DAVIES, JOHN CADVAN (Cadvan; 1846 - 1923), Wesleyan minister

Born at Llangadfan, Montgomeryshire, 1 October 1846, son of David and Jane Davies. He joined the ministry in 1871 and worked in most of the North Wales circuits as well as in Liverpool. He was president of the Assembly in 1910. He was one of the editors of the Wesleyan hymn-book, 1900, which contains a number of his hymns. Others are found in Llyfr Emynau y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd a Wesleaidd, 1927.

He was a successful writer of 'heroic' verse and won prizes with 'Madog ab Owain Gwynedd' (national eisteddfod, Liverpool, 1884), 'Cystenin Fawr' (Caernarvon, 1886), 'John Penri' (London, 1887), and there were many other successes to his credit. He was prominent in the eisteddfod as an adjudicator and conductor, and in 1923 became archdruid. He was an assiduous competitor and a formidable fighter when he thought he had lost unfairly - two famous battles being concerned with the pryddest at the New Year's Day eisteddfod at Dolgelley, 1894 (see 'Dydd Coroniad') and the love lyrics at the national eisteddfod, Liverpool, 1900.

He published Caneuon Cadvan, i (Rhosymedre, 1878); Caneuon Cadvan, ii (Dolgellau, 1883); Caneuon Cadvan, iii (Towyn, 1893); Dydd Coroniad (Beaumaris, 1894); Caneuon Cadvan, iv, with 'Dydd Coroniad' as a supplement (Beaumaris, 1897); and Atgof a Phrofiad (an autobiography), which appeared in the Eurgrawn, 1917. He died at Oswestry, 12 October 1923.

Author

• Reverend Edward Tegla Davies, (1880 - 1967)

Sources

• 'Cadvan (Llywydd Newydd y Gymanfa,' Y Winllan, Cyfrol LXIII, June 1910, pp.141-144
• Yr Eurgrawn Wesleyaidd, October 1912, 1917
• Y Geninen, Gorffennaf 1919
• Y Geninen (Gwyl Dewi), 1924

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: John Cadvan Davies

Additional Links

• VIAF: 63777724
• Wikidata: Q6224719

Published date: 1959

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