Dictionary of Welsh Biography

DONNELLY, DESMOND LOUIS (1920 - 1974), politician and writer of 17 he set up the 'British Empire Cricket XI' which continued through the war years and established an excellent standard of cricket, and raised funds for the Duke of Gloucester's Red Cross and the St John fund. He first joined the Labour Party in 1936. At the outbreak of World War II Donnelly joined the Royal Air Force and served with the rank of flying-officer (Bomber Command) and later in
DOWNMAN, JOHN (1749 - 1824), painter . He died 24 December 1824, aged 74, at Wrexham. Editorial note 2023: John Downman is now known to have been born in Eynesbury, Huntingdonshire, and was baptized there on 12 September 1749. He is believed to have attended a school at Ruabon in Denbighshire.
DUNAWD (fl. 6th century), saint . With his three sons Deiniol, Cynwyl, and Gwarthan, he founded the monastery of Bangor Iscoed on the banks of the Dee in Flintshire, and became its first abbot. Sir John E. Lloyd, however, rejects this tradition and prefers to regard Saint Deiniol as the founder of Bangor Iscoed. Ann. C. record the death of ' Dunaut rex ' in the year 595. But Bede states that Dunawd (' Dinoot ') was still abbot of
DWN, HENRY (before c. 1354 - November 1416), landowner and rebel Henry Dwn of Croesasgwrn, Llangyndeyrn, in Carmarthenshire, was the son of Gruffudd Dwn (also called Gruffudd Gethin) ap Cadwgan and Annes, daughter of Cadwgan ap Ieuan, and a direct descendant of Llywelyn ap Gwrgan, lord of Cydweli. Dwn first appears in the historical record serving in Picardy and Normandy in 1369 under John of Gaunt, the first Duke of Lancaster, who appointed him steward of the
DWNN, GRUFFYDD (c. 1500 - c. 1570), country gentleman , undertook the work of copying and collecting manuscripts, although he is not as famous as some - such as John Jones (c. 1578 - 1658) of Gellilyfdy. The finest examples of his work are to be found in Llanstephan MS 40 and in the notes in NLW MS 3063E, but there is evidence that other manuscripts have been lost. Some very notable manuscripts were at one time in his possession, e.g. Hendregadredd, Peniarth
DWNN, JAMES (c. 1570 - c. 1660), poet His earliest poem (NLW MS 3051D (692)) is dated 1594, and his latest (B.M. MS. 51 (73)) 1657. Accordingly, it is possible that he was the eldest son of Lewys Dwnn. The two frequently wrote panegyrics in honour of the same people - the families of Gogerddan, Mathafarn, Gregynog, and the Plasau Duon, Dr. John Davies of Mallwyd, etc., but, for the most part, James Dwnn confined himself to his own
DWNN, LEWYS (c. 1550 - c. 1616) Betws Cedewain, genealogist , but the marks of the decline of the poetic art are only too obvious in his works. Most of these, written in his own hand, are to be found in Peniarth MS 96. His songs were addressed to leading personalities in every part of Wales, but special attention should be paid to his panegyric to ' Caer Dyf' (Cardiff), 1601, his cywyddau addressed to Dr. John Davies, Mallwyd, and bishop William Morgan, 1600
DWNN, OWAIN (c. 1400 - c. 1460), poet , justice of South Wales, when the latter's sun set in 1447. There is evidence (Panton MS. 40 (83)) that he served in Ireland under Richard, duke of York, father of Edward IV, and it was to him, perhaps, that Hywel Dafydd addressed a cywydd which is full of references to that service. Owain's wife was Catherine, daughter of John Wogan of Picton, Pembrokeshire, and their son, Harry Dwnn, and a nephew of
DYER, JOHN (1699 - 1757), poet Second son of Robert Dyer, a solicitor, living in Abersannen, Llanfynydd. (He bought Aberglasney, in the nearby parish of Llangathen in 1710). John was christened in Llanfynydd church 13 August 1699 and it is likely that he was born at Abersanen shortly before that date. Educated at Westminster, he entered his father's office. After the death of Robert Dyer, John became a pupil of Jonathan
EAMES, WILLIAM (1874 - 1958), journalist students at the education department of University College Bangor and he studied there for two years. When he had completed his course, he took a post as assistant teacher in the Wesleyan School at Dartford, Kent. He spent two years there and began to write for the press - Illustrated Bits, Sketchy Bits - and for John Hugh Edwards ' Young Wales. He moved to a school in Surbiton and, after two years
EDDOWES, JOSHUA (1724 - 1811), printer and bookseller Christened 26 April 1724, son of Ralph Eddowes, grocer, Whitchurch, Salop. Joshua Eddowes was in partnership with John Cotton in 1749 if not earlier (see J. H. Davies, Bibliog. of Welsh Ballads); Cotton had been made a freeman of the Combrethren of Saddlers on 6 June 1740, Eddowes being admitted on 26 May 1749. The partnership continued until 1765, Eddowes continuing on his own until 1788, when
EDERN DAFOD AUR, made a small dosbarth (arrangement or grammar) of the orthography of the Welsh language and of the form of words Many copies of this are extant. The copyists claimed, sometimes, that he was Edern, son of Padarn Beisrudd, that is, that he was the father of Cunedda Wledig. On the other hand, John Davies of Mallwyd said that he flourished c. 1280. EDWARD WILLIAMS (Iolo Morganwg) was the first to state categorically that Edern's work was the grammar which is associated with the names of Einion Offeiriad and

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