RICHARDS, THOMAS (1687? - 1760), cleric and author

Although a native of Cardiganshire and born at Llanychaearn (Foster, Alumni Oxonienses), he may have been a member of the Richards family of Coed, near Dolgelley. Educated at Jesus College, Oxford (graduated in 1711), he was an excellent classical scholar; Dr. Trapp, professor of poetry at Oxford, said he was the best Latin poet since Vergil.

He was appointed rector of Newtown, 1713, appointed canon of St Asaph in 1718, and sinecure rector of Llansannan in 1720; he was also rector of Llanfyllin from 1718 up to his death in 1760. He was buried at Llanfyllin.

He translated into Welsh several popular English songs, published a Latin elegy on the death of queen Caroline (London, 1737), a sermon on S. Luke, ii, 10, 11 (London, 1727), a sermon preached at Newtown, 28 April 1732, on the occasion of the death of lady Pryce, wife of Sir John Pryce of Newtown Hall (1732). A letter by him on the fire in Harlech Marsh, 1694, appeared in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. He was in 1759 a corresponding member of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion.

Richard's best-known work is his satire in reply to Holdsworth's Muscipula, 1709, with the title of Χοιροχωρογραφία sive Hoglandiae Descriptio (London, 1709); he also published a satire on Hampshire, Holdsworth's native county, together with an English version, Hogland: or a description of Hampshire. A Mock Heroic Poem in answer to Mr. Holdsworth's Muscipula (London, 1709), reprinted London, 1728. J. H. Parry (Cambrian Plutarch, 344) gives an account of the circumstances under which Richards's counterblast to Holdsworth's satirical attack on the Welsh people was produced.

Author

• Sir William Llewelyn Davies, (1887 - 1952)

Sources

• R. Williams, Montgomeryshire Worthies (1894)
• H. B. Thomas, A History of the Diocese of St. Asaph (1874), i, 365, 547, ii, 56, 234, 264
• H. Blackwell, NLW MSS 9251-9277A: A Dictionary of Welsh Biography
• Foster, Alumni Oxonienses: the members of the University of Oxford

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: Thomas Richards

Works

• Thomas Richards, The nativity of Christ, matter of great joy to all people. A sermon preach'd at Newtown in Montgomery-shire, on Christmas-Day 1727 (London 1728)
• Edmund Gibson, Thomas Richards (trnsl.), Cyngor difrifol i un ar ol bod yn glaf: mewn lythyr oddi wrth Weinidog at un o'i blwyfolion. Gyda diolch i Dduw ar ol myned yn jach o glefyd (Llundain 1730)

Additional Links

• VIAF: 66343231
• Wikidata: Q7793510

Published date: 1959

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