Angharad James (16 July 1677 – 25 August 1749) was a Welsh farmer, harpist and poet.[1]

Life

She was born in Gelliffrydau farm at Baladeulyn in the Nantlle Valley, Wales, on 16 July 1677. When still a young woman, she married William Prichard, a man far older than herself, who farmed Cwm Penamnen, a valley to the south of Dolwyddelan.[2] She lived in Parlwr, or Tai Penamnen, a house which had earlier been a home to the Wynn family of Gwydir,[3][4] for the remainder of her life. She continued to farm the valley after being widowed. As of 2009, the house was being uncovered by archaeologists.[5]

Death

She was buried on 25 August 1749 and is buried within the church of St. Gwyddelan in Dolwyddelan.[6]

Arts

She was a skilled harpist who commanded her workers to dance to her playing as they returned from the milking.[2]

She is notable as an early Welsh female poet.[7] Due in part to the transcription work of one of James's correspondents, the poet and copyist Margaret Davies,[8] manuscripts of James's work have survived and are held at the National Library of Wales.[1] They include an elegy to her son, who had died when 16, and another to her husband, in the form of an imaginary dialogue.

References

  1. 1 2 Nia Mai Jenkins, A'i Gyrfa Megis Gwerful': Bywyd a Gwaith Angharad James', Llên Cymru Volume 24 (2001)
  2. 1 2 Owen Thomas, D. D., Cofiant Y Parchedig John Jones, Talsarn (Wrexham 1874)
  3. ↑ Sir John Wynn. History of the Gwydir family and memoirs. Edited by J. Gwynfor Jones. Llandysul : Gwasg Gomer, 1990.
  4. ↑ Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire – an inventory of the ancient monuments in Caernarvonshire, Volume 1 – East (1956), pp. 82, 83
  5. ↑ "Dolwyddelan.org website". Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  6. ↑ John Ellis Jones, 'Bedd Angharad James O Benamnen, Dolwyddelan', Transactions of the Caernarvonshire Historical Society, Volume 45 (1984)
  7. ↑ Ceridwen Lloyd-Morgan Women and their poetry in medieval Wales in Women and Literature in Britain 1150–1500 ed. Caroline Meale (1996)
  8. ↑ Chedgzoy, Kate (2007), Women's Writing in the British Atlantic World: Memory, Place and History, 1550–1700, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 70
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