WILLIAMS
,
JOHN RICHARD
(
J.R. Tryfanwy
;
1867
-
1924
),
poet
;
b. at
Tan y Manod
,
Rhostryfan
,
29 Sept. 1867
, the only child of
Owen
and
Mary
Williams
, who later (
1880
) removed to
Tyddyn Difyr
,
Moeltryfan
. Upon the death of the father in a quarry accident the mother and son returned to
Tan y Manod
. The death of the mother soon followed and the
blind
and
deaf
son was removed to
Portmadoc
where he was placed
under the care of an aunt. He had shown an early aptitude for
poetry
, and in spite of his physical disadvantages he acquired complete mastery of the rules of poesy. He
won ten bardic chairs
at various eisteddfodau (
yr Eifl
,
y Ddraig Goch
,
Liverpool
,
Anglesey
,
Flint
, etc.), and wrote much to
Cymru (O.M.E.)
and other periodicals. He published two volumes of poetry —
Lloffion yr Amddifad
,
1892
, and
Ar Fin y Traeth
,
1910
. Over a long period he was under the constant care and attention of his friend
Eifion Wyn
(q.v.)
. He d.
19 March 1924
, and was buried at
Portmadoc
.
Bibliography:
- A biographical manuscript written by his cousin.
Author:
William Gilbert Williams, M.A., (1874-1966), Rhostryfan
