LLOYD, OWEN MORGAN ('O.M.') (1910 - 1980), minister and poet
Date of birth: 1910
Date of death: 1980
Gender: Male
Occupation: minister and poet
Area of activity: Religion; Poetry
Author: Dafydd Johnston
O. M. Lloyd was born on 14 February 1910 in Blaenau Ffestiniog, the son of Hugh Lloyd (1874-1947), a librarian, and his wife Sarah Ann (née Morgans, 1875-1952). Hugh Lloyd was a former quarryman who educated himself by reading and participation in the religious and eisteddfodic culture of the period to such a level that he was appointed Librarian of Blaenau Ffestiniog and moved his family to the Library building. He was also a member of Gorsedd y Beirdd under the bardic name Dyfrdwy. It was no surprise, therefore, that his son developed a love of books and literature, particularly poetry, mastering the art of cynghanedd in his teens. The family were faithful and active members of Jerusalem Independent church, and after leaving Ffestiniog County School O. M. Lloyd went to Bala-Bangor College to train for the ministry. He contributed to the social and cultural life of the University College of North Wales, including sports, and won the chairs of the Bangor Students Eisteddfod and the Inter-collegiate Eisteddfod. Whilst a student he met Gwyneth Jones (1912-2000 from Llanrug and they married in 1938. They had three children, Gwyn, Rhys and Nest.
In 1935 O. M. Lloyd was ordained minister of Independent chapels at Rhoslan and Llanystumdwy, and during his 44 years in the ministry he spent periods at Soar, Nefyn; Mynydd-bach, Swansea; Tabernacl, Holyhead; Tabernacl and Islawrdref, Dolgellau. A very popular preacher, he received invitations to hold services in all parts of Wales. He lectured to cultural societies and evening classes, judged literature and recital at eisteddfodau, and was also an active campaigner for peace, Welsh nationalism and the Welsh language. In Swansea he edited the magazine Y Llanw and in Dolgellau he contributed a weekly column over many years to the local paper Y Dydd.
He won numerous prizes in the Poetry Section of the National Eisteddfod for sonnets, cywyddau, englynion and a translation from the Latin in cynghanedd. He frequently judged competitions at the national festival and is remembered as the witty adjudicator of 'Ymryson y Beirdd' in the literature tent. He was honoured with the White Robe of the Gorsedd as Ap Dyfrdwy, and won chairs in Eisteddfod Tref Caernarfon (1937), Eisteddfod Môn (1953 and 1954), and Eisteddfod Powys (1958).
In 1978, when he retired from the ministry, Cymdeithas Barddas presented him with a small volume of his work entitled O Em i Em. And in 1981 Cymdeithas Barddas published a selection of his poetry, Barddoniaeth O. M. Lloyd. In 1997 Gwasg Y Dydd published O Gader Idris - a selection of his columns from Y Dydd. Six of his hymns are included in Caneuon Ffydd.
O. M. Lloyd died on 1 February 1980 in the Caernarfonshire and Anglesey Infirmary, Bangor.
Author
- Dafydd Johnston
- Information from his children, Gwyn, Rhys and Nest
Sources
Published date: 2021-09-03
Article Copyright: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
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