LLEWELYN, SION (1690 - 1776), poet

Name: Sion Llewelyn
Date of birth: 1690
Date of death: 1776
Gender: Male
Occupation: poet
Area of activity: Poetry
Author: Watkin William Price

Born at Cefn Coed y Cymer, Vaynor, Brecknock, 30 November 1690. His educational advantages were meagre, and although he learned to read Welsh, he was totally ignorant of English. Nevertheless, this self-taught bard published a collection of his poetry and hymns in a book of 60 pages, which became so popular as to demand four (possibly five) editions up to the year 1814; the title of the 1791 edition is Difyrrwch diniwaid … sef deunaw o Ganiadau … Gyd a Now o Hymnau duwiol . He was received as a member at the age of 18 into the old Nonconformist chapel of Cwm-y-glo, on the mountain-side between Merthyr and Aberdare by Roger Williams (1667 - 1730), the pastor. This pastor was an Arminian. Ultimately the Arminian members under their minister, Richard Rees, built a new chapel, the Hen Dŷ Cwrdd at Cefn, nearer to the home of Siôn, in 1747, with Siôn as one of the prominent promoters, and first deacon. The poet, a blacksmith by trade (although one manuscript calls him a weaver), died 1 January 1776, and was buried in the grounds of Hen Dŷ Cwrdd, Cefn. A marble memorial tablet was unveiled at the old chapel by his descendants on 17 August 1947. His grandson was William Harri, of Garw Dyle, Penderyn.

Author

Watkin William Price, (1873 - 1967)

Sources

T. Lewis, The History of the Hen Dy Cwrdd Cefn Coed y Cymmer (1947)
W. Morgan, The Vaynor handbook containing photographic views of Vaynor, Cefn Coed, Pontsarn and Morlais Castle, with the history and folk-lore of the parish (Merthyr 1893)
NLW MS 1159B, NLW MS 2196E, NLW MS 2197E
W. Rowlands, Cambrian Bibliography (Llanidloes 1869)
Hanes llenyddiaeth Gymreig o 1651 O.C. hyd 1850 (1893)
Y Drysorfa Gynnulleidfaol (Swansea 1843-1851)

Works

Additional Links

Wikidata: Q20555787

Published date: 1959

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