Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Jones, Owen (1741-1814)
JONES, OWEN (1741–1814), Welsh antiquary, also known by the name of Owain Myvyr, from Llanfihangel Glyn y Myvyr in Denbighshire, where he was born 3 Sept. 1741, was younger son of a respectable family that traced its descent from Marchweithian, founder of one of the royal tribes of North Wales. He came to London in early life, and entered the employment of Messrs. Kidney & Nutt, furriers, of 148 Upper Thames Street, to whose business he eventually succeeded. With the view of encouraging the study of Welsh literature and archæology, he founded, in 1770, the Gwyneddigion Society of London, of which he continued to be one of the chief supporters until his death on 26 Sept. 1814. He was buried in Allhallows churchyard in Thames Street, where a plain tombstone was placed, bearing a Welsh inscription with ‘englynion’ by the Rev. Walter Davies (Gwallter Mechain) which were sadly mutilated by the English engraver. His portrait was painted for the Gwyneddigion Society in 1802 by John Vaughan, one of the members; it was engraved for Leathart's ‘History’ of that society. Jones's elegy was also written for the society by John Jones of Glanygoes (1763–1821) [q. v.] Jones's wife, Hannah Jane Jones, was afterwards married to one Robert Roberts, and died 23 April 1838, in her sixty-fifth year; by her he had two daughters, one of whom, Hannah Jones, died unmarried on 21 Sept. 1890, and one son, Owen Jones [q. v.], architect (Byegones, 1889–90, pp. 281, 485).
From his childhood Jones had a passion for Welsh literature, and the one great aim of his life was to give permanence and publicity to its scattered and unknown treasures. Matthew Arnold has paid him a well-deserved tribute for his self-sacrificing patriotism in collecting at his own expense and obtaining transcripts of all available Welsh manuscripts, a portion of which he published in three bulky volumes, called after his own name, ‘The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales’ (London, 1801–7, 8vo). Dr. Owen Pughe and Edward Williams (Iolo Morganwg) shared with him the literary superintendence of the work, but he defrayed all the expenses of the undertaking. The ‘Archaiology’ has since been, as Arnold says, ‘The great repertory of the literature of his nation: the book is full of imperfections, it presented itself to a public which could not judge of its importance, and it brought upon its author, in his lifetime, more attack than honour’ (Arnold, Celtic Literature, pp. 24–7). But his great labour was appreciated by a few men, outside the circle of Welsh readers (see Quarterly Review for 1819, xxi. 94; Retrospective Review for 1825, xi. 67–9). A second edition was published at Denbigh in 1870. This collection contains most of the works of the Welsh bards from the fifth to the close of the thirteenth century, and selections from later poetry, versions of the ‘Bruts’ and of the laws of Hywel Dda, historical triads and genealogies of saints. He left behind him at his death a hundred volumes of manuscript containing 35,500 pages, which the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion purchased from his widow, and subsequently gave over, with a few additions, to the British Museum, where they are numbered Add. MSS. 14962–15089.
Jones was also joint-editor with Dr. Owen Pughe of a collection of the poems of Davydd ab Gwilym, which was published in 1789 at Jones's own expense, though nominally under the auspices of the Gwyneddigion (2nd edit. Liverpool, 1873). In 1802 appeared his reprint of ‘Dyhewyd y Cristion,’ a translation originally published in 1632 by Dr. John Davies of Mallwyd, of a work by Robert Parsons, commonly known as ‘The Christian's Resolution’ (Rowlands, Llyfryddiaeth y Cymry, s. a. 1632). He is also credited with being partly responsible for the publication of a Welsh quarterly magazine called ‘Y Greal,’ which was commenced in 1805, and only reached its ninth number. The revival of eisteddfods, which was so largely promoted by the Gwyneddigion Society, derived much support from him, and he often defrayed the expense of publishing the prize compositions.
[Leathart's Origin and Progress of the Gwyneddigion Society, 1831; Cambro-Briton, i. 19–23; Gent. Mag. for 1814, pt. ii. p. 499.]