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He was a poet and architect, known by the bardic name
of Talhaiarn, born at The Harp Inn,
Llanfair Talhaearn, Wales, where he was he was often heard penillion
singing with the harp when he was young.
He became an architect’s apprentice and worked
in London with architects on ecclesiastical constructions and oversaw the
building of the Crystal Palace.
He later worked in France on the Baron de Rothschild mansion in
Menton. From 1849 he
served as the President of Cymdeithas y Cymreigyddion in London.
On the poetical side of things he wrote all his works
in his native Welsh and lived in England and France during his
lifetime. His poems include Mae
Robin yn Swil (Robin is Shy) and Bugeilio’r Gwenith Gwyn
(Watching the Wheat) and also words to the well known Welsh songs
“Llwyn Onn (The Ash Grove)” and “Men of
Harlech”. He was never
successful at the Eisteddfod and twice protested against the judges and
adjudication. In 1869 he did,
however, gain acceptance into Bala’s Gorsedd y Beirdd.
His health suffered from 1865 and when he was 59 years
old in 1869 he shot himself at his home at The Harp Inn.
Sources:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jones_(Talhaiarn)
- http://www.welshpedia.co.uk/wiki/wales/index.php?title=Men_of_Harlech
- http://www2.claneire.com/connected/default.asp?com=penrhyndeudraeth&org=Cerdd+Dant&id=12&mnu=12
- http://www.abercolwyncamra.org.uk/content/view/120/51/
- http://www.gurman.org/ashgrove/
- http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3732/is_199810/ai_n8819334/pg_12
- http://carmarthenshirehistorian.org/cgi-bin/twiki/view/Historian/TheCarmarthenEisteddfodOf1867References
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