John Edwards (Siôn Treredyn)
Encyclopedia
John Edwards (1605/6 – December 1656) was a Welsh Anglican
priest and translator.
, Monmouthshire
in 1605 or 1606 and matriculated
at Jesus College, Oxford
in 1624 aged eighteen. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1626 and a Master of Arts degree in 1629. He was ordained as a priest in the Church of England
and was appointed to the parish of Llanmartin
, Monmouthshire in 1629. Four years later, he moved to the parish of Tredunnock
, Monmouthshire, and this was the basis of his pseudonym
"Siôn Treredyn". He was deprived of his post in Tredunnock in 1649, but remained in the parish until his death in December 1656.
and his translation was published in Bristol
in 1651 as . His aim was to encourage books to be produced in Welsh, and he noted with regret in the preface that Welshmen moving to England would learn English, but few English clergymen and scholars moving to Wales would learn Welsh. His aim was not fulfilled, as it was a further fifty years before any major literature was published in Welsh. His own translation had various grammatical errors, reflecting the poor state of Welsh in Monmouthshire at that time.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
priest and translator.
Life
Edwards was born in CaldicotCaldicot, Monmouthshire
Caldicot is a small town in Monmouthshire, southeast Wales, located between Chepstow and Newport, just off the busy M4 / M48 motorway corridor. The site adjoins the Caldicot Levels, on the north side of the Severn estuary. Caldicot has easy access by motorway and rail to Cardiff, and across the...
, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
in 1605 or 1606 and matriculated
Matriculation
Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...
at Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
in 1624 aged eighteen. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1626 and a Master of Arts degree in 1629. He was ordained as a priest in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
and was appointed to the parish of Llanmartin
Llanmartin
Llanmartin is a parish in the city of Newport, Wales.- The community :It consists of several groups of communities within the parish, which is centred on the parish church dedicated to St. Martin which gives the name "Llan" as in church or Holy Ground and Martin being the saint of the church...
, Monmouthshire in 1629. Four years later, he moved to the parish of Tredunnock
Tredunnock
Tredunnock is a small village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, in the United Kingdom. Tredunnock is located northeast of Caerleon and four miles south of Usk.-History and amenities:...
, Monmouthshire, and this was the basis of his pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Siôn Treredyn". He was deprived of his post in Tredunnock in 1649, but remained in the parish until his death in December 1656.
Work
Edwards translated Marrow of Modern Divinity by Edward Fisher into WelshWelsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
and his translation was published in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
in 1651 as . His aim was to encourage books to be produced in Welsh, and he noted with regret in the preface that Welshmen moving to England would learn English, but few English clergymen and scholars moving to Wales would learn Welsh. His aim was not fulfilled, as it was a further fifty years before any major literature was published in Welsh. His own translation had various grammatical errors, reflecting the poor state of Welsh in Monmouthshire at that time.