OWEN
,
WILLIAM
(
Gwilym Ddu Glan Hafren;
1788
-
1838
),
schoolmaster and musician
;
b. at
Brynhafod
,
Clynnog, Caerns.
, in
1788
.
Ebenezer
Thomas
(
Eben Fardd
)
described him as ‘
an excellent
scholar
, a
bard
, and a fine
musician
.’ About the year
1815
he went to
Welshpool
as
schoolmaster
and, later, to
Newtown
; he also
preached
with the
Calvinistic Methodists
and contributed to the various periodicals. In
1828
he published
Y Caniedydd Crefyddol
which contained an exposition of the art of congregational singing and a collection of hymn-tunes; this book was dedicated to
John
Jenkins
(
Ifor Ceri
, q.v.)
,
incumbent
of
Kerry, Mont.
He d.
8 Oct. 1838
, and was buried at
Newtown
.
Bibliography:
-
M. O. Jones
,
Bywgraffiaeth Cerddorion Cymreig
,
National Eisteddfod Association publication, 1890
;
-
R. D. Griffith
,
Hanes canu cynulleidfaol Cymru
,
Cardiff, 1948
;
-
Y Cerddor
,
Sept. 1890
.
Author:
Robert David Griffith, M.A., (1877-1958), Old Colwyn
