This Day In Welsh History: american

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St Dwynwen's Day January 25th

January 25th is Dydd Santes Dwynwen, the Day of Saint Dwynwen, the day of the Welsh patron saint of lovers and the broken hearted, the Welsh equivalent of Saint Valentine's Day.

There are several versions of Dwynwen's story, the least violent version is that Dwynwen was a 5th century Welsh princess who fell in love with a prince called Maelon Dafodrill, but unfortunately her father had already arranged that she should marry someone else (in other versions she can't marry Maelon because she's going to be a nun). Dwynwen was so upset that she could not marry Maelon that she begged God to make her forget him. After falling asleep, Dwynwen was visited by an angel, who appeared carrying a sweet potion designed to erase all memory of Maelon and turn him into a block of ice. God then gave three wishes to Dwynwen. Her first wish was that Maelon be thawed; her second that God meet the hopes and dreams of true lovers; and third, that she should never marry. All three were fulfilled, and as a mark of her thanks, Dwynwen devoted herself to religious service for the rest of her life.

Dwynwen founded a convent on Ynys Llanddwyn, which means "island of Dwynwen's church", off the west coast of North Wales, where a well named after her became a place of pilgrimage after her death in 465AD. Visitors to the well believed that the sacred fish that lived in the well could foretell whether or not their relationship would be happy and whether love and happiness would be theirs. Today, Dwywen's island is part of a British national reserve, with miles of walking trails, sandy beaches and the remains of a 16th century Tudor church stand on what is believed to be the site of the original church on the island.

Saint Dwywen's prayer is "Saint Dwynwen, We beseech thee, Comfort lovers whose vision is unclear. Send mending to those with love lost. Protect our companions. In your name, we seek to do the same. In your name, we choose love first. With the love of you, of Mary, and of Jesus Christ. Amen."

People in Wales and people of Welsh descent around the world celebrate Saint Dwynwen's Day by gifting cards, candy and flowers, special dinners, parties and all the same trappings of celebrations for Valentines Day.

Ivor Novello ( Welsh Composer ) Born This Day ( Jan 15 ) 1893

From the Wikipedia:- "David Ivor Davies (15 January 1893 – 6 March 1951), better known as Ivor Novello, was a Welsh composer, singer and actor who became one of the most popular British entertainers of the early 20th century."

"Novello was born at Llwyn-yr-Eos (Grove of the Nightingale), Cowbridge Road East, Cardiff, Wales, to the well-known singer and teacher Clara Novello Davies and David Davies, a tax collector. A blue plaque commemorating his birth can be seen on the side of the house. He attended the highly regarded Magdalen College School in Oxford."

( And as much as I hate to bore people with my own personal reminiscences, I'd just like to point out that I lived in an apartment just a few doors down back in the 1980's. Sorry...couldn't resist.)

Here is Cerys Matthews poignant tribute to Ivor Novello's "We`ll Gather Lilacs".

LINKS

Ivor Novello on Wikipedia

Ellis Humphrey Evans ( Hedd Wyn ) Poet, born This Day ( Jan 13th ) 1887

Ellis Humphrey Evans was born on this day ( Jan 13th ) in Merionithshire He was a poet who used the baedic name Hedd Wyn ("Holy Peace"). He was killed in action at Passchendaele during World War I.

Hedd Wyn from FirstWorld War.com:-

"Hedd Wyn (1887-1917), born Ellis Humphrey Evans, was a sheep farmer turned poet-soldier who was killed during the First World War.

Evans - who chose Hedd Wyn ('white peace') as his pen name - was born in Penlan, Trawsfynydd the eldest of eleven children, and lived for much of his life at Yr Ysgwrn, a hill farm east of Trawsfynydd." MORE HERE

Welsh Poet Hedd Wynn Death At Passchendaele

LINKS

Hedd Wyn at 100 Welsh Heroes

Hedd wyn on IMDB

Hedd Wyn at The Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum

Hedd Wyn at Gathering the Jewels

The Hero by Hedd Wyn ( in his own hand ) From GTJ

Hedd Wyn on Wikipedia

Ray Milland, Actor Born This Day ( Jan 3rd ) 1907

Ray Milland, actor and director, was born at Neath, South Wales on January 3rd 1907.

He starred in over 100 films between 1929 and 1985 including the Hitchcock classic "Dial M for Murder". Ray won an Oscar for his portrayal of an alcoholic in "The Lost Weekend" (1945).

