John Jones (Talhaiarn)
Encyclopedia
John Jones known by his bardic name
of Talhaiarn, was a Welsh
poet and architect.
He was born at the Harp Inn (now known as Hafod y Gân) in Llanfair Talhaearn, Denbighshire
. Apprenticed to an architect, he served with ecclesiastical 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).
Whilst his bardic name is derived in a conventional way from the place of his birth, it is likely also to be a reference to Talhaearn Tad Awen
, a noted 6th century Welsh poet.
Although he was accepted into Gorsedd y Beirdd
in Bala in 1869, he is known to have failed several times to win the chair at the Eisteddfod. In 1849 at the Aberffraw
eisteddfod he rose to his feet to contest the adjudication and defend his defeated awdl
. In 1863 at the Swansea
eisteddfod he held that the Nonconformist
judges were biased against him as an Anglican
.
Bardic name
A bardic name is a pseudonym, used in Wales, Cornwall and Brittany, by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement....
of Talhaiarn, was a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
poet and architect.
He was born at the Harp Inn (now known as Hafod y Gân) in Llanfair Talhaearn, Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
. Apprenticed to an architect, he served with ecclesiastical architects in London, and was employed by Sir Joseph Paxton
Joseph Paxton
Sir Joseph Paxton was an English gardener and architect, best known for designing The Crystal Palace.-Early life:...
to oversee the building of the Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...
. He came to prominence as a member of Cymdeithas y Cymreigyddion in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 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
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
but wrote in the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
. His works included well-known lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
such as Bugeilio'r Gwenith Gwyn (Watching the Wheat), and Mae Robin yn Swil (Robin is shy).
Whilst his bardic name is derived in a conventional way from the place of his birth, it is likely also to be a reference to Talhaearn Tad Awen
Talhaearn Tad Awen
Talhaearn Tad Awen , was, according to medieval Welsh sources, a celebrated British poet of the sub-Roman period. He ranks as one of the earliest, if not the earliest, named poets to have composed and performed in Welsh...
, a noted 6th century Welsh poet.
Although he was accepted into Gorsedd y Beirdd
Gorsedd
A gorsedd plural gorseddau, is a community or coming together of modern-day bards. The word is of Welsh origin, meaning "throne". It is occasionally spelled gorsedh , or goursez in Brittany....
in Bala in 1869, he is known to have failed several times to win the chair at the Eisteddfod. In 1849 at the Aberffraw
Aberffraw
Aberffraw is a small village and community on the south west coast of the Isle of Anglesey , in Wales, by the west bank of the River Ffraw, at . The UK postcode begins LL63. Access by road is by way of the A4080 and the nearest rail station is Bodorgan. In the early Middle Ages Aberffraw was the...
eisteddfod he rose to his feet to contest the adjudication and defend his defeated awdl
Awdl
An awdl is a long poem written in Welsh in one of the twenty-four strict metres, using cynghanedd. Such poems are considered among the finest work that a poet can aim to produce, and prizes are given at eisteddfodau for the best awdl....
. In 1863 at the Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
eisteddfod he held that the Nonconformist
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
judges were biased against him as an Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
.