Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Jones, Edward (fl.1771-1831)
JONES, EDWARD (fl. 1771–1831), author, was a native of Anglesey, Wales, and wrote under the pseudonym of Ned Mon (Mon = Anglesey). He lived chiefly in London, and described himself in some of his published works as ‘of the Inner Temple,’ but the roll of the inn does not contain his name. He was a prominent member of the London Gwyneddigion Society, and probably one of its founders (1771); in 1781 he was elected councillor for life; in 1782 he was secretary; in 1785 president, and a member of the committee appointed to revise the rules of the society. In Leathart's ‘Origin and Progress of the Gwyneddigion Society’ (1831) he is referred to (p. 39) as then ‘of Paris.’ He and his brother Owen [see below] helped Owen Jones (Myfyr) and W. Owen [Pughe] in bringing out the poetical works of Dafydd ab Gwilym, 1789 (see Preface, p. xxxii note). The following works are attributed to Edward Jones: 1. ‘Cicero's Brutus, or History of Famous Orators; also His Orator, or Accomplished Speaker, now first translated into English. By E. Jones,’ London, 1776, erroneously credited to Edward Jones (Bardd y Brenin, 1752–1824) [q. v.] by Rowlands and the British Museum Catalogue. Dr. Adam Clarke speaks in high terms of the translation. 2. ‘Index to Records called the Originalia and Memoranda, on the Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer's side of the Exchequer; extracted from the Records, and from the Manuscripts of Mr. Tayleure, Mr. Madox, and Mr. Chapman, formerly Officers in that Office,’ London, fol., printed for the editor, vol. i. 1793; vol. ii. 1795. Dedicated ‘To Sir Archibald Macdonald, Knt., Lord Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer, from Inner Temple, July 28, 1793.’ 3. ‘Cyfreithiau Plwyf [i.e.] parish laws]; sef holl ddyledswydd y Swyddogion, Wardeiniaid, neu Brocatorion, Goruchwylwyr y Tylodion, neu Overseers ac eraill Swyddogion Plwyf o bob Gradd,’ Bala, 1794.
Owen Jones (fl. 1790), Edward's brother, sometimes called Còr y Cyrtie, probably because he was a lawyer, was secretary to the Gwyneddigion Society in London in 1789, vice-president in 1792, and president in 1793.
[Rowlands's Cambrian Bibliography; letters from Mr. R. Williams, Newtown, Montgomeryshire, the Rev. Canon D. Silvan Evans, and Mr. T. Walter Williams, Middle Temple.]