Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Jones, Owen (1806-1889)
JONES, OWEN (1806–1889), miscellaneous Welsh writer, also known as Meudwy Môn, born on 15 July 1806, was the son of John and Ellen Thomas of Y Gaerwen Bach, in the parish of Llanfihangel Ysgeifiog, Anglesea. He spent a few years as a farm-servant, but having received a good elementary education, turned schoolmaster, and became local agent of the Bible Society. About 1827 he was appointed a lay preacher among the methodists, was ordained in 1842, and was pastor successively at Llangoed (Anglesea), Mold (1833), Manchester (1844), and Llandudno (1866). He died at Llandudno on 10 Oct. 1889. While at Anglesea he married Ellen, only daughter of Richard Rowlands of Bryn Mawr in the same place.
Jones led an exceptionally active life, and it is said that he preached twelve thousand times, and left behind him six thousand sermons in manuscript; he delivered about one thousand addresses on behalf of the Bible Society, and eight thousand temperance lectures. Besides a large number of articles contributed to Welsh periodicals, he was either the author, translator, or editor of over forty works in Welsh, being from 1867 Welsh editor for Messrs. Blackie of Glasgow. His numerous writings show greater versatility than originality. In 1833 he superintended the publication, at Mold, of James Hughes's Welsh commentary, and in January 1834 he also became editor of a monthly review known at first as ‘Y Cynniweirydd’ (Mold), but, in January 1835, this periodical was converted into a weekly newspaper entitled ‘Y Newyddiadur Hanesyddol,’ and has been subsequently known as ‘Cronicl yr Oes.’ Soon after he started two short-lived temperance magazines, called ‘Y Cymedrolydd’ (Denbigh), and ‘Y Cerbyd Dirwestol’ (Mold) respectively. He wrote an ‘Essay on Infant Baptism,’ edited a Welsh translation of Bunyan's ‘Works,’ with notes, Glasgow, 1870, 8vo, and was the author of a commentary on the Bible in three volumes (1842, 12mo), which raised the standard of biblical exegesis in Wales.
His best-known works are the following: 1. ‘Pymtheg o Ddarlithiau ar Hanes y Cymry’ (‘Fifteen Lectures on Welsh History’), Pwllheli, 1850–3, 8vo. 2. ‘Mynegair Ysgrythyrol’ (a concordance of the Welsh Bible), Denbigh, 1860, 8vo. 3. ‘Cymru, yn hanesyddol, parthedigol a bywgraffyddol,’ 2 vols., Glasgow, 1875, 8vo, being an historical, topographical, and biographical dictionary of Wales, his most important work, in which he was assisted by the Rev. G. Parry (Gwalchmai). 4. ‘Ceinion Llenyddiaeth Gymreig’ (‘Selections from Welsh Literature’), 2 vols., Glasgow, 1876, 8vo.
[Y Geninen, viii. 243–8; Ceninen Gwyl Dewi, 1890, pp. 33–43; Byegones for 16 Oct. 1889.]