Richard Llwyd, also known as The Bard of Snowdon (1752 – 29 December 1835), 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 ...

author, poet and expert on Welsh

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...

and

genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kins ...

. His most notable work is the poem ''Beaumaris Bay'', which was published in 1800.

Life history

Llwyd was born at the King's Head, Beaumaris in 1752 to John and Alice Llwyd. His father was a coast trader who died at Warrington from smallpox while Llwyd was still young. He spent nine months at Beaumaris Free School before entering the service of a local gentleman. As of 1780 Llwyd was a steward and secretary to a Mr. Griffiths of Conwy. In his later life Llwyd became interested in Welsh books and manuscripts and became an acknowledged expert on Welsh heraldry and genealogy, spending much of his time studying the Hengwrt Manuscripts of Robert Vaughan. His continuing research led him to becoming an acknowledged source to many writers of the time, including

Richard Colt Hoare Sir Richard Colt Hoare, 2nd Baronet Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (9 December 1758 – 19 May 1838) was an English antiquarian, archaeologist, artist, and traveller of the 18th and 19th centuries, the first major figure in the detailed study ...

, Peter Roberts and Richard Fenton. In 1800, Llwyd published his poem "Beaumaris Bay", which was followed by ''Gayton Wake or Mary Dod'' (1804) and ''Poems, Tales, Odes, Sonnets, Translations from the British'' (1804). On a visit to London in 1808, to study at the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

, he was introduced to the likes of

Owen Jones Owen Jones (born 8 August 1984) is a British newspaper columnist, political commentator, journalist, author, and left-wing activist. He writes a column for ''The Guardian'' and contributes to the ''New Statesman'' and ''Tribune.'' He has two w ...

and

William Owen Pughe William Owen Pughe (7 August 1759 – 4 June 1835) was a Welsh antiquarian and grammarian best known for his ''Welsh and English Dictionary'', published in 1803, but also known for his grammar books and "Pughisms" (neologisms)."The Inventio ...

, who furthered his reputation as one of the foremost experts in Welsh genealogy. In 1814, at the age of 62, he married Ann Bingley, daughter of an alderman of

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

, the town where he now lived. In his retirement, Llwyd continued his connection with Welsh culture, being made an honorary member of the Cymmrodorian Society. He also returned to Beaumaris where he was instrumental in raising a monument to David Hughes, the founder of the Free School he studied at as a child. He died in Chester in 1835, having survived his wife by a year. He is buried at St. John's churchyard in Chester.

Bibliography

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Llwyd Richard 1752 births 1835 deaths Welsh poets Welsh writers Welsh genealogists People from Beaumaris British heraldists