Cylchgronau Cymru

Welsh Book Collectors. I.-REV. OWEN JONES, B.A. Book collectors may be divided into two classes those to whom collecting is a delightful and interesting hobby to be indulged in with discrimination; and those, who, start- ing without any desire to form a collection, buy books out of sheer love of literature, and eventually drift into the whirlpool of bibliomania. The Rev. Owen Jones belonged to the latter class he was led to collect books owing to his interest in certain aspects of Welsh Literature, and his unquenchable desire to understand and track various literary movements. As one problem was solved others opened out before him and his in- terests became more extensive. Books did not attract him merely because they were scarce, but he searched for all books which added to his stock of knowledge, and if such books were not purchasable, he copied them out. Owen Jones was born at Y Weirglodd Ddu, Llanuvvch- llyn, on October 12th, 1833, and he died at Llansantffraid, Mont., on Jan. 13th, 1899. On his mother's side he was a first cousin to Mr. Owen M. Edwards. He was educated at Bala College, under Dr. Lewis Edwards, and he subse- quently studied at the University College, London, where he graduated with Honours in English Literature in 1861. It is an interesting coincidence that two of his fellow students at University College were Sir John Williams, and the late Principal T. C. Edwards the three destined to become the greatest Welsh book collectors of their gener- ation. In those days David Masson was professor of Eng- lish Literature at the University College, and it is certain that his profound knowledge of literary movements and his interest in the historical side of literature, impressed the young Welshmen, and gave a direction to their subsequent studies. In the year 1864 Mr. Jones became minister of two Cal- vinistic Methodist Churches at Blaenau Ffestinog, where he remained for eight years. From Blaenau he went to Liver-