JONES, HUGH ROBERT (1894 - 1930), founder of the Welsh Nationalist party

Born 3 June 1894 at Deiniolen, Caernarfonshire, son of Robert Hugh Jones and Ellen his wife, the former descended from the old Bodnithoedd family and the latter from the family which produced John Elias and Ieuan o Leyn. When be was 3 years old he went to the boys' school Clwt-y-bont, where he remained until he was 13. Thence he went to the quarry to follow his father's calling, receiving a quarryman's lunch-time education, reading many books, gleaning thoroughly in the Geninen, Cymru (O.M.E.), and Welsh Outlook, and generally educating himself. His main interest lay in the history of the smaller countries, particularly of Ireland. He devoted himself whole-heartedly to all the activities of the Independent church, and established the first branch of ' Urdd Gobaith Cymru ' in the village. The state of his health compelled him to leave the quarry in the course of the 1914-18 war, and he found work at Liverpool in the firm of Morris and Jones. After a time he returned home to take up an appointment as secretary of the Co-operative Society in his village, pending his appointment as clerk in the Society's head office at Manchester. He returned home a second time and became a commercial traveller for a Liverpool firm. From this time on he travelled up and down the country, sowing and spreading the views which had captured his mind. In September 1921 he formed the association called the ' Home Rule army ' which, in November 1924, developed into the Welsh Nationalist Party, of which he was the first organizer (1926-30). He also started and founded Y Ddraig Goch. He died 17 June 1930.

Author

• William Ambrose Bebb, (1895 - 1955)

Sources

• Personal acquaintance
• details from the family

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: Huw Robert Jones

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q16030060

Published date: 1959

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