JONES, PETER (Pedr Fardd; 1775 - 1845), poet and hymnist

Born 17 September 1775, son of William Jones, a weaver (or tailor) and country bard, Brynengan, Dolbenmaen, Caernarfonshire. He followed his father's trade, but removed while young to Liverpool, where, it is said, he spent some years as schoolmaster, and where he spent the rest of his life. A Calvinistic Methodist, he was elder of the old Pall Mall chapel for many years.

As a boy he showed poetic aptitude, and mastered the rules of cynghanedd; later, many young Welsh bards sought guidance from him. He was successful as an eisteddfod poet; for example, his ' Gwaredigaeth Israel a Dymchweliad yr Aiphtiaid yn y Môr Coch ' was successful at the Brecon eisteddfod of 1822. In 1826 he won the bardic chair at the Gwent and Morgannwg eisteddfod, held at Brecon, for his awdl ' Rhoddiad y Ddeddf ar Fynydd Sinai '. Apparently his last competitive poem was the awdl ' Cystuddiau, Amynedd, ac Adferiad Job ' which was unsuccessful in the Liverpool eisteddfod of 1840 (Eben Fardd being the winning poet). His published works include Mel Awen (1823), a volume of poetry; a volume of hymns, some of which have since become very well-known; an account of the Association held at Bala in 1820; and a translation entitled ' Manteision ac Anfanteision Ystad Priodas.' He was a contributor to periodicals such as Seren Gomer and Goleuad Gwynedd.

He died at Liverpool, 26 January 1845, and was buried in the churchyard of S. Paul's there; David James (1803 - 1871) officiated at the funeral.

In J. H. Morris, Hanes Methodistiaeth Liverpool, i, 119-24, there are fuller details of Peter Jones's somewhat troubled career at Liverpool.

Author

• Ray Looker

Sources

• Peter Jones, Awdl ar Gystuddiau, Amynedd ac Adferiad Job (Chester 1841) (2nd ed.)
• Peter Jones, Awdl ar Roddiad y Ddeddf ar Fynydd Sinai testun y gadair yn Eisteddfod Aberhonddu yn y flwyddyn MDCCCXXVI (Liverpool 1826)
• Peter Jones, Catecism Ysgrythyrol, ar ddull corph o Dduwinyddiaeth (Caerleon c.1823)
• Peter Jones, Crynodeb o hanes y gymdeithasfa a gynnaliwyd yn y Bala, y 13 a'r 14 o fis Mehefin, yn y flwyddyn 1820 (Liverpool 1820)
• Peter Jones, Duw yn Amddiffynfa i'w Bobl can newydd ar hen fesur (Liverpool 1833) (2nd ed.)
• Peter Jones, Crynoad o Hymnau sef cydymmaith i'r Ysgol Sabbothol; yn dair ran. I. Hymnau ar amrywiol destunau. II. Hymnau ar bennodau yr hyfforddwr, sef catecism y parch. T. Charles. III. Hymnau cenadol (Liverpool 1830)
• Peter Jones, Hymnau i'w canu yn y Gymdeithasfa, a gynnelir ar Sul y Pasg, Ebrill 2, 1820, gan Ysgolion Sabbothol y Trefnyddion Calfinaidd, yn Lerpwl (Liverpool 1820)
• Peter Jones, Hymnau Newyddion (Liverpool 1825)
• Peter Jones, Manteision ac anfanteision ystad priodas, yn ôl fel yr elir iddi gyda phersonau crefyddol neu anghrefyddol wedi eu gosod allan dan gyffelybiaeth breuddwyd; gydag attodiad, yn yr hwn yr ystyrir y pwngc y'mhellach ac y cadarnheir y rhesymau trwy brofion o hen hanesion Iuddewig (Liverpool 1819)
• Peter Jones, Mel Awen sef gwaith awenyddawl Peter Jones o Llynlleifiad neu Pedr Fardd; yn cynnwys awdlau, englynion, chywyddau, ar amrywiol destunau (Liverpool 1823)
• Y Geninen, 1886, 65
• Y Traethodydd, 1854 (257), 1900 (278)
• Transactions of the Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales, Liverpool, 1884 (Liverpool 1885), 592
• T. R. Roberts, Eminent Welshmen: a short biographical dictionary of Welshmen... from the earliest times to the present (1908)
• Hanes llenyddiaeth Gymreig o 1651 O.C. hyd 1850 (1893)
• H. Blackwell, NLW MSS 9251-9277A: A Dictionary of Welsh Biography
• Geirlyfr Bywgraffiadol o Enwogion Cymru (1870)
• Josiah Thomas Jones, Geiriadur Bywgraffyddol o Enwogion Cymru (Aberdâr 1867-70), i, 632
• Notable Welshmen (1700–1900) (1908)
• J. Jones ('Myrddin Fardd'), Enwogion Sir Gaernarfon (1922)

Additional Links

• VIAF: 76085446
• Wikidata: Q13130737

Published date: 1959

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