A scene from "The Lost Weekend"

LINKS

Imdb.com

ClassicMovieFavorites

Wikipedia

YouTube

Sir Anthony Hopkins Born This Day ( Dec 31st ) 1937

From the Wikipedia:-

"Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, CBE (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh film, stage and television actor. Considered by many to be one of film's greatest living actors, he is arguably best known for his portrayal of cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in the 1991 The Silence of the Lambs, and its sequel Hannibal. His other notable film credits include The Elephant Man, Dracula, The Remains of the Day, The Mask of Zorro, The World's Fastest Indian, Hearts in Atlantis, Nixon and Fracture. Hopkins was born and raised in Wales, and also became a U.S. citizen on 12 April 2000. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003 and was made a Fellow of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2008."

More Here

Break Out the Champagne for Griffith Davies, Born This Day ( Dec 28th ) 1788

Griffith Davies was a noted Welsh actuary who was born on this day in 1788. Here is his Wikipaedia page:- Griffith Davies

If anyone knows of any other famous Welsh person who was born on this day or any event in Welsh history which occurred on this date please let us know.

Dan Yr Ogof Caves Discovered This Day {Dec 27th} in 1912.

One of Wales' premier tourist attractions was discovered on this day in 1912. Two local farmers ( Tommy and Jeff Morgan ) first explored the caves by candlelight. They armed themselves with a revolver as a precaution. The caves , which were voted "the greatest natural wonder in Britain" in a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, are now open to the public.

Dan Yr Ogof on Wikipedia

The Official Dan Yr Ogof Showcave Site

Caves Win 'natural wonder' Vote

Owen Morgan Edwards, Born This Day ( Dec 26th ) 1858

Owen Morgan Edwards (26 December 1858 – 15 May 1920) was a Welsh historian, educationalist and writer. He is often known as O. M. Edwards.

Owen Edwards was born in Llanuwchllyn near Bala, the eldest son of Owen and Beti Edwards. He gives a vivid description of his early education in his autobiography Clych Adgof ("Bells of Remembrance") published in 1906. Llanuwchllyn was then and remains a strongly Welsh-speaking area, but the Welsh Not was in use at the local school and usually found itself round Owen's neck, as a punishment for speaking Welsh.

After studying at Bala and Aberystwyth, Edwards spent a year at the University of Glasgow studying philosophy before studying at Balliol College, Oxford from 1884 to 1887, winning all the University's three main prizes for history. He came under the influence of the Dafydd ap Gwilym Society at Oxford, establishing friendships with other students who later became prominent in Welsh life such as John Morris-Jones and becoming a strong cultural nationalist. He then spent a year on the continent before returning to Oxford, where he was appointed a Fellow of Lincoln College and became tutor in history there and at other colleges. He remained in this position until 1907 .

In 1907 he was appointed as the first Chief Inspector of Schools for Wales under the recently established Welsh Education Department. He took the first steps towards ensuring that the Welsh language was taught in the schools of Wales. He came into conflict with the Central Welsh Board because of his conviction that the new intermediate schools were anglicising influences in Wales and his determination to resist this.

He was also a prolific writer, starting and editing the periodical Cymru in 1892 and Cymru'r Plant for children in 1894, intended to arouse interest among the people of Wales in their own language and history. An English language version of Cymru, Wales, was less successful. He wrote a number of books on Welsh history, notably Cartrefi Cymru ("Welsh homes") which describes visits to the homes of a number of important historical figures, and published the works of other writers in a series of Welsh classics Cyfres y Fil.

Edwards was elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament for Merionethshire following the premature death of T. E. Ellis MP in April 1899. He did not enjoy parliamentary life and did not seek re-election in 1900. He was knighted in 1916 and awarded the degree of D.Litt. by the University of Wales in 1918. Edwards died at Llanuwchllyn in 1920, his wife Ellen having died the previous year. His son Ifan ab Owen Edwards founded Urdd Gobaith Cymru ("The Welsh League of Youth").

Works by O.M. Edwards

This article reproduced from the Wikipedia in accordance with the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

Birth of Richey James Edwards , This Day ( Dec 22nd ) 1967

Richard "Richey" James Edwards was born on this day in Blackwood , South Wales. Richey was the co-lyricist and rhythm guitarist of the Manic Street Preachers. Missing since 1995, Edwards was officially delared "presumed dead" in 2008.

