Dewi Morgan (1877 – 1 April 1971), also known by his

bardic name A bardic name (, ) is a pseudonym used in Wales, Cornwall, or Brittany by poets and other artists, especially those involved in the eisteddfod movement. The Welsh term bardd ("poet") originally referred to the Welsh poets of the Middle Ages, who m ...

"Dewi Teifi", was a Welsh bard, scholar and journalist, who won the

Chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...

at the 1925

National Eisteddfod of Wales The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh language, Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Eur ...

Pwllheli Pwllheli () is a market town and community of the Llŷn Peninsula ( cy, Penrhyn Llŷn) in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It had a population of 4,076 in 2011 of whom a large proportion, 81%, are Welsh language, Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the pl ...

with his important awdl recounting the legend of Cantre'r Gwaelod.

Biography

Born David Morgan at 'Bryndderwen',

Dôl-y-Bont Dol-y-bont ("bridge meadow") is a village in Ceredigion, Wales; It lies near Borth, to the north of Llandre. Dôl is Welsh for "meadow", Bont is Welsh for "bridge". The village was the birthplace of Welsh bard and scholar Dewi Teifi (1877–19 ...

Cardiganshire Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cere ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, opposite Capel y Babell, he was the son of William Morgan (1842–1917) and Jane James (1846–1922). He later claimed that his ancestry stretched back to Sir Gruffudd Fychan of

Denbigh Denbigh (; cy, Dinbych; ) is a market town and a community in Denbighshire, Wales. Formerly, the county town, the Welsh name translates to "Little Fortress"; a reference to its historic castle. Denbigh lies near the Clwydian Hills. History ...

, who had been knighted in the field at the

Battle of Agincourt The Battle of Agincourt ( ; french: Azincourt ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected English victory against the numerica ...

by Henry V in 1426. Dewi Morgan moved with his family to Pen-y-garn when he was two years old, after his father built and opened a grocer’s shop there called Garn House. The sign above the door of the shop read “William Morgan, General Merchant”, and as well a being a grocer, Dewi’s father sold coal and carried goods. Dewi Morgan was largely self-taught, having had little formal education, becoming a master of the form of strict-meter Welsh poetry known as

Cynghanedd In Welsh-language poetry, ''cynghanedd'' (, literally "harmony") is the basic concept of sound-arrangement within one line, using stress, alliteration and rhyme. The various forms of ''cynghanedd'' show up in the definitions of all formal Welsh v ...

. He regularly competed at regional and local eisteddfodau, winning his first eisteddfod Chair at the age of twenty-two. Following his success at Pwllheli, he said that one of the two greatest influences on his life was the headmaster of Rhydypennau School, John Evans; the other was his great friend

T. Gwynn Jones Professor Thomas Gwynn Jones C.B.E. (10 October 1871 – 7 March 1949), more widely known as T. Gwynn Jones, was a leading Welsh poet, scholar, literary critic, novelist, translator, and journalist who did important work in Welsh literature, W ...

. Through his friendship with the latter Morgan not only deepened his understanding and appreciation of Welsh literature, but also broadened his knowledge to encompass the wider European literary tradition. Amongst his other friends could be counted many Welsh scholars and academics, including T. H. Parry-Williams, T. E. Nicholas and Eifion Wyn. He encouraged many young poets and writers, particularly the young Tom Macdonald who lived across the road from Dewi in Pen-y-garn. Tom Macdonald, who knew him as “Dewi Garnhouse”, makes reference to Dewi's influence upon him in his writings. For many years Dewi Morgan was sub-editor for the Welsh language newspaper '' Baner ac Amserau Cymru'', under Prosser Rhys, as well as being on the staff of ''

Y Tyst Y, or y, is the twenty-fifth and penultimate letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. According to some authorities, it is the sixth (or seventh ...

'' and the Welsh editor at the '' Cambrian News''.Jones, Gwilym R., 'Ledled Cymru: Marw Prifardd', ''Baner ac Amserau Cymru'', 15 Ebrill 1971

Family

Dewi Morgan was married three times, first to Minnie Davies on 22 September 1909; then to Olwen Eluned Jones on 9 September 1931 (who died on 2 November 1947 aged only 47 years); and finally to Sarah Margaretta Morgan in 1950 (1877–1957). His second son is Lord

Elystan Morgan Dafydd Elystan Elystan-Morgan, Baron Elystan-Morgan (7 December 1932 – 7 July 2021), known as Elystan Morgan, was a Welsh politician. He sat as a crossbencher in the House of Lords from 1981 to 2020, and served as a Labour MP from 1966 to 197 ...

. His grandchild is author

Lleucu Roberts Lleucu Roberts (born 27 September 1964) is a Welsh author. Biography Born in Aberystwyth, she grew up in Ceredigion's Bow Street, taking courses at Rhydypennau Primary School, Penweddig Comprehensive School, and Aberystwyth University. In 2011 ...

References

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Dewi 1877 births 1971 deaths Chaired bards Welsh Eisteddfod winners People from Ceredigion Welsh journalists Welsh poets Welsh-language poets