owain Alaw,’ was born in Crane Street, Chester, on 14 Nov. 1821. His father was the captain of a small vessel; both parents were natives of Llanfachreth, Merionethshire, but had settled in Chester shortly before his birth. Owen began life as apprentice to a firm of cutlers, Messrs. Powell & Edwards; but in 1844, having shown a conspicuous aptitude for music, he gave up business and became a professional musician. ”

“ Hywel, who succeeded him at Hengwrt and was sheriff of Merioneth in 1671–2 (Kalendars of Gwynedd) ; Ynyr, Hugh, and Gruffydd. It was in a later generation that the estates of Hengwrt and Nannau became united. Vaughan died on 16 May 1667, and was buried at Dolgelly. He was a diligent collector of Welsh manuscripts, and to his own collection at Hengwrt was added before his death that of John Jones of Gelli Lyfdy, near Caerwys, in virtue of an arrangement between the two that the survivor should become possessed of the manuscripts of both. ”