GRIFFITH, WILLIAM (1719 - 1782), farmer

of Drws-y-coed Uchaf, at the head of Nantlle Vale, from 1744 till his death; known to Goronwy Owen, to Margaret Davies, of Coedcae-du, and to David Thomas (Dafydd Ddu Eryri as a man of literary tastes, is also noteworthy because his house was the centre of the Moravian mission in Northwest Wales from 1768 to 1776 - see under David Williams (1702 - 1779), David Mathias, and John Morgan (1743 - 1801). This was due less directly to Griffith than to his wife ALICE (1730 - 1808), daughter of Rhys Ellis of Tyddyn Mawr, Llanfihangel-y-pennant, Caernarfonshire (another literary family), whom he married 16 November 1753. Griffith died 20 April 1782; his widow died 6 March 1808; both were buried at Beddgelert. They had a son (who emigrated to U.S.A.) and eight daughters; five of these became active Moravian workers at Dublin or at Bristol, while another was the mother of Alicia Evans, who married William Griffith of Holyhead (1801 - 1881). William Griffith of Drws-y-coed had a sister, Jane, whose daughter Janet married John Griffith (1752 - 1818) - William Griffith of Holyhead and his wife Alicia (parents of Sir John Purser Griffith) were thus second cousins. Alice Griffith of Drws-y-coed, again, had a sister, Margaret (Price), of Glyn, Talsarnau, one of whose daughters became a Moravian worker at Dublin, Bristol, Bedford, and London.

Author

• Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, (1881 - 1969)

Sources

• Y Cymmrodor, xlv, 1938, and references therein

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20734620

Published date: 1959

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