ROBERTS, WILLIAM HENRY (1907-1982), actor, broadcaster

Born 21 February 1907 at Brynteg, Llanfaethlu, Anglesey, the son of Henry Roberts and his wife, Marged (Jones). He received his early education at Ffrwdwin school, Llanfaethlu, but the family moved to Plas Llandrygarn and then to Llwyn Ednyfed, Llangefni and ' W.H. ', as he was popularly known, attended Llangefni County School in 1921 and then Bangor Normal College, 1926-28. He was appointed teacher at Newborough school in 1931 where he spent the rest of his life, as teacher and then headmaster of the school.

Broadcasting in Welsh began from Bryn Meirion Bangor in 1935 and W. H. Roberts took part in very many feature programmes produced by Sam Jones , Ifan O. Williams, Dafydd Gruffydd and John Gwilym Jones. He won the champion elocution prize at the Cardiff National Eisteddfod in 1937 and also took part in plays broadcast from Cardiff, sometimes under the direction of T. Rowland Hughes and including some by Saunders Lewis , 'Amlyn ac Amig' (with Hugh Griffith), 'Buchedd Garmon'. He served in the army during World War II and went to India, to Calcutta and Mysore, in 1942. He resumed his career on his return to Newborough and became well known as an elocution adjudicator. He was honoured with the white robe by the gorsedd of bards in Caernarfon in 1959. He published his reminiscences (with a photograph), Aroglau gwair, in 1981; his lecture, with casette, 'Iaith lafar Mon' was published in 1984.

He married Margaret Elisabeth Evans of Newbrorough in August 1937 and they had two sons. He died at his home in Dwyran, Anglesey 6 April 1982 and he was buried in Ebeneser chapel cemetery, Newborough 17 April 1982.

Author

• Owen D. Roberts

Sources

• Personal knowledge

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20734630

Published date: 2008-08-01

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