Former home of bard 'Llew Llwyfo', Caernarfon
Lewis William Lewis (bardic name: Llew Llwyfo) once lived in the terraced house marked with a commemorative slate plaque. He had only a few years’ schooling but became one of the greatest Welsh poets and singers of the Victorian age. His portrait c.1875 is shown here courtesy of the National Library of Wales – Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru.
He was born in 1831 in Penysarn, Llanwenllwyfo, Anglesey, the second of six children. From the age of eight, he followed his father to work in the Amlwch copper works. By his early teens he was an apprentice to a Bangor weaver.
During his time in Bangor, he met the poet Gwilym Gwalia (William Lewis 1814-78) who taught him the fundamentals of the poetic craft. In 1850 he went to work with John Lewis in Holyhead as a weaver. Soon he had opened his own shop in Penysarn and had married.
Despite missing out on education as a child, by 1852 he was living in Holywell and working as a sub-editor of Y Cymro. He moved in 1855 to Liverpool as editor of Y Cronicl.
By 1858 he was in Aberdare and on the staff of Y Gwladgarwr. He won the chair of the National Eisteddfod – one of the highest accolades for a Welsh bard – in 1859. Few poets win the chair more than once, but Llew Llwyfo won it eight times from 1859 to 1895! His winning odes were about great figures in British or Biblical history.
He joined Thomas Gee’s printing company in Denbigh in 1862, working for the Liberal weekly newspaper Baner ac Amserau Cymru. Later he lived in the USA for about four years, working as editor of Y Wasg in Pittsburgh and organising musical events. By 1875 he had reached Caernarfon, working in the office of Yr Herald Gymraeg.
He won many singing competitions. His singing pupils included Edith Wynne and James Sauvage (who married his daughter). The last time he sang on stage was in 1880, and by then he was poor and spent a period in a workhouse. He died in Rhyl in 1901 and was buried at Llanbeblig cemetery, Caernarfon.
With thanks to Caernarfon Civic Society
Postcode: LL55 1PF View Location Map