JONES
,
HUGH
(‘
Hugh
Jones
Maesglasau
’
;
1749
-
1825
),
translator and hymnist
;
son of
William
and
Elizabeth
Jones
, he was chr. at
Mallwyd, Mer.
,
24 Nov. 1749
. He received a better education than was usual in his time. At the age of 23 he went to
London
where he taught for some time. By
1786
he had returned to
Wales
, for in that year he was one of the founders (and
secretary
) of the
Calvinistic Methodist
cause at
Mallwyd
. He spent some time
working on his father's farm
and then from
1798 to 1817
he
taught
at various places in
Merioneth
and
Montgomeryshire
.
From 1817
until his death,
16 April 1825
, he worked for various publishers
translating books
for publication — for
R.
Jones
,
Dolgelley
, for
L.E.
Jones
,
Caernarvon
, and for
Thomas
Gee
,
Denbigh
. He published upwards of twenty works, the majority of them being translations of
English
works and works of a religious nature. His first work was
Cydymaith yr Hwsmon
,
1774
(reprinted by
Sir
Owen M.
Edwards
, and in
1949
by the
University of Wales Press
). He published two volumes of verse —
Gardd y Caniadau
,
1776
, and
Hymnau Newyddion
,
1797
. This latter volume contained his well-known hymn ‘
O tyn y gorchudd yn y mynydd hyn
.’ Among the works he translated was
Thomas
Brooks
’
Golden Apples for young people, and a Crown of glory for old people
,
1782
. In
1819
R.
Jones
,
Dolgelley
, published his translation of the works of
Josephus
. He was also a
musician
and composed the hymn-tune ‘
Capel Cynon
.’
Bibliography:
-
Hanes Llenyddiaeth Gymreig, 1651–1850
.
[1893?]
;
-
J. Thickens
,
Emynau a’u Hawduriaid
. [1945.]
;
-
Cymru
, xxvi,
-
[
Cardiff Free Libraries, Catalogue of Printed
Literature in the Welsh Department
, 1898
].
Author:
Elwyn Evans, M.A., Aberystwyth
