JONES, WILLIAM (Bleddyn; 1829? - 1903), antiquary, local historian, geologist, and collector of folk-lore

Born at Beddgelert, 1829, son of John Jones, sexton (who is referred to in Charles Kingsley, Two Years Ago) and Catrin Williams. He was apprenticed to a tailor at Caernarvon in 1841, but apart from a brief spell at Portmadoc he spent his life in business at Llangollen, and died there 30 January 1903.

He shared the prize with Owen Wynne Jones (Glasynys) for an essay on the antiquities of the parish of Beddgelert at an eisteddfod there in 1860, and it was this essay and other materials collected by him which formed the basis of Bedd Gelert, 1899, by D. E. Jenkins. He was also successful in essay competitions on Conway and its neighbourhood, at the Conway national eisteddfod in 1861, and on the history of Eifionydd, at the Madoc eisteddfod in 1872. His essay on the geology of Caernarvonshire, at the Caernarvon national eisteddfod in 1862, which won much praise, was published in Y Brython, 1862, 75-93, and reprinted under the title of Llawlyfr ar Ddaiareg Sir Gaernarfon, 1863.

He collected much of the materials of his uncle John Thomas (Siôn Wyn o Eifion, 1786 - 1859), which were published in Gwaith Barddonol Sion Wyn o Eifion , 1861. Autograph letters from him, essays by him on folk-lore, and collections of poetry transcribed by him, are preserved in NLW MS 568B , NLW MS 666C , NLW MS 668C , NLW MS 670D , NLW MS 671D , NLW MS 673D , NLW MS 4253B , NLW MS 12734E , NLW MS 12735E .

Author

• Benjamin George Owens

Sources

• Y Geninen, 1910
• Y Cymmrodor, v et seq.
• D. E. Jenkins, Bedd Gelert, its facts, fairies, and folk-lore (Porthmadog 1899) (preface)
• The Llangollen Advertiser, 6 February 1903
• Llangollen parish register

Works

• John Thomas, William Jones, Gwaith barddonol Siôn Wyn o Eifion sef, J. Thomas, Chwilog; yng nghyd a chofiant o fywyd yr awdwr (Tremadog 1861)

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20734667

Published date: 1959

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