Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 23.djvu/319

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Gruffydd
311
Grundy

tended his possessions into the vale of Towy by occupying Cantrevbychan with the town of Llandovery (29 June) after his brother Maredudd's death. On 25 July Gruffydd died at the Cistercian abbey of Strata Florida, of which he was a benefactor, where he had already taken upon himself the monastic habit. He was there buried. He had married Maud, or Mahalt, de Braose, who died in 1209. His sons, Rhys and Owain, were driven out by Maelgwn, but in 1207 the great Llewelyn ab Iorwerth appeared in the south, and gave them all Ceredigion save Penwedig, which he reserved for himself. Giraldus describes Gruffydd as 'vir versipellis et versutus' (Op. vi. 111).

[Annales Cambriæ; Brut y Tywysogion; Giraldus Cambrensis, Opera, vol. vi., all in Rolls Series.]

T. F. T.

GRUFFYDD, THOMAS (1815–1887), harper, was born at Llangynidr in Breconshire in 1815. His maternal grandfather was the rector of the parish, in which his ancestors were yeomen. When three years old he lost one eye through falling on a hatchet, and when a schoolboy almost lost the other by a blow. He was already musical, and after these accidents devoted all his energies to music and to harp-playing. He was placed under one Jones, harper to Mr. Gwynne of Glanbran, near Llandovery, with whom he remained for some years. His countrymen followed him in large crowds wherever he played in public. He had a good voice and sang well. When he lost his sight his hearing became preternaturally keen and his memory strong. In course of time he married, and became successor to his old teacher as harper to the family of Llanover. In 1843 he accompanied Jones to Buckingham Palace to play Welsh airs before the queen and Prince Albert. Carnhuanawc (Thomas Price [q. v.]) was present at the time, and was asked by the prince to explain the peculiarities of the Welsh triple harp. Gruffydd was invited alone to Marlborough House to play. He won numerous prizes for harp-playing at the Eisteddfodau. In 1867 he visited Brittany, accompanied by his daughter, spending most of the time as guest of Comte de la Villemarqué, who presented him on leaving with a valuable gold ring bearing the inscription, 'Keltied Bro C'hall da Gruffydd, Llanover.' He was made harper to the Prince of Wales, before whom he played when the prince visited Raglan and Chepstow Castles. He was for many years recognised as the greatest Welsh harper of his age. A song of his, music and words, was published recently, under the name 'Gwlad y Bardd,' i.e. 'The Land of the Bard.' He died 30 Aug. 1887, and was buried in Llanover churchyard by the side of his parents.

[Memoir by Gwynionydd in Geninen, 1888.]

R. J. J.

GRUNDY, JOHN (1782–1843), Unitarian minister, son of Thomas and Elizabeth Grundy, was born in 1782 at Hinckley, Leicestershire, where his father was a hosier. He was baptised on 12 May 1783 by Thomas Belsham [q. v.] He was educated at Bristol by his uncle, John Prior Estlin [q. v.] In September 1797 he entered Manchester College under Thomas Barnes, D.D. (1747-1810) [q. v.], with an exhibition from the presbyterian fund, but returned to Bristol in the following year and completed his studies for the ministry under Estlin's direction. His first settlement was at Churchgate Street Chapel, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, to which charge he was invited on 19 Feb. 1804. At the end of 1806 he removed to Nottingham as colleague to James Tayler at the High Pavement Chapel, where he was active as a controversialist and as an advocate of Unitarian views. Grundy was elected co-pastor at Cross Street Chapel, Manchester, on 14 Sept. 1818. His controversial preaching alienated some older members of the congregation, who 'had much of primitive puritanism' among them. But in this place many were attracted to doctrinal lectures, which 'created in the town such a religious ferment as it had never before witnessed.' 'Grundy and no devil for ever' was chalked on the walls of his meeting-house. In 1811 he published a sermon, 'Christianity an Intellectual and Individual Religion,' which he had preached on 20 Oct. at the opening of a new chapel in Renshaw Street, Liverpool. A note on the growth of unitarian opinion in Boston, U.S., was added; this led to a correspondence with a Boston minister, Francis Parkman (afterwards D.D.)

In 1824 he accepted an invitation to succeed John Yates and Pendlebury Houghton [q. v.] at Paradise Street Chapel, Liverpool. Before leaving Manchester (September 1824) he was presented with a service of plate (cf. 'Manchester Gazette,' 14 Aug.) A speech at a public farewell dinner by George Harris (1794-1859) [q. v.] produced a long and acrimonious discussion in the public press (in which Grundy took no part), known as the Manchester Socinian controversy, and was followed by the Hewley suit [see Hewley, Sarah]. In 1832 Mr. James Martineau (now D.D.) became Grundy's colleague in Liverpool. Failing health led to Grundy's resignation in 1835. He retired to Chideock, near