PRICE, THOMAS WALTER (Cuhelyn; 1829 - 1869), journalist and poet

Name: Thomas Walter Price
Pseudonym: Cuhelyn
Date of birth: 1829
Date of death: 1869
Gender: Male
Occupation: journalist and poet
Area of activity: Literature and Writing; Poetry; Printing and Publishing
Author: Robert (Bob) Owen

Born 23 December 1829 in Glamorgan. After emigrating to the U.S.A., he spent some time in Minersville, Pa. He also spent some time in California during a ' gold rush ' period and whilst here he was bardic teacher to Taliesin Evans (Tal o Eifion), some poems by whom he sent over to Wales to his friend John Jones (Talhaiarn). He came to Wales in 1855, but was back in 1856, in which year he and L. W. Lewis (Llew Llwyfo) entertained large numbers of Welsh-Americans, Cuhelyn lecturing on some Welsh poets and Llew Llwyfo singing Welsh airs. It was as a journalist, however, that Cuhelyn came to be known in America. He was editor of Y Gwron Democrataidd (1856), a journal started in New York for the benefit of Welsh-American democrats. (There was a dispute between this paper and Y Drych because the Gwron stated that Y Drych favoured the slave trade). On 10 January 1857 Cuhelyn started Y Bardd Newydd Wythnosol (New York) to which many Welsh writers were correspondents - Eben Fardd, Thomas Stephens (Merthyr Tydfil), Talhaiarn, Cynddelw, Llawdden, Dewi Wyn o Esyllt, Islwyn, Aneurin Fardd, Nathan Dyfed, Nefydd, Eiddil Ifor, Gwilym Teilo, etc. An account of the life of Dafydd ap Gwilym and some of his poems were published in this journal. In 1857 he is found as owner of the Minersville Bulletin; he also edited The Workman's Advocate. When John Jones, Llangollen, religious controversialist (1801 - 1856) died, Cuhelyn defended his memory against attacks made upon him in the press. He was editor of Y Ford Gron in 1867. Many of his englynion were printed in Welsh-American journals. He died 12 May 1869, in New York.

Author

Robert (Bob) Owen, (1885 - 1962)

Sources

Y Drych, 5 April, 18 October, 20 December, 1856, and 21 and 28 March and 25 April 1857
H. B. Thomas, Hanes Cymry America (1872), 42
David Hughes, Welsh People of California, 1849-1906 (San Francisco 1923), 35, 73

Additional Links

Wikidata: Q28361353

Published date: 1959

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

Corrections

PRICE, THOMAS WALTER (alias THOMAS GWALLTER; ' Cuhelyn').

Price was in California by 1858 and moved to Victoria, Vancouver Island, beginning of 1859 leaving his wife to sell the business. After another period in California in 1860 he and his wife arrived in Cariboo, about 300 miles north of Vancouver, in 1862 (he taught ' Tal o Eifion ' the rudiments of poetry there in 1863) and returned to the east in 1865. He died 13 May 1870 (Y Drych, 26 May 1870, 11 August 1870). See Alan Conway, ' Welsh miners in British Columbia ', British Columbia Historical Quarterly, 1957-58, 51-74.

Author

Gwilym Ivor Lumley

Published date: 1997

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