David Rowlands (Dewi Môn) (4 March 1836 – 7 January 1907) was a Welsh Congregational minister, college head and poet.

Life

The son of John and Margaret Rowlands, he was born on 4 March 1836 at Geufron,

Rhosybol Rhosybol (meaning: ''Moor in the Hollow'') is a village and community in Anglesey, Wales. The community population at the 2011 census was 1,078. Located south of the town of Amlwch, the village is close to both Llyn Alaw, the largest body of wa ...

Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...

. Two years later, his father moved to the farm at Ty Cristion,

Bodedern Bodedern is a village and community in the west of Anglesey, Wales. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 1,074, decreasing slightly to 1,051 at the 2011 census. The community includes the settlements of Llanllibio and Pen-llyn. Location ...

. After a village education he was apprenticed at thirteen, and spent some time in shops at

Holyhead Holyhead (,; cy, Caergybi , "Cybi's fort") is the largest town and a community in the county of Isle of Anglesey, Wales, with a population of 13,659 at the 2011 census. Holyhead is on Holy Island, bounded by the Irish Sea to the north, and is ...

and Hatfield. Encouraged by the Rev. W. Griffith of Holyhead, Rowlands became an independent preacher, and in 1853 entered Bala Congregational College. He went on in 1856 to

New College, London New College London (1850–1980) (sometimes known as New College, St John's Wood, or New College, Hampstead) was founded as a Congregationalist college in 1850. Predecessor institutions New College London came into being in 1850 by the amalgamat ...

; he returned to Bala in 1857 for a year as assistant-tutor, and in 1858 became a member of the Brecon Congregational College, graduating B.A. at London University in 1860. His first pastorate was at

Llanbrynmair Llanbrynmair () is a village, community and electoral ward in Montgomeryshire, Powys, on the A470 road between Caersws and Machynlleth. Llanbrynmair, in area, is the second largest in Powys. In 2011, it had a population of 920. Description The co ...

(1861–6); he was then for four years (1866–70) minister of the English church at

Welshpool Welshpool ( cy, Y Trallwng) is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, historically in the county of Montgomeryshire. The town is from the Wales–England border and low-lying on the River Severn; its Welsh language name ''Y Trallwng'' m ...

, and for two (1870–2) of the English church at

Carmarthen Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, ...

. From 1872 to 1897 he was one of the tutors of Brecon College, and from 1897 head of the institution. In 1902 Rowlands was chairman of the Congregational Union of Wales. He took part in Breconshire politics and was a member of the committee which drafted the county scheme of intermediate education. He was a prominent figure in Welsh literary and political life, but in poor health in his later years. He died at Brecon on 7 January 1907.

Works

Rowlands, whose bardic name was "Dewi Môn", was a writer of Welsh and English verse. His major works were: * ''Caniadau Serch'' (Welsh lyrics), Bala, 1855, published when he was 19. * ''Sermons on Historical Subjects'', London, 1870. * ''Grammadeg Cymraeg'', Wrexham, 1877, a short Welsh grammar. * ''Gwersi mewn Grammadeg'', Dolgelly, 1882, a manual of lessons in grammar. * A Welsh version of the ''

Alcestis Alcestis (; Ancient Greek: Ἄλκηστις, ') or Alceste, was a princess in Greek mythology, known for her love of her husband. Her life story was told by pseudo-Apollodorus in his '' Bibliotheca'', and a version of her death and return from ...

'' of

Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful e ...

, 1887, in competition at the Aberdare eisteddfod of 1885; it shared the prize with another version and both were printed in one volume. * ''Telyn Tudno'', Wrexham, 1897, containing the life and works of his brother-in-law, the poet Tudno (). Rowlands worked with the composer

Joseph Parry Joseph Parry (21 May 1841 – 17 February 1903) was a Welsh composer and musician. Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, he is best known as the composer of "Myfanwy" and the hymn tune "Aberystwyth", on which the African song "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" i ...

, and supplied English words for his opera ''

Blodwen ''Blodwen'' () is an opera in three acts composed in 1878 by Dr Joseph Parry to a libretto by Richard Davies. It was the first opera written in the Welsh language. Reception The opera premiered on 21 May 1878 at the Temperance Hall in Abery ...

'' and the oratorios ''Emmanuel'' and ''Joseph''; he was also literary editor of Parry's ''Cambrian Minstrelsie'' (Edinburgh, 1893). He was one of the four editors of the hymns in ''Y Caniedydd Cynulleidfaol'' (London, 1895), the hymn and tune book of the Welsh congregationalists.

Family

Rowlands married: # in 1864, Mary Elizabeth, daughter of William Roberts of Liverpool, by whom he left a son, Wilfred; # in 1897, Alice, step-daughter of J. Prothero, of Brecon.

Notes

External links

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Rowlands, David 1836 births 1907 deaths Welsh poets Welsh educators Welsh Congregationalist ministers