Ffeil NLW MS 4496A - Thomas Edward Ellis: Letters

Thomas Edward (Tom) Ellis (1859-1899), politician, was Liberal MP for Merioneth, 1886-1899, and chief Liberal whip, 1894-1895. He was born at Cynlas, Cefnddwysarn, Llanfor, Merionethshire, and educated in Llandderfel and Bala, before going to University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, 1875-1879. He joined New College, Oxford, in 1880, graduating in 1884 with a BA in Modern History, adding an MA in 1897. He became the private secretary of John Brunner, MP for Northwich, Cheshire, and in August 1886 he was elected as Liberal MP for Merioneth. By 1892, he was second whip in Gladstone's Liberal Government, and was chief Liberal whip, 1894-1895, under Lord Rosebery. He vigorously promoted Welsh interests in Parliament, advocating the disestablishment of the Church of England in Wales, the creation of a Welsh assembly and national library, and pushing through the establishment of a Royal Commission on land in Wales and Monmouthshire. At one time he was a prominent member of the Cymru Fydd movement. He had a great influence on educational administration in Wales. He contributed to the passing of the Welsh Intermediate and Technical Education Act 1889, and was a member the University of Wales Court and the Central Welsh Board. He was the founder of the University of Wales' Old Students' Association. He married Annie Jane Davies (1873-1942) of Cwrt-mawr, Llangeitho, Cardiganshire, in 1898. However, his health was fragile, and he died on 5 April 1899, while in Cannes, France, and was buried at Cefnddwysarn. His only son, T. I. Ellis, was born eight months later. A volume entitled Speeches and Addresses was published by Hughes and Son, Wrexham, in 1912. His widow subsequently married the Rev. Peter Hughes Griffiths (1871-1937).

Prof. David Jenkins (1848-1915) was born on 30th December 1848 at Trecastle, Brecknockshire. Although apprenticed to the tailoring trade, he was attracted to the Tonic Solfa choral movement. In 1874, he enrolled at Aberystwyth College and studied under the renowned composer Joseph Parry, the first Professor of Music there. Jenkins received his Mus. Bac. from Cambridge in 1878. In 1893, he was appointed lecturer in the newly-formed Music Department of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and was appointed Professor in 1910, a post he held until his death. He was a prominent figure in the musical life of Wales, judging at the National Eisteddfod and provincial eisteddfodau, and conducting at cymanfaoedd (hymn-singing festivals). He was also a prolific composer; his best-known choral works are Arch y Cyfamod, Job, Yr Ystorm and The Psalm of Life, which was written for the Cardiff Triennial Festival in 1895, and was first premiered by two thousand singers at the Crystal Palace, London, on July 1896. He was also an editor of Y Cerddor. He died in Castell Brychan, Aberystwyth, on 10th December, 1915. After his death, his musical works remained popular and there were subsequent editions and translations.