EDWARDS, WILLIAM THOMAS (Gwilym Deudraeth ; 1863-1940), poet;
b. 21 Nov. 1863 in a house in a row called ‘Hen Walia’ in the town of Caernarvon, he was one of the twelve children of William and Jane Edwards, who afterwards lived in Penrhyndeudraeth. He had some little education at the day school there, but used to say that the best education he ever had was the Sunday school. As his father was a sea-captain, and his brothers too were seafaring men, he intended to become a mariner, but had enough of the sea after one voyage. He went to work at the Oakeley quarry, Blaenau Ffestiniog, and subsequently on the Ffestiniog railway, becoming stationmaster at Tan-y-bwlch and Dduallt (or Rhosllyn). During that period he composed many striking englynion. He m. Harriet Williams of Llanferres, near Mold; they had four children. Two volumes of his poetical works were published: Chydig ar Gof a Chadw, ed. by Isaac Davies, Birkenhead, in 1926, and Yr Awen Barod, ed. by J. W. Jones, Blaenau Ffestiniog, in 1943. He was one of Wales's most original and dexterous writers of englynion. He d. 20 March 1940 and was buried in Allerton cemetery, Liverpool.
Bibliography:
- Y Cymro, 1940;
- Y Rhedegydd, 1940.
Author:
John William Jones, (1884-1954), Blaenau Ffestiniog
