Eirwen Gwynn

Eirwen Meiriona St John Gwynn ( Williams; ; 1 December 1916 – 26 January 2007) was a Welsh nationalist, writer, teacher and physicist. Born in Liverpool, she read physics at the University College of North Wales and later earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in that field in 1942. Gwynn taught physics at Rhyl Grammar School and later worked as an assistant account at the Government Exchequer and Audit Department. She then worked as a full-time lecturer for the Workers' Educational Association and was a freelance writer who created 1,500 works on social development and science in the English and Welsh printed press. Gwynn also authored multiple books and short stories, won awards during her career, promoted the Welsh language by being a member of four committees and served as president of two societies.

Early life and education

Gwynn was born Eirwen Meiriona St. John Williams on 1 December 1916 at 99 Shiel Road, Newsham Park, Liverpool; her father wrote her date of birth as 12 December to avoid a fine for late registration of birth. and was disappointed his first born was a girl. She was the eldest child of the self-trained dentist William St. John Williams and his wife Annie (née Williams); the family resided amongst a large Welsh diaspora in Liverpool. Gwynn had a younger brother, Gwilym Gareth. Her father encouraged her to become interested in current affairs, read greatly and become proud of her family roots in North West Wales. From 1923 to 1927, Gwynn attended Birchfield Road Council School, and enjoyed on-stage performing. She learnt to resist bullying from her fellow pupils and teachers because she was Welsh.

When Gwynn was ten years old, the family moved to Llangefni, because one of her father's siblings had found employment as Cardiff's Regional Dental Officer for Wales. She was taught at Pwllheli County School, and was attracted to chemistry, mathematics and physics due to influential teachers and her father. Gwynn defied the school's predominant English-language education, and assaulted an English mistress, who called the girls in the class "Welsh scum". In 1930, she joined Plaid Cymru, five years after the party was founded. Gwynn earned a scholarship to read physics at the University College of North Wales in 1934, after declining to attend the University of Cambridge. She was the only woman in her class to study physics at the college, and received abuse from the external examiner because she was a woman. Gwynn graduated three years later with a higher second class degree.

Afterwards, she remained in Bangor to research X-ray crystallography, and received a Doctor of Philosophy in physics in 1942, becoming the first woman to graduate with such honours at the college.

Career

Gwynn and her future husband Harri Gwynn established a Plaid Cymru branch at the university, and was a member of a peasant movement, which united nationalists and socialists. She was head of the physics department at Rhyl Grammar School between 1941 and 1942, before spending the remainder of the Second World War in Warwick and then London at the Government Exchequer and Audit Department as an assistant accountant. Gwynn had an ovarian growth removed and the experienced caused her to develop a dislike of using nuclear technology and nuclear power. According to Meic Stephens of ''The Independent'', she was unsuccessful in other occupations because the interview panel had not expected to meet a woman and did not want to accept one had a degree.

After she was unable to form a Welsh-speaking school in London, the family chose to move close to the Welsh-language village of Rhoslan on the Llŷn Peninsula in 1950. The family took a stockholding that had no electricity, telephone communication or running water; neither had any experience of farming. Gwynn found a job working as a full-time lecturer for the Workers' Educational Association, from 1970 to 1979 in Anglesey, Arfon, Eifionydd and Llŷn, becoming according to her biography written by Deri Tomos in the '' Dictionary of Welsh Biography'' "one of the most important interpreters of science and technology – and their implications – to the Welsh speaking community." During her career, she became a freelancer, writing about 1,500 works on social development and science in the Welsh and English printed press. Papers she wrote for included ''The Scientist'', ''New Scientist'', ''The Observer,'' ''Scientific American,'' ''The Sunday Times'', ''The Listener'', ''New Internationalist'' and '' Y Faner.'' Gwynn also produced a weekly column of science in ''Y Cymro'' for 13 years and a weekly column on nutrition for ''Y Cymro'' for 10 years''.'' She also appeared on radio and television.

Gwynn reached a large audience by remaining independent from organisations or those from a narrow academic expertise and became a national celebrity in Wales. She expanded her role to write about alternative medicine, nutrition, women's status in society and the dangers of nuclear power. Gwynn authored the space exploration book ''I'r Lleuad a thu hwnt'' (English: To the Moon and Beyond) in 1964, a tip book for women in societal change called ''Cyfrol o gyngor a chyfarwyddyd'' (English: 'Marriage. A volume of advice and guidance') in 1966 and a healthy eating book called ''Bwyta i Fyw'' (English: 'Eating to Live') in 1987. She was the recipient of a BBC
...