Welsh Journals

THE HISTORY OF PRINTING IN MONTGOMERYSHIRE, 1789-1960 (Continued from Vol. 71, 1983) THE PRINTERS OF LLANFAIR CAEREINION, 1824-1843 BY J. IORWERTH DAVIES, F.L.A. The introduction of the craft of printing to Llanfair Caereinion, a large village in the predominantly Welsh speaking Banw valley in north Montgomeryshire was due to accident rather than to satisfy any apparent local need. Printing houses had existed much earlier, of course, in nearby Newtown and Welshpool and the two border towns of Oswestry and Shrewsbury. Printing started in Llanfair Caereinion as a direct result of a decision made by the Welsh Circuit Committee of the Wesleyan Methodist Connexion to establish a Bookroom, which would include a printing press and library. At a meeting held at Machynlleth in 1808, the Circuit Committee decided to publish a magazine and Richard Jones, a Dolgellau printer, was to be responsible for its printing.2 He had been apprenticed to Thomas Williams (1757-1841) of Dolgellau, becoming his partner in 1807 and sole proprietor of the press in 1808.3 The first number of Yr Eurgrawn Wesleyaidd appeared on January 1st, 1809 bearing the imprint of Richard Jones, and continued to be printed by him until 1811, after which it was printed in London for the next seven years, first by Benjamin Rhodes Goakman and then by Thomas Cordeaux. From 1819 until May 1824, it was again printed by Richard Jones at Dolgellau. During the early part of 1824, due to his inability to pay the paper tax, he had to sell his press to the Welsh Wesleyan Methodist Connexion,4 who in October 1823, had formed its first Bookroom Committee.5 In June 1824, its new owners had moved the plant, type and staff to Llanfair Caereinion, where the first publication to appear was Yr Eurgrawn Wesleyaidd. for June 1824 and carried the following imprint: Llanfair, Argraffwyd gan R. Jones dros E. Jones. E. Jones was the Rev. Edward Jones who was the current editor. The printer was Robert Jones, better known by his bardic title (Bardd Mawddach), who became managing printer at the Bookroom, taking with him from Dolgellau to Llanfair Caereinion two other journeymen printers, namely John Jones (Idrisyn) and Richard Humphreys.6 The arrival of the press in Llanfair was acclaimed in verse by (Alltud o Abermawddach), the author probably being Robert Jones himself. 'Eurgrawn yn ddiriawn a dariodd, yma Diammeu llewyrchodd, — Yn Llan Fair, mewn llawen fodd, Doniau a ymledanodd.' 'Jones, H. Canmlwyddiant yr 'Eurgrawn', in Yr Eurgrawn Wesleyaidd, vol. 101, 1909, p.4. 'Ibid. Uones, I. A history of printing and printers in Wales. Cardiff. W. Lewis. 1925. p. 1 52. 4Williams, P. Swyddfa gyntaf yr 'Eurgrawn'. in Yr Eurgrawn Wesleyaidd. vol. 101, 1909. p.33. 50avies, S. 'Colofn y Jubili'. in Yr Eurgrawn Wesleyaidd, vol. 82, 1890. p.287. Mones, I. op. cit. p. 1 54.