Born at S. Asaph, where he served as a schoolmaster. According to Josiah Thomas Jones in his Geiriadur Bywgraffyddol o Enwogion Cymru, he became a Methodist and lived for many years in Montgomeryshire, where he welcomed itinerant preachers to his house.
Two of his carols, a song against drunkenness and another against worldly desires, are printed in Cyfaill i'r Cymro, collected by William Hope of Mostyn, and published in Chester in 1765. NLW MS 843B , which was copied c. 1761, contains his sequence of englynion to the Deity. In 1784 appeared his translation of de Courcy's Letter of Advice …, in 1785 his translation of James Hervey's Meditations, and in 1792 of Theophilus Priestley's sermon on the death of Selina, countess of Huntingdon. In 1795 (?), at Chester, was printed A specimen of select pieces of the poems of Rees Prichard … Dictionary - like in Welch and English …, by Edward Barnes, Schoolmaster at Caerwys. The copy of this publication scheduled as NLW MS 1477B has the date altered in ink to 1797, and 'Caerwys' changed to 'St. Asaph.'
Published date: 1959
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
The Dictionary of Welsh Biography is provided by The National Library of Wales and the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies. It is free to use and does not receive grant support. A donation would help us maintain and improve the site so that we can continue to acknowledge Welsh men and women who have made notable contributions to life in Wales and beyond.
Find out more on our sponsorship page.