JONES
,
ROBERT ISAAC
(
Alltud Eifion
;
1813
-
1905
),
pharmacist, littérateur, and printer
;
b. at
Tyddyn Iolyn
,
Pentrefelin
, near
Portmadoc
. On his mother's side he claimed descent from the family of
Roberts
of
Isallt
,
Eifionydd
, renowned as
physicians
, and he also claimed special gifts as a
physician
and
veterinary surgeon
. He was educated in his home neighbourhood, and about
1831
was apprenticed to a
pharmacist
at
Pwllheli
; he was afterwards at
Caernarvon
and
London
. At
Tremadoc
in
1838
he opened a business as a
pharmacist
which he called the ‘
Cambrian Pill Depôt
,’ and he became famous as the
proprietor
of the celebrated ‘
Tremadoc Pills
’ which claimed to cure all manner of ailments. He also
started a printing-press
at
Tremadoc
, where he printed various publications, and a number of
Welsh
books. In
Nov. 1858
he began publishing
Y Brython
, a weekly newspaper, but at the beginning of
1859
it became a monthly magazine;
Daniel Silvan
Evans
(q.v.)
was
co-editor
till 1860
, but owing to lack of support publication ceased in
1863
. He was a keen
eisteddfodwr
, and
wrote a good deal of verse
, but did not excel. He published and edited
Gwaith Barddonol Sion Wyn o Eifion
,
1861
;
Cyff Beuno
(
Eben Fardd
),
1863
;
Cell Meudwy
(
Ellis
Owen
),
1877
;
John Ystumllyn
,
1888
;
Yr Emynydd Cristionogol
,
1889
;
Y Gestiana, sef, Hanes Tre'r Gest
,
1892
.
He left the
Methodists
and became a faithful member of the
Anglican church
at
Tremadoc
, and
started a Sunday school
in the town hall. He also
edited
and
published
Baner y Groes
, a Church monthly magazine, and he contributed articles to
Yr Haul
,
Y Llan
, and
Cymru
. He d.
7 March 1905
, and was buried at
Ynyscynhaearn
.
Bibliography:
-
Hanes Porthmadog
. [1913.]
, 140-1;
-
Enwogion Sir Gaernarfon
, 1922
, 205-6;
-
Llenyddiaeth fy Ngwlad
, 1893
, 119;
-
Y Gestiana
, Tremadog, 1892
;
-
Cymru
, lvi, 47;
-
Y Llan
,
29 Dec. 1893
;
-
Eminent Welshmen
, 1908
;
-
Y Geninen
,
March 1907
, 35, 54;
-
[for his family connections see
J. E. Griffith
,
Pedigrees of Anglesey and Carnarvonshire
Families
, 1914
, 359].
Author:
William Rowlands, M.A., Porthmadog
