JONES, JOHN ROBERT (Alltud Glyn Maelor; 1800 - 1881), poet and hymn-writer
Pseudonym: Alltud Glyn Maelor
Date of birth: 1800
Date of death: 1881
Child: J.R. Jones
Child: William Jones
Gender: Male
Occupation: poet and hymn-writer
Area of activity: Poetry; Religion
Author: Robert Thomas Jenkins
Born at Llanarmon-yn-Iâl in 1800, a kinsman of Ehedydd Iâl (William Jones, 1815 - 1899), and by trade, almost throughout his life, a shoemaker. After his marriage (of which six sons were born), he lived at Cefn Mawr; in 1827 he joined the Baptists. In 1834 he moved to Brymbo, where he spent the rest of his days; a Baptist congregation was incorporated at his house in 1836, and it was for that occasion that he wrote the most famous of his hymns. His health and circumstances deteriorated in his last years, but he was given light employment in the Brymbo iron-works. He died 11 May 1881.
He wrote a good deal for denominational periodicals, and two books of his were published, Y Fodrwy Arian, 1877, and Y Rhosyn Diweddaf, 1889 (posthumously). There are also elegies by him on Christmas Evans and on John Williams (1806 - 1856), besides many carols and a great quantity of light verse on humorous subjects. He had the quaint habit of publishing his hymns in the form of printed cards, which he sold for a penny or two.
One of his sons was William Jones (1834 - 1895) of Fishguard.
Author
- Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, (1881 - 1969)
- E. K. Jones in Trafodion Cymdeithas Hanes Bedyddwyr Cymru, 1942, 33-44
Sources
Published date: 1959
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
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