Telyn Seiriol

Description

Owen Jones ‘Telynor Seiriol’ was the first son of John Jones ‘Telynor Môn’ to gain recognition and the nation’s respect as a harper who played the triple harp. He was born at the Britannia Inn, Llannerch-y-medd.
He was taught, not by his father as one would imagine, but by his uncle from Holyhead, Owen R. Jones, ‘Telynor Cybi’ (1829-1902).
The first record of his service to the eisteddfodau dates from 1873 when he appeared in a majestic concert on the stage of the Liverpool and Birkenhead Eisteddfod. A year later, he won a new triple harp at the National Eisteddfod in Bangor. He was a handsome man and when he visited Plas Llanover, near Abergavenny, Lady Llanover’s daughter was infatuated with the young harper. He was fond of a drink, but during his final years, he shunned a number of pleasures and turned to religion, joining the Order of Good Templars. He also became a faithful member of the Baptist Chapel and it was at this chapel he fell ill, in April 1906. A few hours later, he had died of a heart attack, a week after appearing at a concert in Holyhead with his friend, R. Môn Williams. Soon after, the Welsh language newspaper, Y Clorianydd, published a collection of englynion (a traditional form of Welsh verse) in his memory – each englyn expressing grief for the talented harpist.
The above englyn describes the huge loss felt by the local people at the death of their gifted harper.