OWAIN
,
OWAIN LLEWELYN
(
1877
-
1956
),
litterateur, musician and journalist
;
b.
3 July 1877
at
Blaen-yr-yrfa
,
Tal-y-sarn
,
Nantlle Valley, Caerns.
, one of the eight children of
Hugh
Owen
(
DWB
, 707)
and his wife
Mary
. When
Owain
was young, the family moved to
Bryn-y-coed
in the same district. At twelve years of age the lad went to work to
Gloddfa Glai quarry
and to ‘
Cornwall
’ later. When he was aged fifteen he took to
journalism
and became a
member of the editorial staff
of
Y Genedl Gymreig
and
Yr Herald Cymraeg a'r Genedl
after they amalgamated. He retired in
1936
but continued to contribute to the
Welsh
and
English
press. He was an able
journalist
and a careful
reporter
. As he had literary and musical talent his articles on important national festivals were brilliant contributions in the journalistic press. He
conducted singing festivals
in
Wales
and
England
. He
trained many musicians
and
adjudicated music
in more than 550
eisteddfodau
; he had copies of these programmes. He was a discerning
book-collector
and maintained that his library was even more extensive than that of
Bob
Owen
(
Robert
Owen
, see below)
. He
had a small choir
, ‘
Côr y Delyn Aur
’, which won many prizes in
eisteddfodau
. He was one of the founders of ‘
Clwb Awen a Chân
’ in
Caernarfon
and was its
secretary
. He took a keen interest in
Urdd Gobaith Cymru
in
Caernarfon
from the movement's early years, and it was he who took charge of its processions through the town on special occasions. He was an
ardent supporter of the temperance cause
as expounded by the
Rechabites
and
Good Templars
. He published a number of biographies:
Fanny Jones
(
1907
),
Ieuan Twrog
(
1909
),
J.O. Jones (Ap Ffarmwr)
(
1912
),
T.E. Ellis
(
1916
),
Anthropos a Chlwb Awen a Chân
(
1946
),
Bywyd, gwaith ac arabedd Anthropos
(
1953
), articles in
Y Drysorfa
and
Y Drysorfa
,
Cerddoriaeth yng Nghymru
(
1946
), and the standard work
Hanes y Ddrama yng Nghymru 1850-1943
(
1948
) which is a shortened version of the essay that won him the prize in the
national
eisteddfod
at
Bangor
in
1943
. His first important prize in the national
eisteddfod
was for an essay entitled ‘
Gweithiau ac athrylith Llew Llwyfo
’ awarded at
Colwyn Bay
in
1910
.
R. Williams
Parry
(see below)
won the chair for his ode ‘
Yr Haf
’ in the same
eisteddfod
. A procession was organised, lead by the
Nantlle band
, to welcome both home from that
eisteddfod
.
He m. (1)
Claudia
Roberts
,
12 June 1916
; one daughter was born to them. His wife d.
29 Nov. 1918
. He m. (2) in
1921
Enid May
Jones
from
Port Dinorwic
. He d. at his home
Bryn-y-coed
,
10 Pretoria Avenue
,
Caernarfon
, on
8 Jan. 1956
and left a widow and a son and daughter. He was cremated in
Birkenhead
.
Bibliography:
-
Yr Herald Cymraeg (a'r Genedl)
,
16 Jan. 1956
;
-
Y Goleuad
,
18 Jan. 1956
.
Author:
Evan David Jones, F.S.A., (1903-87), Aberystwyth
