John Jones (Talhaiarn)

poet and architect.

Talhaiarn lived in England and France but wrote in the Welsh language.

He was born at the Harp Inn (now known as "Hafod y Gân") in Llanfair Talhaearn, Denbighshire. Apprenticed to an architecht, he served with ecclesiatical architects in London, and was employed by Sir Joseph Paxton to oversee the building of the Crystal Palace.He came to prominence as a member of Cymdeithas y Cymreigyddion in London, and became its president in 1849.

Suffering from ill health he returned to Wales in 1865, in 1869 he took his own life by shooting himself in his bedroom at the Harp inn,and is buried under a yew at St Mary's church in Llanfair Talhaearn.

Talhaiarn lived in England and France but wrote in the Welsh language. His works included well-known lyrics such as "Bugeilio'r Gwenith Gwyn" (Watching the Wheat), and "Mae Robin yn Swil" (Robin is shy).

Although he was accepted into Gorsedd y Beirdd in Bala in 1869, he is known to have failed several times to winthe chair at the Eisteddfod. In 1849 at the Aberffraw eisteddfod he rose to his feet to contest the ajudication and defend his defeated awdl. In 1863 at the Swansea eisteddfod he held that the non-conformist judges were biased against him as an anglican.