Richey Edwards on Wikipedia

Manic Street Preachers on YouTube

The Manic Street Preachers with Richey Edwards performing "Revol" from "The Holy Bible"

Giant Zombie Cats on the Loose in Wales: First Photographic Evidence..This Day in 1993

Wales has been plagued by an infestation of "white mountain rats" or "woolly maggots" for many centuries. The recent sightings of giant cats on the hillsides ( 'Zombi Cathod Mawr' in the vernacular ) are believed to be a gift to the people of Wales from the mighty Merlin who has, of course, been sleeping in a cave for 1500 years (approx) awaiting the call to come to the aid of his countrymen. Until now sheep have outnumbered the human population of Wales by a ratio of four to one. It is to be hoped that these figures will improve now that the mutton munching monsters are in the wild.

The "Zombi Cathod Mawr" are mentioned in the Mabinogion and were used by the "Welsh" Celtic tribes ( Silures, Ordovices etc ) in battle against the Roman legions very much in the same manner as Hannibal's elephants. Unfortunately the Romans learned very early on that it was easy to distract the Cathod Mawr by driving flocks of sheep ahead of their legionary formations. This would enrage the Cathod who would disperse in furious pursuit of the sheep thus largely negating their usefulness for military purposes. A legionary commander is quoted by Tacitus as saying:- "Semper in excremento, sole profundum qui variat!!!" , when he first saw Cathod Mawr in battle formation.

The Cathod Mawr were thought to have become extinct some time in the Dark Ages but were obviously sharing a cave with Merlin, Arthur and his Knights, Owain Glyndwr etc etc awaiting the call.

by Iolo Multnomah View my blog

William Floyd - Born 17th Dec 1734

This road sign signifies the William Floyd Parkway in Suffolk County, New York. William Floyd was one of the signatories of the American Declaration of Independence. He was of Welsh origin. Born on this day in 1734 (Dec 17th), he lived at Mastic Beach now a part of The Fire Island National Seashore.

He was a commander of the militia on Long Island and was elected to represent the State of New York in the Continental congress. His great-grandfather Richard Floyd was born in Breconshire. The family settled in the Province of New York some time in the mid 17th century.

There is some dispute concerning the exact number of persons of Welsh descent who were signatories of the American Declaration of Independence. If one believes the following article the proportion may be as high as 50%. Presidential connection

Here is Charles Goodrich's estimate of his character quoted from "Lives of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence" ( which can be found here and in the Americymru Library here. )

"In his person, General Floyd was of a middle stature. He possessed a natural dignity, which seldom failed to impress those into whose company he was thrown. He appeared to enjoy the pleasures of private life, yet in his manners he was less familiar, and in his disposition less affable, than most men. Few men, however, were more respected. He was eminently a practical man. The projects to which he gave his sanction, or which he attempted, were those which judgment could approve. When his purposes were once formed, he seldom found reason to alter them. His firmness and resolution were not often equaled.

In his political character, there was much to admire. He was uniform and independent. He manifested great candor and sincerity towards those from whom he happened to differ; and such was his well known integrity, that his motives were rarely, if ever, impeached."

November/Tachwedd

If you were born Welsh or are of Welsh descent then there is something to celebrate (or comemmorate) on every day of the year. If you are looking to learn Welsh history one day at a time or just looking for an excuse to raise a glass and celebrate on any particular day this blog is for you. You will also find the birthdates of many famous Americans of Welsh descent. Though these pages are intended as a serious resource some of our contributors have a sense of humor. Consequently there are a few 'joke' items spread amongst the vast bulk of factual daily entries. We dont think you'll have too much trouble spotting them. To navigate to any date in the calendar please use the rollover menu or the search box above. This will take you to the monthly calendar pages or to individual entries. You might also wish to check out our list of some of the most important dates in the Welsh Calendar which can be found here


						1
						1. Samhain
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
	1. St Winifred's Day 2.Book Review	1.The Chartist March on Newport 2. Matthew Rees (Actor) born this day 1974		1. Donald Houston was born on this day.
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
1. Bryn Terfel (Welsh Bass Baritone) born this day 1965	1. Richard Burton born in 1925	1. Roy Jenkins (politician) born this day 1920.				1. Aneurin Bevan born in 1897
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
			1. Dick Cavett was born on this day.
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
1. Murray The Hump died on this day in 1965	1. Craig Thomas (author) born this day 1942		1.Emlyn Williams Dramatist born this day in 1905. Emlyn Williams on Google Books	1.Wales Millennium Centre opens, 2004.
30	31

November/Tachwedd

November is a month to remember Wales heritage of political radicalism. On the 4th of November 1839 the Chartists marched on Newport in support of their demand for universal male suffrage and other democratic reforms. On the 15th of November 1897, Aneurin Bevan was born. He was the 'father' of the National Health Service in the UK and was recently voted number 1 in an online poll to establish an all-time list of Welsh Heroes. In terms of the Welsh contribution to the arts and popular entertainment November is also a significant month. Richard Burton, Donald Houston and Bryn Terfel were all born in this month.

