Alice Gray Jones

She was born to David and Ellen Jones in the village of Trefor, Gwynedd, near Llanberis, close to where her father's family owned a woollen mill.^[1] Her mother was a cousin of the prominent minister and writer John John Roberts, known as Iolo Caernarfon.^[2]

After being educated at Dolbadarn Primary School and at Swansea Training College, she worked as a schoolteacher, eventually becoming head of the school at Dolbadarn which she had attended as a child. In 1881, she married the Rev William (or Williams) Jones. They had 4 children.^[1]

His ministry was at Four Crosses, Pwllheli, Caernarfonshire, where she was involved in organising the local Temperance Union. In 1893, she became a governor of Pwllheli County School.^[3]

The earliest of her poems in print were published in 1874, and by 1880 she was recognised as a poet, journalist and contributor to many periodicals.^[4] As "Ceridwen Peris", Jones wrote regularly for Welsh-language periodicals, including Y Frythones (edited by Sarah Jane Rees, a.k.a. Cranogwen) and Y Traethodydd.^[5] She also wrote, spoke and campaigned on behalf of the women's temperance movement.

She became editor of the Welsh-language periodical Y Gymraes (The Welshwoman) from 1896, when the publication (founded in response to the Treason of the Blue Books) was revived.^[6]

In 1901, the magazine established worthwhile links with the trade union movement, that helped to increase its circulation. Sometime before 1917 she translated Alice Williams' play into Welsh and as a result Alice was made a bard at the 1917 Eisteddfod in Birkenhead.^[7]

She gave up the editorship of Y Gymraes in 1919, when her husband retired from the ministry and the couple relocated to Criccieth.^[1] In 1921, she was awarded the OBE.^[3]

She died, aged 90, at her daughter's home in Bangor, and her papers were donated to Bangor University.^[3]

• Caniadau Ceridwen Peris (1934)