WILLIAMS, ROBERT (Trebor Mai; 1830 - 1877), poet
Pseudonym: Trebor Mai
Date of birth: 1830
Date of death: 1877
Gender: Male
Occupation: poet
Area of activity: Poetry
Author: Alfred Owen Hughes Jarman
Born 25 May 1830 at Ty'n-yr-ardd near Llanrhychwyn, Caernarfonshire, the son of a tailor. He was educated at a local Llanrhychwyn school and for a period attended the free school at Llanrwst. When he was 13 his family moved to Llanrwst and he applied himself to his father's craft. After marriage on 13 October 1854 he commenced business as a tailor on his own account in that town, and there spent the rest of his life.
He had previously been instructed in the rudiments of poetic composition by Caledfryn, who was at that time a minister at Llanrwst. Trebor Mai remained a life-long admirer of Caledfryn, and in 1863 refused to support the 'Protest' against the severity of the latter's eisteddfodic adjudications.
He published two volumes of verse, Fy Noswyl, 1861, and Y Geninen, 1869. He is celebrated as a writer of englynion, of which his collected works published in 1883 contain over a thousand examples, in addition to fifty poems in the free metres, one awdl, and a number of pieces in the cywydd and hir a thoddaid metres. Among his literary associates were Gwilym Cowlyd, Dewi Arfon, and Scorpion. For a period he was a member of the Independent denomination but later joined the Established Church.
He died 5 August 1877, and was buried at Llanrwst.
Author
- Professor Alfred Owen Hughes Jarman, (1911 - 1998)
- Robert Williams, Isaac Foulkes, Gwaith Barddonol Trebor Mai, prif englyniwr Cymru: yn cynwys ei englynion, caneuon, cywyddau, etc. (Liverpool 1883)
Sources
- Wikipedia Article: Robert Williams
Further Reading
Published date: 1959
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
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