Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 30.djvu/126

 shire. His father, a weaver, was able to teach him Latin, and he also attended a small school in his native village. He afterwards went to the grammar school at Aberystwith, where he became first an assistant, and in 1828 head-master. He resigned the post in 1834, when he entered St. Davids College, Lampeter, and was elected Eldon Hebrew scholar there in 1835. He was ordained deacon in September 1836 and priest in September 1837. His first curacy was Llanfihangel Geneu'r Glyn, and he afterwards removed to Bangor Chapel, both near Aberystwith. In February 1840 he became curate of Llanedwen and Llanddaniel Fab in Anglesey, where he remained till his death, 2 Dec. 1850. He was buried in Llanidan churchyard.

Jones is chiefly known as a translator of English works into Welsh; the following are some of his translations: 1. Gurney's ‘Dictionary of the Bible,’ with numerous additions by the translator, completed in 1835 in 2 vols. 12mo. 2. Dr. Adam Clarke's ‘Commentary on the New Testament,’ 2 vols., 1847, 8vo. Jones had also proceeded as far as Lev. iv. 12, with his translation of the commentary on the Old Testament, when his last illness interrupted the work. 3. Williams's ‘Missionary Enterprises,’ half only of which was published, as another Welsh edition was issued at the same time. Jones was joint-editor with Owen Williams of Waunfawr of a Welsh encyclopædia, ‘Y Geirlyfr Cymraeg,’ 2 vols., Llanfair-Caereinion, 1835, 4to, the second volume being entirely written by Jones. He edited also the second edition of William Salesbury's ‘Welsh Testament,’ originally published in 1567 (Carnarvon, 1850, 8vo), and assisted the Rev. E. Griffiths of Swansea in bringing out a translation of Matthew Henry's ‘Exposition,’ besides being the author of several tracts and pamphlets of minor importance. 

JONES, JAMES RHYS (1813–1889), better known as, Welsh writer and lecturer, born on 4 Feb. 1813 at Penylan, near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, was the son of Rhys Jones, a small farmer and local preacher, who afterwards became independent minister at Ffald-y-brenin in the same county. He received his early education at Neuaddlwyd grammar school, at Rhydybont, Blackburn, and at the presbyterian college, Carmarthen. He settled as minister of the independent church at Kilsby in Northamptonshire in January 1840, and was fully ordained there on 18 June of the same year. About 1850 he removed to Birmingham, and subsequently to Bolton, whence he returned to Wales, and bought Gellifelen farm, near Llanwrtyd, Brecknockshire, his mother's birthplace, where he built a house, called Glenview. Excepting a short period spent in London as pastor of the Tonbridge congregational chapel, he passed the remainder of his life at Glenview, and filled pulpits at Rhayadr (1857–60) and at Llandrindod Wells (1868–1889), where he built Christ Church Chapel, but did no ordinary pastoral work. He died on 10 April 1889, and was buried in the parish churchyard at Llanwrtyd, where a monument was placed over his grave by public subscription. His portrait in oils by Ap Caledfryn is preserved at the congregational college at Brecon. During his stay at Kilsby he assumed the additional name of Kilsby, and on 22 April 1842 married Miss Chilcott of Leominster, who survived him, and by whom he had one son, named Ryse Valentine Chilcott.

Jones's views were unusually original and independent, and he was widely known by his ready wit and biting sarcasm. His sermons and lectures were practical rather than dogmatic, and whether in Welsh or English were delivered in an easy, conversational tone. He gained a great reputation as a lecturer, his best-known subjects being ‘Vicar Prichard,’ ‘John Penry, the Welsh Martyr,’ and ‘Self-made Men.’ He was a resolute enemy of the church establishment in Wales, and both by pen and speech he rendered an invaluable service to Welsh liberalism. He contributed largely to Welsh periodicals, commencing while at Kilsby with articles on political, social, and educational questions in ‘Y Traethodydd’ and ‘Y Byd Cymreig.’ For many years he was Welsh editor to William Mackenzie of Glasgow.

He translated into English Rees's ‘Memoirs of W. Williams of Wern,’ London, 1846, 12mo; and into Welsh ‘The second Letter on the present Defective State of Education in Wales, by W. Williams, M.P. for Lambeth,’ with a sketch by the translator of the educational policy of the government, Llanelly, 1848, 12mo, and John Brown's ‘Biblical Dictionary’ as ‘Geiriadur Beiblaidd,’ Glasgow, 1869–70, 4to. He edited ‘Holl Weithiau prydyddawl a rhyddieithol … W. Williams, o Bantycelyn’ (‘The Complete Works of Williams of Pantycelyn, with Memoir’), Glasgow, 1868, 4to; a Welsh version of Bunyan's ‘Pilgrim's Progress’ and other works, Glasgow, 1869, 4to; a Welsh ‘Family Bible,’ being a new edition of ‘Peter