Goronwy Owen (poet)

::"for the Liberal politician, see Goronwy Owen (politician)

Goronwy Owen (1 January 1723 - July 1769) was one of the eighteenth century's greatest Welsh poets.

Life

He was born on New Year's Day, 1723 in the parish of Llanfair Mathafarn Eithaf in Anglesey and educated at Friars School, Bangor and Jesus College, Oxford, although he did not remain long at the college. Owen was admitted to the college as a servitor on June 3, 1742 but, whilst his name remained on the college's books until March 1748 (albeit with some omissions) he only resided in the college for approximately one week in the Midsummer Term of 1744, incurring a debt of 15s 1d that was never paid. [cite book|last=Baker|first=J. N. L.|authorlink=J. N. L. Baker| title=Jesus College, Oxford 1571–1971|publisher=Oxonian Press Ltd|location=London|date=1971|pages=43|isbn=0950216402]

He learnt much of his poetic craft from Lewis Morris. In January 1746 he was ordained. As a young man, he left Anglesey for the last time, wandering to Denbighshire, Oswestry where he was made a master at Oswestry School in 1746, Donnington and Uppington close to Shrewsbury, Walton then Northolt. In November 1757, he emigrated, together with his young family, to take a post at the College of William & Mary, Virginia. Although he was not to stay in that post for long, he remained in Virginia until his death in July 1769. The town of Benllech in Anglesey named its village hall in honour of Goronwy Owen.

Work

He was mostly remarkable as an emigre bard, writing with "hiraeth" (longing) for his native Anglesey.

Bibliography

*"Dewisol Ganiadau yr Oes Hon" (1759).
*"Diddanwch Teuluaidd" (1763, 1817).
*"Corph y Gainc" (1810).
*John Jones (ed.), "Groviana" (Llanrwst, 1860).
*Parch. Robert Jones (ed.), "Poetical Works of Goronwy Owen" (1876).
*Isaac Foulkes (ed.), "Holl Waith Barddonol Goronwy Owen" (1878).
*Isaac Foulkes (ed.), "Gwaith Goronwy Owen" (1902).
*W. J. Gruffydd (ed.), "Cywyddau Goronwy Owen" (1907).
*J.H. Davies (ed.), "The Letters of Goronwy Owen" (1924).

Biographies and studies

*Bedwyr Lewis Jones, in "Gwŷr Môn" (1979), ed. Bedwyr Lewis Jones, Cyngor Gwlad Gwynedd. ISBN 0903935074
*Alan Llwyd, "Goronwy Ddiafael, Goronwy Ddu. Cofiant Goronwy Owen 1723-1769" (Cyhoeddiadau Barddas, 1997).
*W.D. Williams, "Goronwy Owen" (Cardiff, 1951).

References

External links

* [http://wbo.llgc.org.uk/en/s-OWEN-GOR-1723.html Welsh Biography Online]
* [http://www.llgc.org.uk/index.php?id=goronwyowennlwms11568b Cywydd Hiraeth]
* [http://www.tourbrunswick.org/goronwy_owen.htm Brunswick County Story]