The Welsh word for November is Tachwedd.

October/Hydref


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						1.DorothyEdwards "Rhapsody" to be republished 2007 Amazon
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
		1. Susan Sarandon Actress of Welsh descent born 1946		1. Ioan Gruffudd ( Actor) born 1973	1. Morgan Jones (Texas railroad builder) born 1839	1. John Cowper Powys, born 1872
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
			1. Actor Kenneth Griffith Born in 1921	1.Paul Potts Welsh Tenor Born This Day in 1970	1. Universal Colliery Disaster this day in 1913	1. Saunders Lewis born this day 1893.
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
				1. Daniel Owen Welsh Novelist born this day 1836	1. Aberfan Disaster 1966
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
		1.1415 Agincourt Away Match v France 2. Saint Canna's Feast Day.	1. First Welsh Mormons arrive in Salt Lake Valley on this day in 1849.	1. Dylan Thomas born this day 1914	1. Cardiff granted city status 1905
30	31

October/Hydref

The Welsh word for October is Hydref.

September/Medi


						1
						1. Gwynfor Evans (politician) born this day 1912
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
		1. Charles Ashton born this day 1848 2. Clive Granger (economist) born this day 1934.	1.Jack Daniels, Distiller, born this day 1850 BBC Link		1. Laura Ashley CBE was born, 1925 2. Harri Webb was born 1920.	1. First Severn Bridge opened 1966
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
1. Alexander Cordell was born1914.			1.Dennis Coslett born this day 1939	1. Oliver Evans was born, 1755. 2. Roald Dahl (author) born this day 1916
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
1. Owain Glyndwr proclaimed Prince of wales 1400.		1. National Referendum on Devolution in Wales, 1997.	1. Poitiers 1356. Welsh Bowmen save English from an emabarrassing scrape			1. Dannie Abse (poet} born this day 1923
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
	1.Rhys Henry Hughes ( sci-fi author) born this day 1966.	1. Catherine Zeta-Jones was born, 1969	1. Thomas Jones (artist) born this day 1742
30	31
1. Waldo Williams (poet) born this day 1904

September/Medi

The Welsh word for September is Medi.

August/Awst


						1
						1. Richard Wilson (artist) born this day 1714
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1. Myrna Loy Actress of Welsh descent born this day 1905	2.Samuel Jones (Mayor of Toledo) born 1846	1.Cwmdeithas yr Iaith founded this day in 1962	1. Plaid Cymru founded this day in 1925	1. Ron Davies (politician) born this day 1946	1. Henry Tudor lands at Milford Haven, 1485	1. Paul Griffiths born this day 1973 writer, theatre critic and director
9	10	11	12	13	14	15

1. 1952Dylan Thomas reads 'The Outing' on BBC. Footage never recovered

1.Alun Hoddinott

(composer) born this day
1929

1.Howard Marks (drug
smuggler and author)born this day 1945

2. Dic
Penderyn hung on this day in 1831.

16
17
18
19
20
21
22
1.T.E.
Lawrence born this day,
1888

1.
Meriwether Lewis (explorer) born this day 1774
2. Welsh author Dorothy Edwards born
this day 1903

1. Battle
of Bosworth on this day 1485 ( Brings Henry Tudor to the throne )
23
24
25
26
27
28
29

1. Daffyd Iwan ( singer and
politician ) born 1943

1.Henry
Morgan the great Welsh
buccaneer died, 1688

1Actress Pauline Peters born this day 1896

30
31

1.
Raymond Williams (author and critic) born this day 1921

August/Awst

August is a month of multiple celebration for the Welsh Everywhere but particularly in Oregon. Meriwether Lewis, joint leader of the Lewis and Clark expedition ( who was of Welsh descent ) was born on this day in 1774. Other notables born this month include T.E. Lawrence and Dafydd Iwan. For further information click on the images above or on the relevant calendar entry. This month also saw the death of Henry Morgan the famed Welsh buccaneer and on the 22nd the Battle of Bosworth took place which brought Henry VII to the throne. August also saw the foundation of Plaid Cymru in 1925.

The Welsh word for August is Awst.

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