RICHARDS
,
THOMAS
(
1878
-
1962
),
librarian and historian
;
b.
15 Mar. 1878
at
Maes-glas
, a smallholding near
Tal-y-bont, Cards.
, son of
Isaac
Richards
and
Jane
(née
Mason
)
. The family later moved to
Ynystudur
, near
Tre'rddol
. He received his early education at
Tal-y-bont
and
Taliesin
schools. He was a
pupil-teacher
for four years and, from
1897
, was for two years a
teacher
at
Alexandra School
,
Aberystwyth
before entering the
University College of North Wales
,
Bangor
(
1899-1903
) where he graduated with honours in history under the well-known
historian
Sir
John Edward
Lloyd
(see above)
. He was appointed a
school-teacher
at
Towyn
(
1903-05
),
Bootle
(
1905-11
), and
Maesteg
(
1912-26
).
Thomas
Shankland
(
DWB
, 909)
urged him to
research the history of Puritanism in Wales
in
Lambeth Palace Library
, the
British Museum
, the
Public Record Office
, and the
Bodleian Library
. The results of his study were published in a number of comprehensive volumes,
A History of the Puritan Movement in Wales, 1639-53
(
1920
),
Religious developments in Wales, 1654-62
(
1923
),
Wales under the Penal Code, 1662-87
(
1925
), and
Wales under the Indulgence,
1672-75
(
1928
). As a result of this work he was recognised as the
chief authority on the beginning of Nonconformity in Wales
. He gained an
M.A.
degree of the
University of Wales
in
1914
and
D.Litt.
in
1924
.
In
1926
he returned to
Bangor
as the
librarian
of his old college. He continued
Shankland
's work of
collecting Welsh books and periodicals
, and undertook'the task of classifying and cataloguing them. He then opened up a new area by
obtaining for the library records of north Wales estates
and preparing comprehensive and highly readable catalogues of them. Through the enormous labour of
Thomas
Shankland
and
Thomas
Richards
the
Bangor college library
became a first-class research centre for students of the history of
Wales
.
Thomas
Richards
had the gift of noticing people's idiosyncrasies and seeing the amusing aspect of a situation. He was unrivalled as a
raconteur
and a popular
lecturer
and
broadcaster
. He published several books besides those already mentioned and contributed articles to various works (77 articles by him appeared in
DWB
). He wrote many articles for periodicals on the history of churches and personalities, sport and other topics. He was a
deacon
at
Penuel (B)
,
Bangor
, and was honoured as
president
of the
Baptist Union of Wales
in
1957
. He received the
Medal
of the
Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion
in
1958
and an
hon. LL.D.
degree of the
University of Wales
in
1959
. In
1912
he m.
Mary
Roberts
of
Nantlle
; they had two daughters. He d.
24 June 1962
and was buried in
Bangor City Cemetery
.
Bibliography:
-
Thomas Richards
,
Atgofion Cardi
, Aberystwyth, 1960
(1960)
;
-
Rhagor o atgofion Cardi
, Aberystwyth,
1963
(
1963
, including a bibliography by Derwyn Jones);
-
Derwyn Jones
and
Gwilym B. Owen
(ed.),
Rhwng y silffoedd ysgrifau gan Dr. Thomas
Richards
, Denbigh, 1978
(1978)
;
-
Y Cymro
,
28 June 1962
;
-
North Wales Chronicle
,
29 June 1962
;
-
Barn
,
Nov. 1962
;
-
Seren Cymru
,
6 July 1962
;
-
Seren Gomer
,
summer 1978
;
-
Trafodion Cymdeithas Hanes Bedyddwyr
Cymru
,
1979
;
-
Y Genhinen
, no. 29/2,
1979
;
-
[
Geraint H. Jenkins
,
‘Doc Tom’ Thomas Richards
, Cardiff,
1999
(1999)
].
Author:
Gwilym Beynon Owen, Bangor
