ROBERTS, DAVID (Dewi Havhesp; 1831 - 1884), poet
Pseudonym: Dewi Havhesp
Date of birth: 1831
Date of death: 1884
Parent: Margaret Roberts
Parent: Robert Roberts
Gender: Male
Occupation: poet
Area of activity: Poetry
Author: Robert Thomas Jenkins
Born in May 1831 at Penrhos, but the family removed in a few weeks to Pen'singrug, Llanfor, Meironnydd - the stream after which he took his bardic name flows through Llanfor hamlet. He was the eldest of the eleven children of Robert and Margaret Roberts; the mother was grand-daughter of the hymnist William Edwards (1773 - 1853), and was thus related to the poet Robert William(s) (1744 - 1815) of Pandy. Dewi was a tailor; his life was irregular and he was often destitute. He lived for a while at Cefnddwysarn, but afterwards mostly at Llandderfel; he died in the workhouse at Bala, 27 August 1884, and was buried at Llandderfel. He published, in 1876, a small volume, Oriau'r Awen, which has run into three editions - the last in 1927. Very competent judges have deemed him one of the best composers of englynion.
Author
- Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, (1881 - 1969)
- The prefaces to the various editions of his book
- Robert David Rowland, 'Dewi Havhesp', Y Geninen, March 1896, 52
- Details furnished by Mr. Evan Roberts, Llandderfel
Sources
- Wikipedia Article: David Roberts
Further Reading
Published date: 1959
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
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