PHILLIPS, JOHN (Tegidon; 1810 - 1877) printer and poet

Born 12 April 1810 at Bala. He was educated at Bala, where he was also apprenticed as a printer with Robert Saunderson. He later moved to Chester where for a period he supervised the printing works of John Parry (1775 - 1846), who published Y Drysorfa and Goleuad Cymru, to which Tegidon contributed many articles. About 1850 he moved to Portmadoc as secretary to the Welsh Slate Company; later he became the chief agent of the Company, a position he retained for twenty years. As a printer he helped Robert Isaac Jones (Alltud Eifion), to establish his printing press at Tremadoc in 1854. He wrote much to Y Drysorfa, Y Gwyliedydd, Y Geiniogwerth, Seren Gomer, Y Methodist, and Y Traethodydd (1849-54). He was sub-editor of Y Gwyliedydd, and was editor of the poetry in Goleuad Cymru, 1822-38. He did much to promote the study of Welsh literature and music at Portmadoc, and was a prominent public speaker. He wrote a good deal of poetry in free metre, and some of his poems, also his translation of Wordsworth's ' We Are Seven,' became popular. He also composed hymns for special occasions; some of these are included in the Welsh Congregational Hymn Book and the Methodist Hymn Book. He wrote many songs for children and young people, and published several popular books, e.g. Y Ddeilen ar y Traeth, 1868; Y Tlws Arian; Y Gelyn a'r Frwydr; Y Cenhadwr; Yr Eglwys yn y Tŷ (a translation of a book by J. Hamilton); Seppely Bach a'i Feibl (translation of a Swiss tale). He died 28 May 1877 at Portmadoc, and was buried at Llanycil.

Author

• William Rowlands

Sources

• Hanes Porthmadog (1913), 187-8
• Cymru (O.M.E.), vi, 111-3, xi, 121-3, lix, 30
• Y Gestiana, 88
• Beirdd y Bala (1911), 93-8
• T. R. Roberts, Eminent Welshmen: a short biographical dictionary of Welshmen... from the earliest times to the present (1908)

Additional Links

• VIAF: 121840816
• Wikidata: Q27971201

Published date: 1959

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