Rev. Gwilym Richard Tilsley (26 May 1911 – 30 August 1997), commonly known by his bardic name of "Tilsli", was a Welsh poet who served as

Archdruid Archdruid () is the title used by the presiding official of Gorsedd Cymru, the Gorsedd. The Archdruid presides over the most important ceremonies at the National Eisteddfod of Wales including the Crowning of the Bard, the award of the and the C ...

of the National Eisteddfod of Wales between 1969 and 1972. He was born at Tŷ Llwyd near Llanidloes and educated at Manledd primary school, Llanidloes County School, the

University of Wales, Aberystwyth , mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all , established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'') , former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth , type = Public , endowment = ...

and Wesley House, Cambridge, before entering the (Wesleyan) Methodist ministry. As a Methodist minister, he served in Commins Coch near

Machynlleth Machynlleth () is a market town, community and electoral ward in Powys, Wales and within the historic boundaries of Montgomeryshire. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads. At the 2001 Census it had a pop ...

(1939 to 1942), Pontrhydygroes in Cardiganshire (1942 to 1945), Aberdare (1945 to 1950),

Colwyn Bay Colwyn Bay ( cy, Bae Colwyn) is a town, community and seaside resort in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales overlooking the Irish Sea. It lies within the historic county of Denbighshire. Eight neighbouring communities are incorpo ...

(1950 to 1955),

Llanrwst Llanrwst ('church or parish of Saint Grwst'; ) is a market town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy, in Conwy County Borough, Wales, and the historic county of Denbighshire. It developed round the wool trade and became known als ...

(1955 to 1960),

Caernarfon Caernarfon (; ) is a royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the eastern shore of the Menai Strait, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is ...

(1960 to 1965),

Rhyl Rhyl (; cy, Y Rhyl, ) is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. The town lies within the historic boundaries of Flintshire, on the north-east coast of Wales at the mouth of the River Clwyd ( Welsh: ''Afon Clwyd''). To the we ...

(1965 to 1970) and

Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...

(1970 to 1975) before retiring to

Prestatyn Prestatyn is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. Historically a part of Flintshire, it is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. Prestatyn has a population of 19,085, History Prehistory There is evidence that ...

. This experience of the itinerant life of a Methodist minister in both north and south Wales inspired the two heroic poems to the industrial worker which brought him to prominence: He won the chair at the National Eisteddfod of Wales at Caerphilly in 1950 for a poem ''Moliant i'r Glöwr'' in praise of the coal miner, and again at

Llangefni Llangefni (meaning "church on the River Cefni", ) is the county town of Anglesey in Wales and contains the principal offices of the Isle of Anglesey County Council. United Kingdom Census 2011 recorded Llangefni's population as 5,116 people, ma ...

in 1957 with the poem ''Cwm Carnedd'' about the life of the slate quarryman. Tilsley wrote the words of several Welsh hymns, including ''Am ffydd, nefol dad, y deisyfwn'' ("I beseech Thee for faith, O Heavenly Father") He married Anne Eluned Jones (1908–2003) in 1945. A son, Gareth Maldwyn Tilsley, was born in 1946.

Works

* ''Y glöwr a cherddi eraill'' (1957)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tilsley, Gwilym 1911 births 1997 deaths Alumni of Aberystwyth University Chaired bards Welsh Eisteddfod archdruids Welsh Methodist ministers Welsh-language poets Welsh-speaking clergy 20th-century Welsh poets Alumni of Wesley House 20th-century Welsh clergy