GRIFFITH, OWEN (Ywain Meirion, Owen Gospiol, 1803 - 1868), ballad-writer and strolling ballad-singer

Name: Owen Griffith
Pseudonym: Ywain Meirion, Owen Gospiol
Date of birth: 1803
Date of death: 1868
Gender: Male
Occupation: ballad-writer and strolling ballad-singer
Area of activity: Music; Performing Arts; Poetry
Author: Robert Thomas Jenkins

If we could be quite certain that he was the man who under the pseudonym Owen Meirion wrote the article on the history of Bala, in Y Brython, 1860, 264-5, we could say that he was born at Bala. He sang in fairs all over Wales - he is heard of, e.g. at Machynlleth, Holywell, Llanfyllin, Llanrwst, and the Caernarvonshire fairs, and he was very well known in South Wales. He always wore a top-hat. Some have it that he gave up ballad-singing and became a rag-collector; in any case, it is certain that his last years, despite the kindness of Nicholas Bennett, were years of adversity. He died a pauper at Llanbryn-mair, 24 June 1868, at the age of sixty-five, and was buried there by the parish - on his tomb is an englyn by Mynyddog. We have fifty-nine of his ballads.

Author

Published date: 1959

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

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