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John Cadvan Davies (1846–1923) was a Wesleyan Methodist Minister and a Welsh poet, who served as
John Cadvan Davies (1846–1923) was a Wesleyan Methodist Minister and a Welsh poet, who served as Archdruid
Archdruid () is the title used by the presiding official of 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 Chairing of the ...
. He is better known in Wales by his bardic name, Cadfan (sometimes Cadvan).
Life and career
Cadvan was born on a small farm, Yr Allt, in the village ofLlangadfan
Llangadfan is a small village in Powys, Wales, based in the community of Banwy. The village lies on the A458 between Foel and Llanerfyl, from Llanwddyn. Dyfnant Forest is located nearby. The village is said to be known for its country dances. ...
, Montgomeryshire
Montgomeryshire, also known as ''Maldwyn'' ( cy, Sir Drefaldwyn meaning "the Shire of Baldwin's town"), is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It is named after its county tow ...
(now Powys
Powys (; ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh succession of states, successor state, petty kingdom and princi ...
), on 1 October 1846, as the son of David and Jane Davies.
He joined the Wesleyan
Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan– Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles W ...
ministry in 1871 and worked in most of the North Wales circuits and in Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
. He was President of the Assembly in 1910. He was among the editors of the Wesleyan hymn-book of 1900, which includes several of his hymns. Others can be found in the publication ''Llyfr Emynau y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd a Wesleaidd'' of 1927. "Heroic" verses of his earned him prizes – at a national eisteddfod
In Welsh culture, an ''eisteddfod'' is an institution and festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music.
The term ''eisteddfod'', which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: , meaning 'sit', and , meaning 'be', means, a ...
in Liverpool in 1884, in Caernarvon in 1886, and in London in 1887. He served as Archdruid in 1923.
Cadvan's publications were ''Caneuon Cadvan, i'' (1878), ''Caneuon Cadvan, ii'' (1883), ''Caneuon Cadvan, iii'' (1893), ''Dydd Coroniad'' (1894), ''Caneuon Cadvan, iv'' with ''Dydd Coroniad'' as a supplement (1897), and ''Atgof a Phrofiad'', an autobiography, which appeared in the ''Eurgrawn'' in 1917.
Family
Cadvan married twice, first to Maggie Jones, daughter of Hugh Jones, Ty'n y pwll, and Dinas Mawddwy, on 23 August 1876, in the Independent Chapel. His second wife was Mary Ada Evans, daughter of Meschach Evans, Manchester House,Leeswood
Leeswood ( cy, Coed-llai) is a village, community and electoral ward in Flintshire, Wales, about four miles from the historic market town of Mold. At the 2001 Census, the population was 2,143, reducing slightly to 2,135 at the 2011 Census.
It ...
, whom he married on 15 August 1882 in the Wesleyan Chapel of Mold
A mold () or mould () is one of the structures certain fungus, fungi can form. The dust-like, colored appearance of molds is due to the formation of Spore#Fungi, spores containing Secondary metabolite#Fungal secondary metabolites, fungal seco ...
.
John Cadvan Davies died at Oswestry
Oswestry ( ; ) is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads.
The town was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of ...
on 12 October 1923.
Notes
Eisteddfod Welsh Eisteddfod archdruids Welsh-speaking clergy 1846 births 1923 deaths {{UK-poet-stub