ROBERTS, ROBERT (1834 - 1885), cleric and scholar
Date of birth: 1834
Date of death: 1885
Parent: Mary Roberts
Parent: Owen Roberts
Gender: Male
Occupation: cleric and scholar
Area of activity: Literature and Writing; Religion; Scholarship and Languages
Author: Thomas Iorwerth Ellis
Born 12 November 1834, son of Owen Roberts and Mary his wife, of Hafod Bach, Llanddewi, Llangernyw, Denbighshire. He went to Bala to Lewis Edwards for two years, 1847-9, and then for two years more was a private tutor in Anglesey before being admitted to the training college at Caernarvon. He obtained his certificate there, and taught at Castle Caereinion and Llanllechid (1853), Amlwch, and Ruthin (1855). In August 1857 he went to S. Bees College to prepare for holy orders, was ordained deacon in 1859 by bishop Short of S. Asaph and licensed to Cwm, near Rhuddlan; he received priest's orders in 1860 and served as curate at Bala, and at Rug near Corwen. In 1861 he was compelled to give up his curacy, and emigrated to Australia. There he wrote his autobiography, which gives a remarkable picture of Welsh life in the middle of the 19th century. He returned to Wales in 1875 and was for three years a private tutor at Betws, near Abergele. He also did much lexicographical work, and D. Silvan Evans profited very greatly from Roberts's work and the materials which he supplied. His last years were spent in desultory teaching; he died at Llanrwst, and was buried at Llangernyw, 15 April 1885.
Roberts was known as 'Y Sgolor Mawr' (The Great Scholar) and his work shows signs of fine scholarship which is remarkable considering the difficulties he encountered.
Author
- Thomas Iorwerth Ellis, (1899 - 1970)
- J. H. Davies (ed.), The life and opinions of Robert Roberts, wandering scholar (Cardiff 1923)
- The National Library of Wales Journal, iv, 205
- NLW Archives: Cwrtmawr MS 792D, Cwrtmawr MS 937C
- NLW Archives: NLW MS 88C
- T. O. Phillips, Robert Roberts (Y Sgolor Mawr) 1834-1885 (Caerdydd 1957)
Sources
- Bardwell's Royal Studio Ballarat, Robert Roberts
Images
Published date: 1959
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
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