Sir John Morris-Jones (17 October 1864 – 16 April 1929) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

grammarian, academic and Welsh-language poet. Morris-Jones was born John Jones, at Trefor in the parish of Llandrygarn,

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 ...

the son of Morris Jones first a schoolmaster, then a shopkeeper and his wife Elizabeth. He had a younger brother William Jones. In 1868 the family moved to

Llanfairpwllgwyngyll Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, or Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll (), is a large village and local government community on the island of Anglesey, Wales, on the Menai Strait next to the Britannia Bridge and across the strait from Bangor. Both shortened (Llanf ...

where he received elementary education. In 1876 he entered

Friars School, Bangor Friars School is a school in Bangor, Gwynedd, and one of the oldest schools in Wales. History 1557 Establishment The school was founded by Geoffrey Glyn who had been brought up in Anglesey and had followed a career in law in London. A fria ...

. In 1879 the headmaster of Friars School, Daniel Lewis Lloyd, was appointed to Christ College, Brecon, and John Jones accompanied him there. In 1883 he attended

Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship St ...

, where he graduated with honours in mathematics in 1887. While at Oxford, Morris-Jones studied Welsh books and manuscripts in the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second- ...

, and attended lectures by Sir

John Rhys John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

(1840–1915), the professor of Celtic. Morris-Jones and Rhys prepared an edition of ''The Elucidarium and other tracts in Welsh from Llyvyr agkyr Llandewivrevi A.D. 1346'' (The Book of the Anchorite of

Llanddewi Brefi Llanddewi Brefi () is a village, parish and community of approximately 500 people in Ceredigion, Wales. In the sixth century, Saint David (in Welsh, ''Dewi Sant''), the patron saint of Wales, held the Synod of Brefi here and it has borne his ...

), a collection of Medieval Welsh manuscripts in Jesus College Library, which they published in 1894. Morris-Jones was one of the original members of ' (the

Dafydd ap Gwilym Dafydd ap Gwilym ( 1315/1320 – 1350/1370) is regarded as one of the leading Welsh poets and amongst the great poets of Europe in the Middle Ages. Life R. Geraint Gruffydd suggests 1315- 1350 as the poet's dates; others place him a little ...

Society), which was founded in 1886 and is still a students' society. In 1889 Morris-Jones was appointed as a lecturer in Welsh at the University College of North Wales, Bangor (now

Bangor University , former_names = University College of North Wales (1884–1996) University of Wales, Bangor (1996–2007) , image = File:Arms_of_Bangor_University.svg , image_size = 250px , caption = Arms ...

) where he was promoted to professor in 1895, a post he held until his death. Morris-Jones worked to standardise Welsh

orthography An orthography is a set of conventions for writing a language, including norms of spelling, hyphenation, capitalization, word breaks, emphasis, and punctuation. Most transnational languages in the modern period have a writing system, and mos ...

. His works, ''Welsh Orthography'' (1893) and '' A Welsh Grammar, Historical and Comparative: phonology and accidence'' (1913), added to the status of the language and thus were well received in Wales. He was also founder and editor of the literary journal, ', published between 1911 and 1919. Morris-Jones was knighted in 1918, after which he used the surname Morris-Jones. Morris-Jones was a commissioner of the

Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW; cy, Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru; ), established in 1908, is a Welsh Government sponsored body concerned with some aspects of the archaeological, architectur ...

from 1920. In addition to his own poetry, Morris-Jones published influential translations into Welsh of the German poet

Heinrich Heine Christian Johann Heinrich Heine (; born Harry Heine; 13 December 1797 – 17 February 1856) was a German poet, writer and literary critic. He is best known outside Germany for his early lyric poetry, which was set to music in the form of '' Lied ...

(1797–1856) and the Persian

Omar Khayyam Ghiyāth al-Dīn Abū al-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm Nīsābūrī (18 May 1048 – 4 December 1131), commonly known as Omar Khayyam ( fa, عمر خیّام), was a polymath, known for his contributions to mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, an ...

(1048–1131). In 1897 Morris-Jones married Mary Hughes of Llanfairpwllgwyngyll. They had four daughters. He died in Bangor on 16 April 1929, aged . The Welsh-speaking hall of residence at

is named ''Neuadd John Morris-Jones'' (John Morris-Jones Hall) in his honour.

References

''List of publications by Morris-Jones''
List

External links

''Encyclopædia Britannica'' article
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris-Jones, John 1864 births 1929 deaths People educated at Friars School, Bangor Welsh poets Welsh non-fiction writers Welsh scholars and academics Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford Academics of Bangor University Knights Bachelor