DAVIES, GLYNNE GERALLT (1916 - 1968), minister (Congl.) and poet

Name: Glynne Gerallt Davies
Date of birth: 1916
Date of death: 1968
Spouse: Freda Vaughan Davies (née Davies)
Gender: Male
Occupation: minister (Congl.) and poet
Area of activity: Eisteddfod; Poetry; Religion
Author: Derwyn Jones

Born in Liverpool 21 February 1916, but brought up in Ro-wen, in the Conwy Valley, Caernarfonshire. He was educated at Ro-wen primary school and Llanrwst grammar school. He worked for a time in the office of Henry Jones, solicitor at Llanrwst. He began to preach in the Calvinistic Methodist connexion and followed further education at Clwyd College, the University College, Bangor, and the Theological College at Aberystwyth. He stood as a conscientious objector during World War II and worked on the land at home in Ro-wen. At the end of the war he became a Congregationalist, and, after a short period at Bala-Bangor College, was ordained. He ministered to the churches of Peniel and Gerisim, Llanfairfechan, 1946-51; Ebeneser, Bangor, 1951-65; Salem, Colwyn Bay and Deganwy Avenue, Llandudno, 1965-68.

He served his apprenticeship as a poet in 'Pabell Awen', the bardic column of Y Cymro under the tutorship of Dewi Emrys (David Emrys James) and came under the influence of R. Williams Parry at Bangor and Edward Prosser Rhys at Aberystwyth. He won many prizes at eisteddfodau including some at the National Eisteddfod In addition to his service as a caring and loved minister he became known to a wide circle in north Wales as an eisteddfod adjudicator, a weekly newspaper columnist, a broadcaster and a W.E.A. tutor. He published two volumes of poetry: Yn Ieuenctid y Dydd (1941) and Y Dwyrain a Cherddi Eraill (1945). A third volume, Yr Ysgub Olaf (1971), was published posthumously. He had been awarded the degree of M.A. of the University of Liverpool in 1958 for a thesis on the life and work of William John Roberts, Gwilym Cowlyd, a work which was published by his widow under the title Gwilym Cowlyd 1828-1904 (1976).

He married Freda Vaughan Davies, Maesneuadd, Pontrobert and they had a son and a daughter. He died at his home in Colwyn Bay, 13 June 1968, and was buried in Bron-y-nant cemetery, Colwyn Bay.

Author

Published date: 2001

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