ROBERTS, ROBERT MEIRION (1906 - 1967), minister (Presb. C. of Wales and Presb. C. of Scotland), philosopher and poet

Name: Robert Meirion Roberts
Date of birth: 1906
Date of death: 1967
Spouse: Daisy Roberts (née Harper)
Parent: Catherine Elizabeth Roberts
Parent: Robert Roberts
Gender: Male
Occupation: minister (Presb. C. of Wales and Presb. C. of Scotland), philosopher and poet
Area of activity: Poetry; Religion; Scholarship and Languages
Author: Gomer Morgan Roberts

Born 28 November 1906 at Station House, Llandrillo, Merionethshire, son of Robert and Catherine Elizabeth Roberts. He was educated at elementary schools at Llandrillo and Pentre, near Chirk, Denbighshire; Llangollen county school; University College, Bangor (where he graduated with first-class honours in philosophy), and at the theological colleges of his denomination at Aberystwyth and Bala. He began to preach in 1924 and was ordained in 1933. He served as minister of Penuel, Ebbw Vale (1933-37) and St. David's, Belmont, Shrewsbury (1937-38). He was a tutor in philosophy and psychology at Coleg Harlech (1938-40) and a temporary lecturer at Bangor (1940). He served as an army chaplain (1940-46), minister of the Welsh church in Laird St., Birkenhead (1946-52), and army chaplain once again (1952-58). He joined the Presbyterian Church of Scotland in 1958, and was minister of Applegarth parish and Sibbaldbie, Dumfrieshire, until his death. In 1933 he married Daisy Harper of Llanrwst and they had two sons and three daughters. He died 11 January 1967, and he was buried in Applegarth cemetery.

He took a life-long interest in philosophical studies, and whilst at Bala he found congenial company in the person of Principal David Phillips - he contributed a memoir of him to the volume Deg o enwogion (1959). He contributed articles fairly regularly on philosophical and theological topics to Yr Efrydydd, Efrydiau Athronyddol, Y Drysorfa, Y Llenor and Y Drysorfa. He was a member of the British Institute of Philosophy from 1929 onwards. He was also highly regarded as a poet, and much of his poetry is to be found in some of the above-named periodicals. He published two volumes of poetry, namely Plant y llawr (1946), and Amryw ganu (1965). One of his poems was selected for inclusion in The Oxford Book of Welsh Verse (1962).

Author

Published date: 2001

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