GRIFFITH
,
RICHARD
(‘
Carneddog
’;
1861
-
1947
),
poet, writer, and journalist
;
b.
26 Oct. 1861
, son of
Morris
and
Mary
Griffith
in
Carneddi
, a small mountain farm in the parish of
Nantmor, Caerns.
, and not far from
Beddgelert
. ‘
Carneddog
’ spent the whole of his life up to
1945
(when he and his wife went to live with their son in
Hinckley
,
Leicestershire
) in
Carneddi
, where his ancestors had lived for several generations. He was educated in local schools at
Nantmor
(under
William
Ellis
) and
Beddgelert
(under
George
Thomas
). He was a
sheep farmer
but he became better known as a
poet
,
prose writer
, and
journalist
. An
eisteddfod
competitor early in life, he also began to contribute to
Welsh
weekly newspapers, e.g.
Baner ac Amserau Cymru
,
Y Genedl Gymreig
, and
Yr Herald Cymraeg
,
c
. 1881
; his weekly column (‘
Manion y Mynydd
’) in
Yr Herald Cymraeg
was very widely read over a number of years. He contributed articles and notes to
Cymru
,
Bye-Gones
, etc., wrote biographies of
Richard Jones
Owen
(‘
Glaslyn
’;
DWB
, 719)
,
Richard
Morris
(‘
Yr Hên Lanc
’), ‘
Tegfelyn
’, and
John
Jones
(‘
Jac Glanygors
’;
DWB
, 476)
; he prepared three selections for reciters (he often
adjudicated in
eisteddfodau
) and also published
Blodau'r Gynghanedd
,
Cerddi Eryri
, and
Ceinion y Cwm
. He had an inexhaustible store of local lore,
collected books and manuscripts
(see
NLW MSS. 7234-53 and 8404
), and was always ready to give information to inquirers and to his numerous correspondents — he was, in short, an excellent example of the knowledgeable and cultured country-man
writer
. He m.
11 Jan. 1889
Catherine
, dau. of
Cadwaladr
Owen
,
Nantmor
and they had 2 sons. He d.
23 May 1947
at
Hinckley
and was buried at
Beddgelert
.
Bibliography:
- Personal knowledge;
-
[
Y Brython
,
26 May 1921
;
-
E. Namora Williams
,
Carneddog a'i deulu
, 1985
(1985)
;
-
photograph of Carneddog and his wife by
Geoff Charles
23/25 May 1947
, NLW Charles collection].
Author:
Robert (Bob) Owen, O.B.E., M.A., (1885-1962), Croesor
