THOMAS, EDWARD WILLIAM (1814 - 1892), musician

Born 29 January 1814 in London. His father, a native of Llandwrog, Caernarfonshire, was a good musician and could play the violin. In 1820 the family moved to Glynllifon, Caernarfonshire, the seat of lord Newborough, to whom the father became agent. When he was eight E. W. Thomas went with a sister to live at Oxford with a relative. He was sent to the Royal Academy of Music where he studied under Moira and Spagnolette. He settled in London as a teacher of the violin and as a member of the Royal Italian Opera. He afterwards became leader of the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, a position which he held for thirty-four years; he was also, for five years, leader of the Leicester Opera House Orchestra. He took part in national eisteddfodau held at Llandudno 1864, Rhyl 1865, Chester 1866, Pwllheli 1875, and Liverpool 1885. He composed many pieces for the violin, one violin concerto by him being dedicated to Joseph Joachim. His ' Can Bugail Morgannwg ' appeared in Greal y Corau, May 1861. Towards the end of his life he resided at the Dinas Dinlle Hotel, near Caernarvon, and it was there that he died on 4 October 1892; he was buried in Llandwrog churchyard.

Author

• Robert David Griffith, (1877 - 1958)

Sources

• M. O. Jones, Bywgraffiaeth Cerddorion Cymreig (1890)
• Y Cerddor, December 1892, August and November 1904

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20804696

Published date: 1959

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