Dictionary of Welsh Biography

ABEL, JOHN (1770 - 1819), Welsh Independent minister Born in Llanybri, Carmarthenshire, 1770, son of William Abel, one of the founders of Capel Newydd in that village. It is said that he attended the Carmarthen Academy but this establishment was in Swansea at that time. In 1794 he succeeded David Davies (died 1807) as minister of the small congregation at Capel Sul, Kidwelly and he also kept a school. John Abel was not orthodox, according to the
ABEL, SIÔN (fl. 18th century), Montgomeryshire ballad-writer Humphrey Jones of Castle Caereinion (born 1719), which contains, together with other matter, a number of songs by poets of the Meifod and Caereinion districts. The song already mentioned bears the title ' A Christmas Carol, 1783, o waith fy hen feistr,' and it is followed by the note: 'Yr hen Siôn Abel a'i canodd' ('by old Siôn Abel'). It may be presumed that Siôn Abel, the master, did not dwell far from
ABLETT, NOAH (1883 - 1935), miner and Trade Union leader Miners' Agent at Merthyr Tydfil, a post he held until his death. Ablett's importance in the history of Trade Unionism in South Wales is twofold: he was one of the leaders of the opposition to the older miners' leaders like William Abraham (Mabon), and he became a propagandist for Syndicalist and Marxist ideas among the miners. Others had opposed Mabon before Ablett, and as a result had organised one
ABRAHAM, WILLIAM (Mabon; 1842 - 1922), M.P. and first president of the South Wales Miners' Federation
ADAMS, ROGER (d. 1741), bookseller and printer at Chester and Display of Herauldry. His widow, ELIZABETH ADAMS, who printed D. Jones, Cydymaith Diddan, in 1766, also printed a large number of ballads, particularly in 1752 and 1753.
ADAMS, WILLIAM (1813 - 1886), mining expert Born at Pen-y-cae, Ebbw Vale, 10 October 1813, son of John and Mary Adams. The father was a working collier at the time but a man of remarkable skill in that vocation; later he became mineral agent for Charles Lloyd Harford & Co. William was educated at Cowbridge Grammar School. In May 1828 he was apprenticed to Charles Lloyd Harford and in the course of time he became expert in his own branch
ADDA FRAS (1240? - 1320?), poet and writer of prophecies According to John Davies and Thomas Stephens, he flourished about 1240. He is referred to in Peniarth MS 94 (26) and Llanstephan MS. 119 (82), as living about 1038, and contemporary with Goronwy Ddu o Fôn. But in G. P. Jones, Anglesey Court Rolls, 1346, 37, 39, mention is made of 'the son of Adda Fras ' and 'the suit of Goronwy Ddu, attorney for the community of the township of Porthgir.' In
ADDA JONES - see EVANS, JOHN
ALBAN, Sir FREDERICK JOHN (1882 - 1965), chartered accountant and administrator the gold medal of the Society of Incorporated Accountants and Auditors. He was also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. For two years he was accountant to the United Water Board of Pontypridd and Rhondda, when he came to the notice of Thomas Jones (1870 - 1955) who saw in him the making of a deputy accountant for the Welsh National Insurance Commission, a post which he held from 1912
ALEN, RHISIART ap RHISIART, author of 'Carol ymddiddan ag un marw ynghylch Purdan' The carol can be found in NLW MS 1559B, pp.313-5, written early in the 17th century by William Bodwrda of Aberdaron. The date of composition of this carol may, however, be considerably earlier than the manuscript, particularly as the existence of purgatory is taken for granted as an unquestioned fact. Most of the poems in the collection are by poets from Llyn, and this would suggest that the
ALICE verch Griffith ap Ieuan ap Llywelyn Fychan (fl. 1540-1570), a poetess ), registrar of St Asaph, Thomas Lloyd of Vaynol (died 1602), William Lloyd, M.A., rector of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and Llanfechain, 1590-1600, and Llanwrin, and canon of St Asaph cathedral, 1587-1600, and Edward Lloyd (died 1639), proctor of St Asaph. Little has been preserved of her bardic compositions - englynion on the type of husband she desired and on her views on her father's second marriage in old
ALLGOOD family came over from Usk. The establishment in Lower Crane Street (formerly Japan Street) combined the sale of japan-work with ironmongery and chandlery. Mary I died 21 August 1822; with her the story of Pontypool japanning practically ends, for her son WILLIAM ALLGOOD II became a grocer and emigrated to America. Mary II married Thomas Jones, a medical man. To turn to the Usk japannery, established by

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