THOMAS, WILLIAM (Gwilym Mai; 1807 - 1872), poet and printer

Son of Ann and Thomas Thomas, miller, Llanelly and Carmarthen. His mother died 10 May 1828 (Seren Gomer, 1828, 188 ). He worked at Merthyr, Llandovery, and Carmarthen. He was a compositor in the office of David Rice Rees and William Rees at Llandovery, and at Carmarthen he worked in the offices of the Carmarthen Journal with William Evans and Benjamin Jones. Afterwards he set up his own business at Carmarthen. He was an ardent eisteddfodwr, and was successful in the poetry competitions at the Swansea (1846) and Carmarthen (1852) eisteddfodau. He published collections of his own poetry, Meillion Mai, 1849; Blodyn Dyffryn Tywi, 1854, and also an elementary text-book on the Welsh cynghanedd, Clorian y Bardd, 1850. In his introduction to the latter he states that the times were too difficult for poets to afford the Drych Barddonol and the grammars of Robert Davies, Nantglyn, and Siôn Rhydderch. He was an Oddfellow for thirty-five years, and published a treatise on the subject, Traethawd ar Odyddiaeth; ynghyd a nifer Cyfrinfaoedd Cymru. He also wrote an awdl to Oddfellowship (Meillion Mai, 18). He was a deacon at Lammas Street chapel, Carmarthen. At one time he worked with William Saunders (1806 - 1851).

Author

• Professor David James Bowen

Sources

• Seren Gomer, 1828, 188, 340
• Yr Haul, 1872, 240
• Baner ac Amserau Cymru, 22 May 1872
• J. Ifano Jones, A history of printing and printers in Wales to 1810, and of successive and related printers to 1923 (Cardiff 1925)
• Catalogue of Printed Literature in the Welsh Department, Cardiff Free Libraries (1898)
• H. Blackwell, NLW MS 9274A: A Dictionary of Welsh Biography
• G. Eyre Evans, Lampeter (1905)

Works

• William Thomas, Yr awen lawen; sef, Casgliad o ganiadau dewisol (Caerfyrddin 1851)

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q27972061

Published date: 1959

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