MR. JOHN WILLIAM JONES, GOLYGYDD, Y DRYCH, NEWYDDIADUR Y CYMRY, UDA.
Ganwyd 11eg Ionawr, 1827 yn Bryn Bychan, Llanaelhaearn, Sir Gaernarfon.Symudodd gyda'i rieni i Ty'n Llwyn, Llanllyfni, lle bu ei dad yn cadw ysgol.
Yn 1845 ymfudodd i U.D.A. gyda mintai o deuluoedd o siroedd Caernarfon a Meirion.
Bu yn Racine (Wisconsin) yn gweithio ar ffermydd, yn ymyl Chicago yn gweithio ar gamlas, ac yn Utica (N.Y.) yn gweithio fel saer dodrefn. Cafodd beth addysg yn ysgol Clinton a bu ei hunan yn cadw ysgol rifyddeg.
Pan gychwynwyd Y Drych yn 1851 dechreuodd ysgrifennu iddo ac, yn niwedd 1852, ar gais J. M. Jones, perchen y papur, aeth i Efrog Newydd i'w olygu, gwaith y parhaodd gydag ef hyd tua chanol y flwyddyn 1884. Methiant fu'r Drych, fodd bynnag, hyd yn oed wedi uno'r Gwyliedydd ag ef yn 1855, hyd nes y daeth yn feddiant personol i John W. Jones yn 1858.
Yn eisteddfod Calan Utica, 1858, enillodd wobr am draethawd ar ddrygedd caethiwed, ac am draethawd ar ddaeareg. Yr oedd yn llenor da, a chanddo wybodaeth gyffredinol eang; yr oedd ganddo hoffter neilltuol tuag at rifyddeg, seryddiaeth, a daeareg. Cyhoeddodd lyfrau: Rhifyddeg, Darllen ac Ysgrifennu, Cyfaill y Gweithiwr, Hanes Rhyfel America, Hanes Rhyfel Crimea, etc. Bu hefyd yn golygu Yr Adolygydd Chwarterol (N.Y.) yn 1852. Ymwelai â Chymru yn fynych.
Bu farw 8 Hydref 1884 a chladdwyd ef yng nghladdfa Forest Hill, Utica.
Y Bywgraffiadur Cymreig.
MR. JOHN WILLIAM JONES. UTICA , ONEIDA COUNTY, NEW YORK.
Death of the Editor of the American Drych.
The oldest of the Cymric-American journals, Y Drych, the issue of which for October 15 has just come to hand, is in mourning for its brilliant editor, Mr. John W. Jones, who has conducted the paper 32 years. Mr. J. W. Jones, or "John W.," as he was popularly spoken of in the States, was one of the best known of the Cambro-Americans, and was highly respected, especially by his compatriots, in both hemispheres. He was intensely national in his sympathies and watched from his editorial chair in Utica (N. Y.) all Cambro-British movements, in "Hen Wlad," as Wales is affectionally designated by all its wandering sons and daughters in all parts of the globe.Acxcording to the Drych, Mr. John W. Jones was on Wednesday evening, the 7th of October, at his usual duties in the office of his journal. He seemed then in excellent spirits, and was even more chatty and sociable than usual. The evening he spent with his family and a number of friends in his comfortable home. He had complained for some time of pain between his shoulders and in his chest. At night he retired to rest as usual, and slept throughout the night; but a little after five o'clock on the following morning he complained of pain between his shoulders, and his wife placed a porous plaster on the spot. About 6 o'clock Mr. Jones rose, dressed himself, and went downstairs, apparently in his usual health. Shortly afterwards Mrs. Jones heard a strange sound below, and hurried down, but, not finding her husband, returned to the bedroom to finish dressing. While she was so engaged she heard a groan from a shed and hurried there, when to her horror, she found her husband on the floor, his eyes closed, and in the act of breathing his last. Brandy was given to him. The rest of the family and neighbours came in, and Mr. Jones was lifted to a chair, but he was dead!
To employ the words of the Drych, "He had fallen like an October leaf" (dalen Hydref). The writer in the Drych states "When we reached his house the state of health was in his face, which seemed as natural as it was while he was at the office the day before." The verdict of the coroner's jury was, "That he had died from rheumatism of the heart."
Mr. J. W. Jones was born January 11th, 1827, ar Bryn Bychan, Llanaelhaiarn, Caernarfonshire. From that locality his parents removed to Llanllyfni. His father was known as William Jones, Tanllwyn, in which locality his father was schoolmaster. Here deceased received his early education. He went to America in 1845.
Mr. Evans, Lockport, Illinois, who accompanied him to the States, gives the following interesting particulars. "About the middle of the May, 39 years ago, several families might be seen gathering together between Caernarfon Castle and the Menai, near the Golden Port, waiting for the steamer coming from Liverpool. With those families were some young fellows who were not related to them, who had come from Meirion and Arfon, and almost all were strangers to each other.
All however, soon became friendly. John W. Jones and I were in that company. After 10 weeks from the time we started we reached Racine, Wisconsin. Here John W. Jones and I got employment at the neighbouring farms. We bye and bye wenr to Sag, Illinois, 22 miles from Chicago. John at the time a member with the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists, and, like myself, I believe he had been reared in the Church. He was sober, intelligent and intensely anxious to learn. we were very homesick.
After a time John made up his mind to return to Wisconsin, but I could not go there, 80 miles away, on foot, and the morning he went away I accompanied him some miles through the woods, and gave him every cent I had to assist him on his journey. We said 'Good bye,' and after we parted I could hear him weeping.
Until 1873 I knew nothing as to what had become of my friend, but in that year I sent some of my songs to the Drych and 'J. W. Jones,' but it never occurred to me until I found it out then that my long lost was the editor of the first Welsh journal in America. It was my intention to go and see him, great as the distance was, but I never did."