JONES, JOHN (Idris Fychan; 1825 - 1887), shoemaker and harpist

Born at Dolgelley, a member of the same family as Ellis Roberts (Eos Meirion), harpist to the Prince of Wales. His mother was considered a good singer with the harp. He went to London in 1851 but moved to Manchester in 1857. Besides being considered the best singer with the harp in his day, he was also accounted a good poet. He was awarded the prize at the Rhuddlan eisteddfod of 1850 for an essay (in Welsh) on 'Singing with the harp' and at the Chester eisteddfod of 1866 for an essay (also in Welsh) on ' The history and antiquity of singing to the accompaniment of the harp '; for the latter see the Transactions of the Hon. Society of Cymmrodorion, 1885. He bought at a Manchester secondhand store in 1879 (fifty years after the death of its owner) a harp which had belonged to Edward Jones (Bardd y Brenin), which had on it a brass plate with the following inscription: 'Edward Jones Henblas Llandderfel 1765.' This is now in the National Library of Wales. He died 3 November 1887 and was buried in Ardwick cemetery.

Author

• Robert David Griffith, (1877 - 1958)

Sources

• M. O. Jones, Bywgraffiaeth Cerddorion Cymreig (1890)
• Nicholas Bennett, Alawon fy Ngwlad (1896)
• R. Griffith, Llyfr Cerdd Dannau (Caernarfon 1913)
• J. Lloyd Williams, Y tri thelynor arloeswyr cerddorol Cymru yn y ddeunawfed ganrif (1945)

Further Reading

• Ionawryn Williams, Geiriadur Bywgraffiadol, yn cynnwys Byr-hanes y Cymry mwyaf adnabyddus fuont yn preswylio yn Manceinion (1896)

Images

• NLW: John Jones (Idris Fychan)

Additional Links

• VIAF: 316032726
• Wikidata: Q20256068

Published date: 1959

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