BLAYNEY, THOMAS (1785 -?), harpist

Born at Tyn-y-coed, Llanllwchaiarn, Montgomeryshire, the son of Arthur and Letitia Blayney. He won the prize (a silver harp and thirty guineas) in the Carmarthen eisteddfod of 1819. Thomas Price (Carnhuanawc) says that Blayney was the first whom he heard playing on the triple-harp; he also testifies to his renown as a harpist.

He kept a public-house at Lydney North, near Walcot, the Shropshire seat of lord Powis; in 1829 he became family harpist to the household of lord Powis but died shortly afterwards, although the exact year of his death has not been ascertained. His brother, ARTHUR BLAYNEY, became well-known as a violinist.

Author

• Robert David Griffith, (1877 - 1958)

Sources

• Seren Gomer, 1819
• R. Williams, Montgomeryshire Worthies (1894)
• M. O. Jones, Bywgraffiaeth Cerddorion Cymreig (1890)
• R. Griffith, Llyfr Cerdd Dannau (Caernarfon 1913)
• Edward Jones, Rhestr gyda nodiadau byrion, o Enwogion Cymreig o 1700 i 1900 (1908)

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20734421

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-RUU/1.0/