HUGHES
,
ROBERT OWEN
(
Elfyn
;
1858
-
1919
),
journalist and poet
;
b.
8 Oct. 1858
in
Plough Street
,
Llanrwst
, son of
Charles
and
Elizabeth
Hughes
. After attending the
British School
at
Llanrwst
he was
apprenticed to the banking firm
of
Pugh Jones and Co.
Afterwards he began to prepare for the
Calvinistic Methodist
ministry; later, however, he went to
London
to work for
Kirby and Endean
,
publishers
. In
1883
he m.
Elizabeth
, daughter of
Edward
Roberts
, member of the publishing firm of
Hughes and Son
,
Wrexham
; seven children were born of the marriage. In
1885
he was appointed
sub-editor
of
Gwalia
, a newspaper; in
1888
he went to
Blaenau Ffestiniog
to edit another newspaper,
Y Rhedegydd
; in
1899
he became
editor
of
Y Glorian
, another local newspaper; he also served, for a time, as
librarian
of the local public library. He
edited the prize compositions
of an eisteddfod held at
Blaenau Ffestiniog
in
1891
and, in
1898
, those of the national eisteddfod held in that town. He
won several prizes at eisteddfodau
, including the
chair
at the national eisteddfod held at
Blaenau Ffestiniog
in
1898
. A monthly periodical called
Cyfaill y Plant
edited by him and started in
Jan. 1890
, proved to be short-lived. He was a frequent contributor to
Y Geninen
and
Cymru (O.M.E.)
;
Sir
Owen M.
Edwards
,
editor
of the latter, included
Hanes Bywyd Capelulo
, written by
Elfyn
, in ‘
Cyfres y Fil
.’ A selection of his poems was issued under the title of
Caniadau Elfyn
(n.d.). He d.
14 June 1919
and was buried in
Llan Ffestiniog
churchyard.
Bibliography:
-
Y Geninen
,
1919
;
-
Y Rhedegydd
,
1919
.
Author:
John William Jones, (1884-1954), Blaenau Ffestiniog
