Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Anwyl, J. Bodfan (John Bodfan), 1875-1949
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
'Bodfan', John Bodvan Anwyl (1875-1949), was a Congregational minister, lexicographer and author. He was born in Chester, the younger brother of Sir Edward Anwyl (1866-1914). In 1899 he became minister of Elim Welsh Independent Church, Ffynnonddrain, Carmarthen, but resigned due to deafness in 1904 and became a missioner at Glamorgan Mission to the Deaf and Dumb in Pontypridd. He edited Spurrell's Welsh-English Dictionary, 6th edition (Carmarthen, 1914), and the English-Welsh Dictionary, 7th edition (Carmarthen, 1916). After a period working in the National Library of Wales, 1919-1921, he was appointed Secretary of the University of Wales Board of Celtic Studies Welsh Dictionary, 1921-1935. During this period he also wrote several books: Englynion (Wrexham, 1933), Fy Hanes I Fy Hunan (Carmarthen, 1933) and Yr Arian Mawr (Carmarthen, 1934) and edited Ellis Wynne's Gweledigaethau y Bardd Cwsc (Carmarthen, 1927) and Theophilus Evans' Drych y Prif Oesoedd (Carmarthen, 1932). He spent his final years in Llangwnnadl, Caernarfonshire, his mother's family home, and died there by drowning on 23 July 1949.