REES
,
WILLIAM
(
1808
-
1873
),
printer and publisher
;
b.
8 July 1808
at
Ton
near
Llandovery
— for his family see the article
Rees
of
Ton
. He learned the
printer
's trade at
Hereford
, but in
1829
he and his uncle,
D. R.
Rees
,
set up a press
at
Llandovery
;
D. R.
Rees
gave it up in
1835
but
William
Rees
continued the work and this press became one of the most celebrated in
Wales
and probably the best of all in respect of craftsmanship. It was here that
Alun
's (
John
Blackwell
(q.v.)
Cylchgrawn
was published in
1834
. The connection between the
Reeses
and
Brutus
(
David
Owen
(q.v.)
) is also interesting. The latter had been editing
Lleuad yr Oes
, which was printed by
Jeffrey
Jones
. When
Jones
d. (
1830
) the
Reeses
took over his press — and
Brutus
with it — and
Yr Efangylydd
(
1831-May 1835
) was started.
Brutus
changed his political and ecclesiastical opinions; the
Efangylydd
died and, in its place, the
Reeses
started the very well known Anglican periodical,
Yr Haul
, with
Brutus
as its
editor
. But it was after his uncle's retirement that
William
Rees
, with the help of
David Jones
Roderic
, took the plunge and became a
printer
of the highest rank. In
1848-9
he published the three splendid volumes of
lady
Charlotte
Guest
's (q.v.)
Mabinogion
. It was from this press, too, that the publications of the
Welsh MSS. Society
,
1836
, were issued, among which may be mentioned
Lewis
Dwnn
's
Heraldic Visitations
,
1846
;
Llyfr Llandaf
,
1850
;
Iolo MSS.
,
1852
;
Lives of the Cambro-British Saints
,
1853
;
Dosparth Edeyrn Davod Aur
,
1856
;
Meddygon Myddfai
,
1856
; and
Barddas
,
1862
. Among a host of other books published by the
Llandovery press
we need only mention
Robert
Williams
's
Eminent Welshmen
,
1852
;
Carnhuanawc
's
Literary Remains
(jointly with
Longmans
,
London
); and
Ieuan Gwynedd
's book,
1848
, directed against the report of the
education commissioners
,
1846-7
. With all this,
Rees
took a leading part in the public life of the town, and was the organizer of the fund to build
Thomas
Phillips
's (
1760
-
1851
) (q.v.)
school at
Llandovery
. He d.
13 July 1873
and was buried at
Llandingad
.
Bibliography:
-
Tonn Manuscript at Cardiff City
Library
in Cardiff City Library;
-
J. Ifano Jones
,
A history of printing and printers in Wales
to 1810, and of successive and related printers to
1923.
, 1925
.
Author:
Selwyn Jones, Mus.Bac., (1906-81), Hirwaun
