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Sir Owen Morgan Edwards (26 December 1858 – 15 May 1920), often known asO. M. Edwards, was aWelsh historian, educationalist and writer.
Owen Edwards was born inLlanuwchllyn nearBala, the eldest son of Owen and Beti Edwards of Coed y Pry in the village. His father died on 27 March 1895. He gives a vivid description of his early education in his autobiographyClych Adgof ("Bells of Remembrance") published in 1906. Llanuwchllyn was then and remains a stronglyWelsh-speaking area, but theWelsh Not was in use at the local school and usually found itself round Owen's neck, as a punishment for speaking Welsh.
After studying at Bala andUniversity College of Wales, Aberystwyth, graduating with a pass degree in 1883.[1] He then spent a year at theUniversity of Glasgow studying philosophy before studying atBalliol College, Oxford, from 1884 to 1887, winning all the university's three main prizes for history. The 1891 census for Wales recorded that he was at home with his family at Coed y Pry on census night, and his occupation was 'school teacher of History.' He came under the influence of theDafydd ap Gwilym Society at Oxford, establishing friendships with other students who later became prominent in Welsh life such asJohn Morris-Jones and becoming a strong cultural nationalist. He then spent a year on the continent before returning to Oxford, where he was appointed a Fellow ofLincoln College and became tutor in history there and at other colleges. He remained in this position until 1907.
In 1907 he was appointed as the first Chief Inspector of Schools for Wales under the recently established Welsh Education Department. He took the first steps towards ensuring that the Welsh language was taught in the schools of Wales. He came into conflict with the Central Welsh Board because of his conviction that the new intermediate schools were anglicising influences in Wales and his determination to resist this.
He was also a prolific writer, starting and editing the periodicalCymru in 1891 andCymru'r Plant for children in 1892, intended to arouse interest among the people of Wales in their own language and history. An English-language version ofCymru,Wales (1901), was less successful.[2] He wrote a number of books on Welsh history, notablyCartrefi Cymru ("Welsh Homes") which describes visits to the homes of a number of important historical figures, and published the works of other writers in a series of Welsh classicsCyfres y Fil ("The Series of a Thousand" - in 37 volumes, so-called because the author sought 1,000 subscribers, through the periodicalCymru).
Edwards built Neuadd Wen ("White Hall") in his native Llanuwchllyn in 1907.[3]
Edwards was elected as a LiberalMember of Parliament forMerionethshire following the premature death ofT. E. Ellis MP in April 1899. He did not enjoy parliamentary life and did not seek re-election in 1900. He was knighted in 1916[4] and awarded the degree of D.Litt. by theUniversity of Wales in 1918. Edwards died at Llanuwchllyn in 1920, his wife Ellen having died the previous year. His first son died at the age of five. His second son,Ifan ab Owen Edwards, foundedUrdd Gobaith Cymru ("The Welsh League of Youth"). His only daughter Hâf marriedSir David Hughes Parry.[1]
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| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forMerioneth 1899 –1900 | Succeeded by |
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