GRIFFITH, EDWARD (1832 - 1918), antiquary
Date of birth: 1832
Date of death: 1918
Parent: Lowrie Griffith
Parent: David Griffith
Gender: Male
Occupation: antiquary
Area of activity: History and Culture; Scholarship and Languages
Author: Walter Thomas Morgan
Born at Barmouth 2 January 1832, son of David and Lowrie Griffith. His parents soon moved to Dolgelley to keep first the 'Crown' and then the 'Angel' inns. He had very little schooling, but learnt much in the two or three years he attended the British School, Dolgelley, where the headmaster was Daniel Evans, who had been promoted to the post when the school opened in 1840. At Dolgelley he established a prosperous business as a draper, from which he was able to retire in 1875. Although he had little formal education in his youth, he became a local historian of note. He wrote a series of articles to the Geninen (vii, viii, ix) on the history of the Quakers in Merioneth, and he was recognized as an authority on the subject. He also wrote to the same journal a series of reminiscences, giving an account of his early life together with genealogical lore and interesting sidelights on the social history of the times. Many of his manuscripts are to be found in the National Library of Wales, including his collection of manuscripts belonging to Evan Jones (Ieuan Gwynedd), David Richards (Dafydd Ionawr), and Robert Oliver Rees - see N.L.W. Handlist of MSS., i, 232-41. He took a prominent part in the public life of Merioneth. He had been chairman of the Dolgelley board of guardians and of the county council. He was appointed J.P. in 1880 and at the time of his death he was the chairman of the bench at Dolgelley. He did much to promote elementary and intermediate education and was chairman of the board of governors of Dr. Williams's school, Dolgelley. He was a prominent elder among the Calvinistic Methodists and was elected to many offices in the connexion. He died 12 April 1918 at Dolgelley and was buried in the burial-ground of Salem chapel in that town.
Author
- Walter Thomas Morgan, (1912 - 1990)
- Y Seren, 20 April 1918
- Y Goleuad, 19 April 1918
- Y Geninen, xxviii, 43-6, 89-94, xxx, 128-31, 182-5
- Bishop's transcripts, parish of Llanaber, in N.L.W.
Sources
- Wikidata: Q20732940
Additional Links
Published date: 1959
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-RUU/1.0/
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