ASHTON, CHARLES (1848 - 1899), Welsh bibliographer and literary historian

Born at Ty'nsarn, Llawr-y-glyn, Montgomeryshire, 4 September 1848, the son of Elizabeth Ashton. When he was about 9 years old he began to receive instruction from one John Jones who kept school for three months at a time in the local Wesleyan and Calvinistic Methodist chapels. At the age of 12 Ashton went to work in the lead mines of Dylife, an occupation which he soon found uncongenial. Leaving home soon afterwards he found employment for some time at Chester, where the Grosvenor Park was then being laid out. Later he became a railway porter, serving in that capacity at Crudgington, Llandderfel, and Bala. In 1869 he joined the Merioneth constabulary, being stationed at Trawsfynydd, then at Corris, at Barmouth in 1878 with the rank of sergeant, and, finally at Dinas Mawddwy, where he had to revert to the rank of constable. He retired from the police force in 1895 on pension, supplemented by grants from the Royal Bounty Fund and the Civil List. He died by his own hand at Dinas Mawddwy, 13 October 1899.

Ashton had attended evening classes at Machynlleth and passed some of the South Kensington Science and Art examinations. He was a notable example of the kind of Welshman who himself profited intellectually and at the same time benefited his countrymen, because the National Eisteddfod Association provided him with subjects and an incentive for research. His chief eisteddfodic successes were: Caernarvon (1886), an essay on 'Cyfreithiau Hywel Dda'; London (1887), an essay on the history of the Act of Union between England and Wales, 1536; Wrexham (1888), an essay on 'Gorsedd Beirdd Ynys Prydain'; Bangor (1890), an essay on 'Bywyd Gwledig yng Nghymru …'; Swansea (1891), Hanes Llenyddiaeth Gymreig o 1651 hyd 1850 , this work being published by the National Eisteddfod Association in 1893; Rhyl (1892), 'Llyfryddiaeth Cymreig y Bedwaredd-Ganrif-ar-Bymtheg,' a portion of this work, covering the years 1801 to 1810, being published by the National Eisteddfod Association in 1908; Chicago (1893), an essay on 'Y Beirdd Cymreig o William Llŷn hyd at Gwilym Hiraethog'; Caernarvon (1894), Gwaith Iolo Goch (published by the National Eisteddfod Association, 1896).

Ashton also published Traethawd or Ffeiriau Cymru (Llanelli, 1881), Bywyd ac Amserau'r Esgob Morgan (Treherbert, 1891), A Guide to Dinas Mawddwy (Aberystwyth, 1893), and a Welsh translation, entitled Y Ddirprwyaeth Dirol Gymreig. Crynhodeb o Dystiolaeth (Dolgellau, 1895), i.e. the evidence given by Edward Davies, Llandinam, before the Welsh Land Commission.

Author

• Sir William Llewelyn Davies, (1887 - 1952)

Sources

• Evan Davies, Trefriw, in Y Geninen, 1900
• Bye-Gones, relating to Wales and the Border Counties, 1899
• Cymru (O.M.E.), xvii
• Y Drych, 1899, 1900
• Young Wales: a national magazine for Wales, 1899
• NLW MS 2134E; NLW MS 3291E; NLW MS 3293E; NLW MS 4939C; NLW MS 5776E; NLW MS 5960C; NLW MS 6023E; NLW MS 7551B; NLW MS 7556B; NLW MSS 9334-9342D; NLW MS 9343E; NLW MS 9344D; NLW MS 14654B; NLW MS 14694F

Further Reading

• T. Morgan, Enwogion Cymreig 1700-1900 (1907), pp.13-14
• Wikipedia Article: Charles Ashton

Images

• People's Collection Wales: Constable Charles Ashton, Merionethshire Constabulary

Additional Links

• VIAF: 92240630
• Wikidata: Q3402590

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-RUU/1.0/