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From Festipedia, hosted by the FR Heritage Group
William Thomas Edwards

William Thomas Edwards, better known by his bardic name, Gwilym Deudraeth, was born in Caernarfon in 1863. His family moved south to the peninsula whilst he was still quite young. Although born into a seafaring family, an early voyage to Le Havre proved too much, and he subsquently went to work at the Oakeley Quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog and later on the Festiniog Railway Company.

He worked as station master at Dduallt and Tan y Bwlch. In 1881 he was still a quarryman, living in Church Place, Penrhyndeudraeth with his parents and siblings. He was stationed at Dduallt in 1883 and 1887 and on the station staff until at least October 1890 (but gone by May 1891). By 1892 his first daughter was born in Liverpool and he appears on the census there in 1901 and 1911.

He was a poet, composing numerous englynion, and his work was published in 1926, 'Ychydig ar gof a chadw' and in 1943, 'Yr Awen Barod'.

Bangor University has a collection of his papers.

He died in 1940, at Merton, Bootle.


Photo credit: User:Chrisjones

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