PRICHARD, THOMAS JEFFERY LLEWELYN (died 1875?), travelling actor and author

Born in the parish of Trallong, Brecknock. He was married at Abergavenny, 14 January 1826, to Naomi Jones of Builth (Seren Gomer, 1826, 122). He is known to have taken part in plays given at Brecon in (e.g., 1841) and at Aberystwyth; it is also said that for some time he was employed by lady Llanover (when she was lady Hall) to catalogue the library in her Monmouthshire home. The work by which he is best remembered today is The Adventures and Vagaries of Twm Shôn Catti , which was first published at Aberystwyth in 1828 ('Printed for the Author by John Cox '). This book ran into several editions - the second edition (Cowbridge) has a preface written by the author at Builth, September 1839, with references to William Owen Pughe, David Owen (Brutus), and W. J. Rees, Cascob; the third (authorized) edition at Llanidloes, 1871, was followed by a Welsh translation (Llanidloes, 1872) by 'Eilonydd,' i.e. John Evans. Other works by Prichard were Welsh Minstrelsy … or Cantrev y Gwaelod. A Poem … (Aberystwyth, 1824); The New Aberystwyth Guide (Aberystwyth, 1824); The Cambrian Balnea: or Guide to the Watering Places of Wales, Marine and Inland (London, 1825) with another version entitled The Llandrindod Guide (n.d.), The Heroines of Welsh History (London, 1854). He was also the editor and part-author of The Cambrian Wreath; A Selection of English Poems on Welsh Subjects … (Aberystwyth, 1828). He appears to have died, in poverty, at Swansea, in 1875 [or 1876]; Cyfaill yr Aelwyd , 1887 (113 ) says he was buried there, in Tabernacle graveyard. He was alive on 24 November 1875, the date of one of his letters printed in Cymru Fu, II, v, 80.

Author

• Sir William Llewelyn Davies, (1887 - 1952)

Sources

• T. R. Roberts, Eminent Welshmen: a short biographical dictionary of Welshmen... from the earliest times to the present (1908)
• Bye-Gones, relating to Wales and the Border Counties, 1881 (347), 1882 (34)
• Poole, The Illustrated History and Biography of Brecknockshire (1886), 317
• further information from the Rev. Gomer M. Roberts

Works

• T. J. Llewelyn Prichard, The adventures and vagaries of Twm Shon Catti, descriptive of life in Wales (Aberystwyth 1828)
• T. J. Llewelyn Prichard, Difyr-gampau a gorchestion yr enwog Twm-Shôn-Catti, gwron Cymreig (Bala 188-?)
• T. J. Llewelyn Prichard, Edward Salter, The adventures and vagaries of Twm Shon Catti: alias Thomas Jones, Esq. of Tregaron, a wild wag of Wales (Llanidloes 1873)

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20804793

Published date: 1959

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