JAMES, JOHN (Ioan Meirion; 1815 - 1851), writer

Name: John James
Pseudonym: Ioan Meirion
Date of birth: 1815
Date of death: 1851
Parent: Sarah James
Parent: John James
Gender: Male
Occupation: writer
Area of activity: Literature and Writing
Author: Robert Thomas Jenkins

Born at Ty-gwyn, Llan-ym-Mawddwy, Meironnydd, younger son of John James (who survived him) and his wife Sarah; the father was a deacon in the Independent church at Dinas Mawddwy, and the elder son, Hugh James (1809 - 1875), became Independent minister of Brithdir (near Dolgelley) and of Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain, Montgomeryshire. John James went up to London at an early age; his occupation there is not known, but he married a rich wife, and at the close of his life was living at 4 Tysoe Street, Wilmington Square. He wrote a good deal, in Welsh and in English, and on Talhaiarn's testimony was a leading member of the Cymreigyddion Society. Unfortunately for his fame, he was appointed in 1846 one of the twelve assistant-commissioners in the inquiry into education in Wales - probably because of his Nonconformist background, though he was no longer a Nonconformist. His reports (included in the Commission's printed Report) were furiously attacked; he was severely handled by Lewis Edwards (; and see Edwards's Traethodau Llenyddol, 374-421); lesser critics than Edwards spoke of him as a Judas. In July 1847 he became secretary to the trustees of the ' Welsh Charity School ' in London; and when the Anglican newspaper Y Cymro was removed from Bangor to London in 1830, James became its editor. He died 24 April 1851 (from a kick by his horse on Blackheath), and was buried in the churchyard at Llan-ym-Mawddwy; according to his tombstone he was then 36.

Author

Published date: 1959

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

The Dictionary of Welsh Biography is provided by The National Library of Wales and the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies. It is free to use and does not receive grant support. A donation would help us maintain and improve the site so that we can continue to acknowledge Welsh men and women who have made notable contributions to life in Wales and beyond.

Find out more on our sponsorship page.