Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Jones, Richard (1603-1673)
JONES, RICHARD (1603–1673), mnemonist and Welsh nonconformist, the son of John Pugh of Henllan, near Denbigh, was born in 1603 in the neighbouring parish of Llansannan, according to Calamy. He entered Jesus College, Oxford, in 1621, graduated B.A. on 9 Feb. 1625, and proceeded M.A. on 11 July 1628. Although he refused to take holy orders, he became master of the free school at Denbigh, and proved ‘very useful and successful’ there, being, according to Calamy, a ‘man of ingenuity, considerable learning, and noted piety,’ and having a ‘vein of poetry in Latin, English, and Welsh.’ He was ejected from his post on account of his nonconformity, and on similar grounds was subsequently compelled to abandon a private school which he opened at Henllan. In January 1652 and August 1655 he describes himself as a minister of the gospel residing at Llanfair Caereinion in Montgomeryshire (title-page to Testun Testament Newydd, and preface to Perl y Cymro). Wood, on the authority of Dr. Michael Roberts, principal of Jesus College, states that Jones died in Ireland, but that the date was unknown; but Calamy, with more probability, says that he died at Denbigh on 15 Aug. 1673, and that ‘Mr. Roberts, the conforming minister of that town, preached his funeral sermon.’ Owing to this conflicting account, some writers have erroneously assumed that Wood and Calamy have confused two persons called Richard Jones (Foulkes, Enwogion Cymru, p. 629; J. T. Jones, Geiriadur Bywgraffyddol, ii. 36, 120).
Jones was the author of the following translations into Welsh: 1. ‘Galwad i'r Annychweledig’ (being Baxter's ‘Call to the Unconverted’), 1659, 12mo. 2. ‘Hyfforddiadau Cristionogol,’ London, 1675, being a translation of Thomas Gouge's ‘Christian Directions to walk with God,’ and published at Gouge's expense. 3. ‘Bellach neu Byth,’ a translation of Baxter's ‘Now or Never,’ published in ‘Trysor i'r Cymro,’ London, 1677, 8vo. Jones was also author of two metrical mnemonic digests of the Bible. 4. ‘Testun Testament Newydd … yn Benhillion Cymreig mewn egwyddoraidd drefn,’ London, 1653, 8vo. 5. ‘Perl y Cymro; neu Cofiadur y Beibl ar fesurau Psalmau Dafydd,’ &c., London, 1655, 12mo, with title-pages also in English and Latin, viz. ‘The British Gemm, or Extract of the Bible,’ and ‘Gemma Cambri, seu Mnemonica Bibliorum;’ among the ‘encomiasticks on the author and his book’ is a letter by James Howell [q. v.] (see Epistolæ Ho-elianæ, Nutt's edition, 1891, p. 582).
[Wood's Athenæ Oxon. (Bliss), iii. 344, where the bibliography of the works numbered 4 and 5 above is wrong; Calamy's Account of Ministers, 2nd edit. ii. 844; Rowlands's Welsh Bibliography, s.a. 1655, 1675, 1677; G. ab Rhys's Llenyddiaeth y Cymry, pp. 443–5; Enwogion y Ffydd, i. 196.]