John Wynne, was born at Caerwys, Flintshire, and was educated for some time at Northop School, from whence he removed to Ruthin, and received his academical education at Jesus’ College, Oxford, where he obtained a fellowship. He became rector of Llangelynin, in Caernarvonshire, and prebendary of Brecon. He was appointed also the Lady Margaret’s professor of divinity, and by virtue of that, he had a prebend in Worcester Cathedral in 1705. He was elected principal of Jesus’ College in 1712, and was advanced to the bishopric of St. Asaph in 1714. He was a very learned divine, and extremely liberal in the repairing of his cathedral, which had suffered great damage by a violent storm soon after his appointment. He was translated to the diocese of Bath and Wells in 1727, and died in July, 1743.
John Huddleston Wynne, an eminent writer on miscellaneous subjects, was born of a respectable family in Wales in 1743. He was brought up to the profession of a printer, which he followed for some time in London; he afterwards obtained a commission in the army, which he quitted and commenced author. His principal works are “A General History of the British Empire in America,” and “A History of Ireland.” He died in 1788. His uncle,
Richard Wynne, M.A., of All Soul’s College, Oxford, was rector of St. Alphage, London, and of Ayot St. Lawrence, in Hertfordshire. He published the New Testament in English, carefully collated with the Greek, two volumes, octavo. He died in 1799.
Philip Yorke, an eminent antiquarian, and author of a learned work entitled “The Royal Tribes of Wales,” was born at Erddig, near Wrexham, in Denbighshire, in 1743. After a liberal education, he was entered at Benet College, Cambridge, where he graduated M.A. He represented successively in parliament the boroughs of Halston and Grantham. He died in 1804.
ADDENDA.
John Bradford, an ingenious poet, who was admitted a disciple of the bardic chair of Glamorgan, in 1730, being then a boy; presided in the same chair 1760, and died in 1780. He wrote several moral pieces of great merit, some of which he printed in the “Eurgrawn,” a magazine then carried on in South Wales.
Rev. Thomas Charles, A.B., the son of a respectable farmer, in the parish of Llanvihangel, South Wales, was born October 14, 1755. When he was about ten or twelve years of age, his parents entertaining thoughts of bringing him up to the ministry, sent him to school at Llanddowror, about two miles off, where he continued three or four years. When about fourteen years of age, his father sent him to the academy, at Caermarthen, which he left for Oxford in 1775, where he remained about four years. On leaving Oxford, he was engaged to a curacy in Somersetshire, which he gave up in 1783, and removed to Wales, after a ministry of five years. After Mr. Charles returned to Wales, he was engaged successively to serve several churches in the neighbourhood of Bala (where he then resided), at each of which, his evangelical preaching giving great offence to the inhabitants, his services were declined. Mr. Charles having been so many times deprived of the opportunity of exercising his ministry felt no small perplexity of mind: his active disposition would not allow him to remain wholly unoccupied. The ignorance which prevailed among the people at Bala excited his sympathy; he invited them to his house to give them religious instruction. He was offered the use of the chapel by the Calvinistic Methodists, who were then, and for some time after, connected with the Established Church: this offer he accepted, and there he instructed and catechised the numerous children who attended. In the year 1785, Mr. Charles commenced preaching among the Methodists, from which period to the time of his death his ministerial labours were very great; the effect of which are still to be seen, and will probably continue to appear for ages to come. Shortly after Mr. Charles left the church, he began establishing circulating schools; they succeeded wonderfully, the whole country being filled with them. The fruits of these schools were numerous Sunday schools throughout the Principality. Mr. Charles prepared two editions of the Welsh Bible, one in duodecimo, published in 1806, and another in octavo, completed just before his death. But his greatest effort as an author was a “Scriptural Dictionary,” four volumes, octavo. Mr. Charles was the principal instrument in originating the Bible Society; the exciting or moving cause of this noble institution was the great want of Bibles, especially in North Wales. He died October 5, 1814, in the fifty-ninth year of his age.
Robert Davies, better known by the appellation of Bardd Nantglyn, was born about the year 1769. At an early period of his life he became a votary of the Awen, which propensity was strengthened by his intimacy with Twm o’r Nant, who always expressed a just tribute of admiration for his poetical efforts. In the year 1800 he removed to London, and there became acquainted with those patriotic fosterers of their native language and customs, who instituted the Gwyneddigion Society, and he filled at intervals the situation of their bard and secretary. The illness of his family compelled him reluctantly to leave the metropolis, after a residence of about four years, and return to Nantglyn, which he never afterwards quitted. This occurrence, which was unforeseen, obliged him to borrow a sum of money from Owain Myvyr, to defray the expenses of removal, and shortly after he was given to understand by that generous character, that the loan should be a gift; and this munificent donation enabled him to build a decent cottage, which formed his domicile during his life. When the premiums awarded by the Eisteddvodau stimulated the bards to unwonted exertions, Robert Davies early distinguished himself, and acquired the honour of occupying the bardic chair for Powys, at the meeting held at Wrexham, in 1820, by his prize elegy on the death of George the Third. The number of medals he acquired on different occasions amounted to eleven; and in addition he received, on various occasions, many money premiums for meritorious exertions. It would be needless to recapitulate the various subjects on which he was a successful competitor, as the prize poems of his composition are mostly published in his publication entitled “Diliau Barddas,” which contains the greater part of the productions of his muse. He likewise was the compiler of a very excellent “Grammar,” in great esteem in the principality. He died on 1st December, 1835, and was buried at Nantglyn, where it is in contemplation to erect a tablet to his memory.
John Evans, an adventurous young man of Caernarvonshire, who, about the year 1790, went to America, with a view of discovering the Welsh Indians, or descendants of Madog and his followers. After surmounting many difficulties, and penetrating about 1,300 miles up the Missouri River, he was obliged to return to St. Louis, on the Mississippi. The commandant there encouraged him to try another voyage, with attendants and everything necessary to make discoveries; but unfortunately, John Evans died of a fever there in 1797, when everything was prepared to ensure success to his enterprise.
Wyn Elis, A.M., an eminent divine and poet, who lived at Y-Las-Ynys, in Meirionethshire, from about the year 1680 to 1740. About the year 1720, he published a small tract in Welsh of great utility, containing letters of advice to Christian professors, with various hymns and other pieces. Soon after, he published the “Bardd Cwsg, or the Vision of the Sleeping Bard,” in the manner of Don Quivedo, a very popular work, which has been reprinted several times since the death of the author.