Cylchgronau Cymru

THE REV. EDWARD OWEN OF WARRINGTON AND GORONWY OWEN. By PRINCIPAL J. H. DAVIES, M.A., University College of Wales, Aberystwyth.. For some years after Goronwy Owen left this country, very little interest was taken in his poetry or his personal history. A few friends such as Richard Morris, the Rev. Hugh Williams of Aberffraw, and Hugh Hughes (Bardd Coch) of Anglesey, who had known him intimately, en- deavoured to get into touch with him after his emigration to America, but their efforts were in vain. Goronwy died in 1769, but as late as 1789 there were rumours abroad that he was still alive, and that letters had been recently received from him. This lack of knowledge was largely due to the facts that many letters between this country and America miscarried, and that the bards and literati of Wales had little or no acquaintance with the settlers in the States. About the end of the eighties in the eighteenth century the interest in Goronwy revived, and his works were studied and admired. A new impetus was given to Welsh studies by the founding of the Gwyneddigion Society in London in 1770. Some of its members and notably Owen Jones (Owen Myfyr), and Robert Hughes (Robyn Ddu o Fon) were able to appreciate the perfection of Goronwy's poetry. Owen Myfyr in the year 1783 made an arrangement with Robert Hughes, to copy the letters written by Goronwy to William Morris, which were then in the custody of the latter's daughter at Carnarvon. Some of the literary men in Wales, such as the Rev. David Ellis, then of Amlwch, David Thomas (Dafydd Ddu Eryri) and notably