CEMLYN-JONES, SirELIAS WYNNE (1888-1966), public figure;
b. 16 May 1888 in Gwredog, Amlwch, Anglesey, son of John Cemlyn Jones, a solicitor from Caerphilly, and Gaynor Hannah, dau. of John Elias Jones, from Penmaen-mawr (and through his wife, of Gwredog, Amlwch), a prominent figure in the public life of Anglesey and an ardent Liberal. His father d. when he was a child and he was educated privately: at Mostyn School, Parkgate, Cheshire, at Shrewsbury School and in London. He became a barrister. In 1910-11 he and his aunt, his mother's sister, went on a journey round the world, the old ‘grand tour’, through the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, China, etc. From 1912-14 he was private secretary to (Sir)Ellis Jones Ellis-Griffith (DWB, 215) in the Home Office, and between 1914-18 he served with the Royal Welch Fusiliers. He was an unsuccessful Liberal candidate for South Croydon in 1923 and for Brecon and Radnor in 1929. He served on numerous committees and public bodies, e.g. Anglesey county council from 1919 onwards (being chairman (1928-30) and alderman), the County Councils Association, the Milne Committee on water supplies, the Athlone Committee on the nursing services, the Rushcliffe Committee on nurses pay, the Central Whitley Council for the health service, the court of the National Museum of Wales, and the council of the University College of North Wales, Bangor. During 1939-46 he was active in the work of the War Agricultural Executive Committee in Anglesey. He received a knighthood in 1941.
In 1931 he went on a 7000-mile journey through Russia with Frank Owen to capture the atmosphere of the country after the revolution for a novel on which they were collaborating; he described the journey in Y Ford Gron, Sept. 1931. The novel, Red Rainbow, was published in 1932. Under the pretence of writing a thriller, the authors sought to warn the British public of the threatening strength of Russia.
In 1914 he m. Muriel Gwendolin, daughter of Owen Owen, Machynlleth and Liverpool, the owner of large stores. They had two sons and a daughter. He d. 6 June 1966 and was buried in Amlwch.
Bibliography:
- Www;
- WwW (1937);
- the Gwredog papers in the library of the University College of North Wales, Bangor;
- information from Miss Gaynor Cemlyn-Jones, Menai Bridge, and Ellis Roberts.
Author:
Bedwyr Lewis Jones (1933-92), Bangor
