David Jones wrote a considerable amount of verse, but did not attain great eminence as a poet . He is best known in this respect as editor of an anthology of poems entitled Blodeu Gerdd Cymry, sef Casgliad o Caniadau Cymreig gan amryw Awdwyr o'r oes ddiwaethaf , 1759 . He also edited such works as Histori Nicodemus , 1745 , an old Welsh translation of the ‘ Gospel of Nicodemus ,’ Egluryn Rhyfedd , 1750 , and Cydymaith Diddan , 1766 , the last two being miscellaneous collections of prose and verse. He was also extremely active as a collector of old Welsh manuscripts , and the fruits of his labour can be found amongst the manuscript collections of the B.M. and the N.L.W. Later in life he acquired a printing press , and set up as a printer at Trefriw . The first output of this press appeared in 1776 , the first major work being Histori yr Iesu Sanctaidd in 1776 , a Welsh translation of the ‘ History of the Holy Jesus ,’ by William Smith . He continued to print until his death on 20 Oct. 1785 . [His uncle, John Davies ( Siôn Dafydd Las , d. 1694 ) , is noticed on p. 131.]
Griffith Milwyn Griffiths, M.A., Aberystwyth
Published date: 1959