Fonds GB 0210 ANWYL - Anwyl Family Papers

The Anwyls of Chester and Pontypridd can be traced to the Anwyls of Caerwys who still resided in Caerwys in 1816 when Edward Anwyl was born. Like his father John, he was a weaver. In 1841 Edward had a son John 'Ioan Anwyl' (1841-1921), born at Chester. When Edward died the whole family moved to Chester. John married Ellen in 1863 and had five children. He was a deacon at his local church, and also served as Church secretary. He also preached at local Welsh churches, and was the Chairman of the Flint and Denbigh 'Undeb' in 1904. In 1906, they moved to Pontypridd, so that they could assist John Anwyl who lived there.

The first son, Edward, was educated at Oriel and Mansfield College, Oxford. In 1892, he was appointed Professor of Welsh at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. He played a leading role in many of the College's activities, and also acted as a member of the Central Welsh Board of Secondary Education in Wales. He was knighted in 1911. The second son, Hugh W. Anwyl, became Headmaster of the Council School, Corwen, where he married Winifred Jones in 1897. He died in 1916. The third son, William Anwyl (1870-1952), was an engineer in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. He married in 1899 and had a daughter, Ellen Catherine Anwyl (b. 1902). The only daughter of John and Ellen, Catherine Miriam (1871-1953) cared for her mother, and also her blind brother. She worked for the British Women's Temperance Association in Chester and Pontypridd.

The Rev. John Bodfan Anwyl (1875-1949) became a Congregational minister, receiving his first appointment at Elim chapel, Carmarthen in 1899. However, following an illness he became deaf and later took on the post of Superintendent of the Deaf and Dumb Mission at Pontypridd in 1904. He edited many editions of Spurrell's Welsh-English Dictionary.