John Rowlands (
pen name
A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name.
A pen na ...
, "Giraldus"; 1824 – 4 July 1891) was a Welsh
antiquary
An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...
and educator,
a literary man who wrote several interesting things in English and Welsh, and was an occasional contributor to the daily and weekly journals of the day.
Biography
He was born at Nanteos Arms,
Llanbadarn Fawr, Ceredigion. He was one of the first students who entered
Carmarthen College, and one of the first who went out as pioneers of education in
South Wales
South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
, when schoolmasters' salaries ranged from thirty pounds to forty pounds a year.
During his early years, he served as chief librarian to Sir
Thomas Phillipps
Sir Thomas Phillipps, 1st Baronet (2 July 1792 – 6 February 1872), was an English antiquary and book collector
Book collecting is the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, ...
, Middle Hall,
Cheltenham
Cheltenham (), also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a spa town and borough on the edge of the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort, following the discovery of mineral s ...
.
Rowlands was a schoolmaster by profession, and in that capacity, he spent 10 years at
Rumney; 16 years at
Dinas Powys
Dinas Powys (; also spelt "Dinas Powis" in English) is a small town and community (Wales), community in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. Its name means "fort of the provincial place" and refers to the Dinas Powys hillfort, Iron Age hillfort wh ...
; and he spent some years also at
Risca
Risca ( cy, Rhisga) is a town in the Caerphilly County Borough and the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in south-east Wales. Risca has a railway station, opened on the Ebbw Valley Railway in February 2008, after a gap of 46 years. It is spl ...
and
Bedwas in a similar capacity.
He established ten new schools in localities where there were no schools before. He carried one school on for 12 months without receiving any salary.
He received his pension from the Education Department, according to the code, for his services as a schoolmaster for nearly 40 years.
His other services were enumerated by the Rector of
Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...
and others, in the ''
Western Mail'' and other papers, when he had a paralytic seizure, 10 years before his death, which left his left side in a helpless condition.
He died in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
, leaving a wife and daughters. There was at least son, John D. Rowlands, of
Treherbert
Treherbert () is a village and community situated at the head of the Rhondda Fawr valley in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Historically part of Glamorgan, Treherbert is a former industrial coal mining village which was at its eco ...
.
References
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Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowlands, John
Welsh educators
1824 births
1891 deaths
Welsh antiquarians
People from Ceredigion