Welsh Journals

EDWARD DAVIES, fl. 1830-1843 After Richard Humphreys had moved from Llanfair Caereinion about 1838 and Evan Jones had also ceased his printing activities there, another printer began working in the village. He was Edward Davies whose name is not recorded in any of the trade directories of that period, nor is he listed in the Enumerator's returns of the Census for 1841 as being resident in Llanfair. He was probably employed by Richard Humphreys, whose plans to publish Yr Amrywiaethydd were not fulfilled. This book was, however, printed in 1839 by Edward Davies, after Richard Humphreys had ceased his printing activities in the area. The Albion Press was still being operated by Edward Davies in 1839 when he printed Dyfyniadau o weithiau amryw awduron enwog. With the exception of Esponiad beimiadol ar y Testament Newydd a critical commentary on the New Testament of over 1,000 pages all of the books printed by him were slender volumes of between sixteen and forty-eight pages. Although E. P. Gittins states that printing ceased at Llanfair in 1844,40 the last book known to have been printed there was Anturiaethau cenhadol yn Ynysoedd Mor y Deau, by the Rev. John Williams, and published in 1843. According to Henri Myllin,41. the Albion Press was purchased by John Jones of Llanfyllin. for his son. John Davies Jones who printed in that town between 1847 and 1850. When Edward Davies ceased printing in 1844, the short but fruitful two decades of printing activity at Llanfair Caereinion came to a close. No attempt has been made since to reintroduce printing to this village. It is significant that with the exception of Yr Amrywiaethydd, a miscellany for young people in English and Welsh, all of the books printed at Llanfair Caereinion were in the Welsh language. With the moving of the press to Llanfyllin. this tradition was continued by John Davies Jones. 40Gittins. E. P. op. cil. p.133. 41Rowlands. H. (Henri Myllin). Atgotion am Llanfyilin. in Crmru. vol. 14. 1898. p.65.