HOWELL, GWILYM or WILLIAM (1705 - 1775), almanac-maker and poet
Name: Gwilym Howell
Date of birth: 1705
Date of death: 1775
Gender : Male
Occupation: almanac-maker and poet
Area of activity: Eisteddfod; History and Culture; Literature and Writing; Poetry; Scholarship and Languages; Science and Mathematics; Space and Aviation
Author: Enid Pierce Roberts
He was born in the parish of Llangurig, Montgomeryshire, but spent the greater part of his life in the parish of Llanidloes where, for many years, he was the steward of the Berth-lwyd estate. In 1762-3 he was mayor of Llanidloes. He was not only a poet himself but collected the works of other poets, in particular those of Huw Morys. Iolo Morgannwg says that when Gwallter Mechain was preparing his edition, Eos Ceiriog, of Huw Morys’s work, he made extensive use of this material. Howell’s almanacs, Tymhorol Newyddion o’r Wybren, were of high literary standard; they included the works of poets contemporary with the Anglesey Morrises as well as extracts from the earlier poets such as Wiliam Cynwal, Siôn Tudur, and Huw Morys. He published a series of ten, the first being for the year 1766. As he was unable to obtain astronomical instruments he made these very skilfully himself. He succeeded in setting on foot an annual eisteddfod in the district, the first being held at the Red Lion, Llanidloes, in 1772. He died 4 March 1775 and was buried in Llanidloes churchyard.