Owen Jones (antiquary)
Encyclopedia
Owen Jones was a Welsh
antiquary.
He was born on the Llanfihangel Glyn y Myfyr in Denbighshire
. In 1760 he entered the service of a London
firm of furriers, to whose business he ultimately succeeded.
He had from boyhood studied Welsh literature, and later devoted time and money to its collection. Assisted by Edward Williams of Glamorgan
(Iolo Morganwg
) and Dr. William Owen Pughe
, he published, at a cost of more than £1000, the well-known Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales (1801–1807), a collection of pieces dating from the 6th to the 14th century. The manuscripts which he had brought together are deposited in the British Library
; the material not utilized in the Myvyrian Archaiology amounts to 100 volumes, containing 16,000 pages of verse and 15,300 pages of prose.
Jones was the founder of the Gwyneddigion Society
(1772) in London for the encouragement of Welsh studies and literature; and he began in 1805 a miscellany, the Greal, of which only one volume appeared. An edition of the poems of Dafydd ap Gwilym
was also issued at his expense. He died in 1814 at his business premises in Upper Thames Street, London.
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...
antiquary.
He was born on the Llanfihangel Glyn y Myfyr in 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...
. In 1760 he entered the service of a 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...
firm of furriers, to whose business he ultimately succeeded.
He had from boyhood studied Welsh literature, and later devoted time and money to its collection. Assisted by Edward Williams of Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
(Iolo Morganwg
Iolo Morganwg
Edward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg , was an influential Welsh antiquarian, poet, collector, and literary forger. He was widely considered a leading collector and expert on medieval Welsh literature in his day, but after his death it was revealed that he had forged a...
) and Dr. William Owen Pughe
William Owen Pughe
William Owen Pughe was a Welsh antiquarian and grammarian best known for his Welsh and English Dictionary, published in 1803, but also known for his grammar books and 'Pughisms' ....
, he published, at a cost of more than £1000, the well-known Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales (1801–1807), a collection of pieces dating from the 6th to the 14th century. The manuscripts which he had brought together are deposited in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
; the material not utilized in the Myvyrian Archaiology amounts to 100 volumes, containing 16,000 pages of verse and 15,300 pages of prose.
Jones was the founder of the Gwyneddigion Society
Gwyneddigion Society
The Gwyneddigion Society is a literary and cultural society founded in London, England by Welsh scholars to further and preserve knowledge of their home country.-History:...
(1772) in London for the encouragement of Welsh studies and literature; and he began in 1805 a miscellany, the Greal, of which only one volume appeared. An edition of the poems of Dafydd ap Gwilym
Dafydd ap Gwilym
Dafydd ap Gwilym , is regarded as one of the leading Welsh poets and amongst the great poets of Europe in the Middle Ages. Dafydd ap Gwilym (c. 1315/1320 – c. 1350/1370), is regarded as one of the leading Welsh poets and amongst the great poets of Europe in the Middle Ages. Dafydd ap Gwilym...
was also issued at his expense. He died in 1814 at his business premises in Upper Thames Street, London.