DAVIES
,
JOHN HUMPHREYS
(
1871
-
1926
),
bibliographer, man of letters, and educationist
;
b. at
Cwrt Mawr
,
Llangeitho, Cards.
,
15 April 1871
, third son of
R. J.
Davies
(see under
Davies
,
Robert
,
1790
-
1841
). He was educated at the local village school, at
Lewis’ School
,
Pengam
,
University College School
,
London
, the
University College of Wales
,
Aberystwyth
, and
Lincoln College
,
Oxford
(
B.A.
1893
). He was subsequently
called to the bar
at
Lincoln's Inn
. Entering public life at an exceptionally early age, he became a
J.P.
for the county of
Cardigan
, and
treasurer
of the
General Assembly of the
Calvinistic Methodist connexion
before he was 30. His interest in
Welsh
life and literature was developed by his association at
Oxford
with
O. M.
Edwards
(q.v.)
and subsequently with
T. E.
Ellis
(q.v.)
, who became his brother-in-law. In
1905
he was appointed
registrar of the University College of Wales
, succeeding in
1919
to the
principalship
, which he held till his death, With
Sir
John
Williams
(q.v.)
and others he was one of the chief workers in the movement for a
National Library of Wales
, and one of its chief supporters after its foundation. His (
Cwrtmawr
) collection of books and manuscripts is now in that library. He was appointed a member of the
Welsh Church Commission
in
1908
; in
1911
he was
high sheriff of Cardiganshire
and
chairman of its county council
in
1917
. His main hobby was the
collection of Welsh books and manuscripts
, and in this field he was an authority recognized in the whole of
Wales
. Amongst his many publications the most important are
Hen Ddewiniaid Cymru
,
1901
;
The Letters of Lewis, Richard, William, and John Morris of Anglesey
,
1907-9
;
Gweithiau Morgan Llwyd
, ii,
1908
;
A Bibliography of Welsh Ballads
,
1909-11
; and his editions of the
Life and Opinions of Robert Roberts
,
1923
, and the
Letters of Goronwy Owen
,
1924
. His knowledge of Welsh public life during the first quarter of this century was unrivalled, and there were few sides of it which he did not touch and adorn. He was one of the founders of the
Calvinistic Methodist Historical Society
, to the
Journal
of which he contributed extensively, and for ten years (
1910-20
) he was
editor
of the
Journal of the Welsh Bibliographical Society
. During his principalship his exceptional personal qualities and his varied experience contributed largely to the strengthening of the links between the college and the University on the one hand and the
Welsh
nation on the other. He d. at
Cwm Cynfelyn
,
Aberystwyth
,
10 Aug. 1926
, and was buried at
Llangeitho
.
Author:
Thomas Iorwerth Ellis, M.A., (1899-1970), Aberystwyth
