Welsh Journals

OBITUARIES GILDAS TIBBOTT, M.A., 1900-1979 Mr. Gildas Tibbott died on the 29th day of December 1979. He had been a faithful member of this Society for many years. Upon the resignation of Sir William LI. Davies in 1951 from the editorship of Ceredigion Mr. Tibbott was appointed to succeed him. With his characteristic attention to detail he saw twenty issues through the press before resigning in 1971. Mr. Tibbott was born in London in 1900, but when he was eleven years old his parents settled in Aberystwyth, keeping a drapery business at Tottenham House in Eastgate. He was educated at Ardwyn county school and at the University College of Wales which he entered in September 1918. He graduated in 1921 with second class honours in Welsh. In the following year he took honours in Latin. He returned for session 1922-23 to pursue research in Welsh hymnology. In September 1923 he was appointed a pupil-assistant in the Department ofMSS and Records at the National Library of Wales. He succeeded William Ll. Davies as Keeper of MSS and Records when he became Chief Librarian upon the resignation of Sir John Ballinger from that office in 1930. He was awarded the degree of M.A. in 1926 for a dissertation entitled Emynwyr Gogledd Cymru hyd y flwyddyn 1800'. When the Library's Secretary, D. Julian Jones, died in 1936 the Librarian, for a certain reason, did not wish to appoint a successor, and Mr. Tibbott was asked to undertake the secre- tarial work in addition to his responsibilities as Keeper. In October 1938 the situation was regularized and Mr. Tibbott was appointed to the vacant post with the title of Assistant Librarian. In 1947 he was designated Deputy-Librarian which he held until his retirement in 1966. Mr. Tibbott was of a gentle disposition, painstaking and meticulous in his work, an amiable colleague, and a loyal supporter of the four chief librarians with whom he served the national institution. He was Secretary of The Friends of the National Library from its foundation in 1960 to 1966. He was a staunch Presbyterian and a devoted member of the Tabernacle in Aberystwyth. He was an elder for 43 years and secretary of the church for 27 years. He was for many years Treasurer of the Historical Society of the Presbyterian Church of Wales and was Secretary and Treasurer of the North Cardigan Presbytery of the South Wales Association's Ministers' Fund. He was a co-opted member of the Council of the Merioneth Historical and Record Society. E.D.J.