Richards, John Dyer, 1877-1927

Person

Richards, John Dyer, 1877-1927

John Dyer Richards, Congregational minister and eisteddfodwr, was born near Saron, Carmarthenshire to a cultured and devoutly Independent family. His father died when he was thirteen years old and Richards went to work in one of the local coal mines. He began preaching at Gellimanwydd chapel, Ammanford in May 1896 and around this time began also writing poetry and prose, his early poetical writings appearing in the periodical Tarian y Gweithiwr. A little later he attended Gwynfryn School in Ammanford, during which time he contributed essays and articles to the Independent periodical Y Diwygiwr. In 1899 Richards enrolled as a student at Brecon Theological College and, in August 1903, was ordained minister at Trawsfynydd. His period at Trawsfynydd was probably the highlight of Richards's career as a poet and eisteddfodwr and it was here that he met the poet Ellis Humphrey Evans ('Hedd Wyn'), who became a close friend. He thereafter served as minister at Bedlinog from 1917 to 1922 and at Maen-y-groes and Nanternis from 1922 until his death in 1927. Richards was a typical product of the literary chapel-going community in which he grew up. He won several eisteddfodic chairs, including Blaenau Ffestiniog in 1909, Corwen and London in 1913 and Ammanford in 1922.