JONES, JOHN (1772 - 1837), barrister, translator, and historian
Date of birth: 1772
Date of death: 1837
Gender: Male
Occupation: barrister, translator, and historian
Area of activity: History and Culture; Law; Literature and Writing; Scholarship and Languages
Author: Ray Looker
Born at Derwydd, near Llandebie, Carmarthenshire, 17 August 1772. Little is known of his early years; it is said that although his early education was scanty, he became well read in the classics. He was for some time a master at Wimbledon, having (Sir) Robert Peel as one of his pupils. Later he studied in Germany, subsequently receiving the degree of LL.D. at Jena University. After returning to England he applied himself to law; he was called to the Bar and went on the Oxford and South Wales circuits. For a time he was very successful but, when pleading the case of a certain poor client, he made reflections which gave great offence to the legal profession. As a result he ended his days a briefless barrister, and died in straitened circumstances at S. James' Street, Islington, 28 September 1837.
Jones was a good Greek scholar; he was well read in the manuscript records of Britain and other countries, but his strong prejudices often perverted his judgements as a historian. His published works include: (a) Translation from the Danish of Dr. Bugge's Travels in the French Republic, 1801; (b) Y Cyfammod Newydd, yn cynnwys cyfieithiad cyffredinol y Pedair Efengyl …, 1812, sometimes erroneously attributed to the Rev. J. Jones, (1766? - 1827); (c) De Libellis Famosis; or the Law of Libel, 1812; (d) History of Wales, 1824 - a revised copy of the History was found among his papers after his death. He also left in manuscript form a work on ' The Worthies of Wales … from Cassivellaunus to the present time.' A letter by him on Madog, the alleged Welsh discoverer of America, appeared in the Monthly Magazine in 1819.
Author
- Ray Looker
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- Robert Williams, Enwogion Cymru. A Biographical Dictionary of Eminent Welshmen (1852)
- The Gentleman's Magazine, 1837, ii, 323
- Notable Welshmen (1700–1900) (1908)
- T. R. Roberts, Eminent Welshmen: a short biographical dictionary of Welshmen... from the earliest times to the present (1908)
- Josiah Thomas Jones, Geiriadur Bywgraffyddol o Enwogion Cymru (Aberdâr 1867-70), ii, 89
- Y Cymmrodor, 1951, 95-6
Sources
- Wikidata: Q20738106
Additional Links
Published date: 1959
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-RUU/1.0/
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