one of the three sons of
Hugh
Price
(the sons altered the spelling of the surname) of
Dolgelley
;
all three were at
Dolgelley grammar school
, and all three were
curates
of
Dolgelley
and
masters
(for a period extending between them from
1851 to 1864
) of their old school. The eldest,
HUGH
PRYCE
(
1826
-
1895
) a graduate (
1853
) of
Queens’ College
,
Cambridge
, was
rector
of
Llanfair-yng-Nghornwy
,
Anglesey
, from
1872
till his death on
3 March 1895
. The youngest,
SHADRACH
PRYCE
(
1833
-
1914
), also graduated (
1858
) from
Queens
’; he was
vicar
of
Ysbyty Ifan
(
1864-7
), where he published
Arweiniad i Eglwys y Plwyf
(
1867
), a translation of a work by
bishop
Harvey
Goodwin
; from
1867 till 1894
he was
H.M. inspector of Schools
in the
diocese of S. Davids
; from
1893 till 1899
,
vicar
of
Llanfihangel-Aberbythych, Carms.
(and
archdeacon of Carmarthen
,
1895-9
); and from
1899 till 1910
,
dean of S. Asaph
. He d.
17 Sept. 1914
, aged 81.
John
Pryce
went up in
1847
to
Jesus College
,
Oxford
, graduating in
1851
. He was
curate
(and
master of the grammar school
) at
Dolgelley
,
1851-6
,
perpetual curate
of
Glanogwen
,
1856-64
,
vicar
of
Bangor
,
1864-80
, and
rector
of
Trefdraeth
,
1880-1902
; he became
canon
in
1884
,
archdeacon
in
1887
, and
dean
in
1902
; he d.
15 Aug. 1903
. He was of the
High Church
, and supported
Philip Constable
Ellis
(q.v.)
against
bishop
Bethell
. He
published a number of books on the history of the Church
:
History of the Early Church
,
1869
;
The Ancient British Church
,
1878
;
Notes on the History of the Early Church
,
1891
;
Yr Eglwys Foreuol
,
1893
.
John
Price
m.
Emily
, daughter of
Rowland
Williams
of
Ysgeifiog
(q.v.)
and sister of
Dr.
Rowland
Williams
(q.v.)
. Their second son was
ARTHUR
PRYCE
(
1867
-
1940
),
solicitor
,
registrar
of the
diocese of Bangor
, and
chapter clerk
. From
Friars School
,
Bangor
, he went to
Westminster School
, and thence to
University College
,
Oxford
(
1885
), graduating in
1889
. He bore a striking resemblance to his famous uncle,
Rowland
Williams
. He was a diligent
historical researcher
, who published many papers in antiquarian journals, e.g., ‘
The Register of Benedict, bishop of Bangor 1408-17
’ (
Arch. Camb.
,
June 1922
), ‘
Westminster School and its connection with North Wales
’ (
Trans. Angl. Antiq. Soc.
,
1932
), and ‘
Records of the Diocesan Registry in Bangor
’ (
B.B.C.S.
,
1929
). Better known are his two valuable books,
The Diocese of Bangor in the 16th Century
(
1923
) and
The Diocese of Bangor during Three Centuries
,
1929
, extremely useful lists of ordinations and of appointments in
Bangor
diocese — the second has also a very full introduction dealing with the general history of the diocese from the 17th cent. onward. It would be ungrateful not to record also his personal kindness, his unfailing courtesy to research students of every denomination, and his readiness to facilitate their work. He took his part in the public life of his Church and of his county — for a period, he was
chairman
of
Caernarvonshire county council
. He d.
4 July 1940
, aged 73.
Bibliography:
-
Foster
,
Alumni Oxonienses
;
-
obituary notices in
Archaeologia Cambrensis
,
1940
, and
Transactions of the Anglesey Antiquarian
Society and Field Club
,
1941
;
- personal acquaintance.
Author:
Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, C.B.E., D.Litt., Ll.D.,
F.S.A., (1881-1969), Bangor
