b.
7 March 1670/1
, at
Y Lasynys
, near
Harlech
and in the parish of
Llanfihangel-y-Traethau, Mer.
, son of
Edward
Wynne
, who descended from a well-known
Merioneth
family (
Wynne
of
Glyn Cywarch
), and his wife, who had inherited
Y Lasynys
. It has not been ascertained, as yet, where
Ellis
Wynne
received his early education nor how he spent his life until he entered
Jesus College
,
Oxford
, on
1 March 1691/2
. It used to be thought that he left
Oxford
without graduating, but more recent evidence (
A. Ivor
Pryce
,
The Diocese of Bangor during three centuries
and
N.L.W. Vivian MS. 31
) seems to point to graduation (
B.A.
, afterwards
M.A.
). Degree or no degree, there is abundant evidence that the
author
of
Gweledigaetheu y Bardd Cwsc
was a man of superior education and much culture. Local tradition suggests that he was a student of the law before his kinsman,
Humphrey
Humphreys
,
bishop
of
Bangor
and, afterwards, of
Hereford
(q.v.)
, persuaded him to take holy orders. He was ordained
deacon
on
24 Dec.
, and
priest
on
31 Dec. 1704
.
Ellis
Wynne
m. (1),
Sept. 1698
,
Lowry
Wynne
of
Moel-y-glo
, a kinswoman and a neighbour (she d.
July 1699
, at the birth of their first-born
Edward
, who d. before he was 2 years old), and (2)
Lowry
Lloyd
,
Hafod Lwyfog
,
Beddgelert
. Nine children were born of the second marriage; of these
William
, the second child, and
Edward
, the youngest, are noticed below.
On
1 Jan. 1704/5
,
Ellis
Wynne
became the incumbent of the neighbouring parish of
Llandanwg
; he also had charge of the chapelry of
Llanbedr
. In
Nov. 1706
he wrote to
lady
Margaret
Owen
, widow of
Sir
Robert
Owen
(of
Brogyntyn
,
Salop
, and associated also with
Glyn Cywarch, Mer.
), the letter beginning — ‘
My Parishioners of
Llandanwg
and my Self are extreamly desirous of a Chappell again at
Harlech
…
’ (
N.L.W. Brogyntyn manuscript
reproduced, as is another letter by him, in a
N.L.W. Brogyntyn
manuscript, in
Dauganmlwyddiant Ellis Wynne, Llawlyfr y Dathliad
,
1934
, and in
Jnl. Mer. Hist. Soc.
,
1949
). In
1711
he relinquished the cure of
Llandanwg
(with
Llanbedr
) and from July of that year until his death he was the incumbent of
Llanfair-juxta-Harlech
. (For further details about his life as
priest
and his life generally, including details of books and manuscripts which he owned, see the
Dauganmlwyddiant … handbook
, already cited.)
Wynne
is remembered, largely and indeed mainly, by virtue of his
Gweledigaetheu y Bardd Cwsc
(‘
The Visions of the Sleeping Bard
’), first
printed (in
London
) in
1703
, a Welsh prose classic, of which at least thirty-two editions had appeared up to
1932
, and of which at least three translations into
English
were made; for details of editions and translations, see
Jnl. of the Welsh Bibliog. Soc.
, iv, 199-208). The
author
had previously published (
London
,
1701
) a translation, under the title of
Rheol Buchedd Sanctaidd …
, of
Jeremy
Taylor
's
Holy Living
, whilst, in
1710
, appeared his edition of the
Welsh Book of Common Prayer
. In the latter appeared his best-known
Welsh
hymn, that beginning ‘
Myfi yw'r Adgyfodiad Mawr
’; four other hymns by him, together with a version of a psalm, and two
carolau plygain
, all in
Welsh
, appeared after his death in a work, published by his son
Edward
in
1755
, in
Prif Addysc y Cristion …
He d.
13 July 1734
, and was buried under the altar at
Llanfair-juxta-Harlech
.
His second son by his second wife was
WILLIAM
WYNN
(
1704
-
1761
),
cleric
; b.
14 July
(and christened
15 July) 1704
. He was educated at
Chester
under
Dr.
Henchman
, at
Llanegryn, Mer.
, under
John
Edwards
,
1717-22
, and at
Jesus College
,
Oxford
,
10 March 1722 to 3 July 1726
(
B.A.
and
M.A.
). He was ordained
deacon
at
Bangor
6 Aug. 1726
, and
priest
14 July 1728
, was
curate
of
Llanaber
13 Aug. 1726 to Sept. 1731
, served at
Mallwyd
and in
Anglesey
, returning in
1733
to
Merioneth
as
curate
to his father at
Llanfair-juxta-Harlech
and, on
21 Sept. 1734
, succeeding him as incumbent. In
April 1750
he became
rector
of
Llanaber
.
William
Wynn
m. (1),
28 Jan. 1734
,
Jane
, daughter of
William
Wynne
,
Maesyneuadd
, near
Harlech
(she d.
9 Dec. 1734>
, in childbirth), and (2)
Jane
, daughter of
Hugh
Lloyd
,
Trallwyn, Caerns.
; by
Jane
he had an only child,
Ellin
. (For further details, see
Dauganmlwyddiant Ellis Wynne …
). He d. in
July 1761
.
EDWARD
WYNNE
(
1715
-
1767
), youngest son of
Ellis
Wynne
by his second wife, was christened on
25 March 1715
. Reference is made above to the translation by him (
Prif Addysc y Cristion …
), published in
1755
when he was
curate
at
Llanaber
to his brother
William
; he was later,
1759-67
,
incumbent
of
Penmorfa, Caerns.
There are references to him in his father's will and in the various note-books, etc., of his brother
William
; for details see
Dauganmlwyddiant …
and articles in
Jnl. of the Welsh Bibliog. Soc.
,
1934
.
Sir William Llewelyn Davies, M.A., LL.D., F.S.A. (1887-1952),
Aberystwyth
