John Lewis, also known by his bardic name, Ioan Mynyw, was born in the parish of Henfynyw, Cardiganshire, Wales, around 1816. Little is known so far about his family. His parents were probably relatively well-off farmers and his uncle, who lived with him, was the Rev. John Rees of Bwlchgwynt Calvinistic Methodist Chapel in Tregaron.[1] As a child, John likely received a good, classical education and it is believed that he attended St. David’s College in Lampeter.[2]

According to the reminiscences of J. Myfenydd Morgan, John had an innocent kindness to him that he extended to all he encountered. In fact, Morgan writes that John had such a good, kind heart, that he imagines it interfered with his success in his career.[3] John was a merchant and he kept a shop at Rhydyronen House in Tregaron with the help of his uncle, wife, and children. Through his shop, he had dealings in drapery, ironmongery, and grocery.[4]

Through his work, John became one of the most significant figures in the history of Tregaron. While the town was granted the rights to hold weekly and yearly markets all the way back in 1292,[5] the first monthly market was held on January 1, 1867, largely through John’s efforts. Up to that point, the nearest monthly markets were at Lampeter and Llanfihangel-ar-arth,[6] despite Tregaron’s economy already being organized around cattle droving, banking, and hospitality. John’s new monthly market invigorated the local economy, boosting the sale of agricultural goods like cattle, sheep, pigs, cheese, butter, wool, and timber seedlings. [7] At the inaugural event, for example, a total of 30,000 larch seedlings were sold.[8]

John took on an prominent role throughout other areas of social and political life in Tregaron too. He was a clerk to the Guardians and Superintendent Registrar for Tregaron District[9] as well as a clerk to the Guardians of Highways.[10] He also gave a lot of money to fund the poor houses, visiting them frequently to meet with the people lodged there.[11]

Beyond the Tregaron monthly market, John’s other passion was poetry and he was celebrated in literary circles. Under the name Ioan Mynyw, he was among the writers who wrote commemorative poetry in the newspapers and journals to celebrate marriages or mourn deaths. He was also an avid eisteddfodwr. At one eisteddfod, he entered a competition for the best epitaph for the tombstone of Ioan Tegid, a prominent writer. John won the competition and Eben Fardd, one of the pre-eminent poets of the time, proclaimed his epitaph “the best of its kind ever produced in the Welsh language.”[12] Among his other works are portrayals of the everyday realities of rural life: the tranquility of Tregaron and its surroundings, the price of chickens, and his personal favourite, the monthly market. John also edited a volume of Gwinllan y Bardd, a collection of poetry by the poet Daniel Ddu o Geredigion.[13]

John was also a common sight at the eisteddfodau in his capacity as a judge and critic and he took great pleasure in this role. J. Myfenydd Morgan writes that, “What a bone is to a dog and milk is to a calf, the eisteddfod was to [Ioan] Mynyw” and he remembers his critiques as very long and compassionate.[14] Such talent in writing and criticism won John disciples among the youth, like the young poet Manod Wyllt, who ended up winning the englyn competition at the eisteddfod in Aberystwyth.

Behind his talents in literature and his championing of Tregaron and its monthly market, John was known to have struggled with his mental health throughout his life. Part of his challenges was self doubt and he often doubted his own talents and judgement based on the opinions of others.[15] J. Myfenydd Morgan again writes that, even in his role as a judge at the eisteddfod, John was often concerned with his performance and if he was just in his decisions.

On October 31, 1873, at the age of 57, John died by suicide.[16] He was buried at Bwlchgwynt Chapel next to his uncle and two of his children who predeceased him.

Ending Stigma

Stigma around suicide kills—it makes it harder for us to talk about suicide and harder for us to prevent deaths. A good first step in reducing the stigma around suicide is changing how we talk about it. Instead of saying someone “committed suicide,” we can say they “died by suicide,” which is a non-judgmental, value-neutral phrase. Instead of referring to a suicide attempt as “successful” or “unsuccessful,” we can say that they “died by suicide” or “survived a suicide attempt,” because it’s important we don’t frame death by suicide as the positive outcome. It’s also important that we don’t sensationalise or glamourise suicide or fixate on the means by which someone died.

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[1] 1861. England and Wales Census, 1861. Cardiganshire, Tregaron, ALL, District 15a. Digital Images. Ancestry. Entry for John Lewis, p. 30-31 (p. 31-32/32), entry 177.

[2] 1900. J. Myfenydd Morgan. “Ioan Mynyw,” Y Traethodydd, 60 (1900): 183-190. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. http://hdl.handle.net/10107/1134022

[3] 1900. J. Myfenydd Morgan. “Ioan Mynyw,” Y Traethodydd, 60 (1900): 183-190. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. http://hdl.handle.net/10107/1134022

[4] 1851. England and Wales Census, 1851. Cardiganshire, Caron is Clawdd, ALL, District 8a. Digital Images. Ancestry. Entry for John Lewis, p. 2-3 (p. 2-3/38), entry 10.

[5] 1950. Emrys Jones. “Tregaron: A Welsh Market Town,” Geography, 35 (1950): 24.

[6] 1867. Anonymous, “Tregaron: The first monthly market…,” The Aberystwyth Observer, January 12, 1867, p. 4, col. 3. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3038377/3038381/41/

[7] 1867. Anonymous, “Tregaron: Monthly Market,” The Aberystwyth Oberserver, May 4, 1867, p. 4, col. 5. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3038457/3038461/50/

[8] 1867. Anonymous, “Tregaron: The first monthly market…,” The Aberystwyth Observer, January 12, 1867, p. 4, col. 3. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3038377/3038381/41/

[9] 1873. Anonymous, “Tregaron: Death and Burial of Mr John Lewis, (Ioan Mynyw),” The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard, November 14, 1873, p. 10, col. 3. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3343602/3343612/93/

[10] 1873. Anonymous, “Tregaron: Death and Burial of Mr John Lewis, (Ioan Mynyw),” The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard, November 14, 1873, p. 10, col. 3. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3343602/3343612/93/

[11] 1873. Anonymous, “Tregaron: Death and Burial of Mr John Lewis, (Ioan Mynyw),” The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard, November 14, 1873, p. 10, col. 3. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3343602/3343612/93/

[12] 1873. Anonymous, “Tregaron: Death and Burial of Mr John Lewis, (Ioan Mynyw),” The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard, November 14, 1873, p. 10, col. 3. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3343602/3343612/93/

[13] 1888. J. Myfenydd Morgan. “Ioan Mynyw, Tregaron,” Cymru Fu, 1 (1888): 183-190. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. http://hdl.handle.net/10107/2111178

[14] 1900. J. Myfenydd Morgan. “Ioan Mynyw,” Y Traethodydd, 60 (1900): 183-190. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. http://hdl.handle.net/10107/1134022

[15] 1900. J. Myfenydd Morgan. “Ioan Mynyw,” Y Traethodydd, 60 (1900): 183-190. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. http://hdl.handle.net/10107/1134022

[16] 1873. Anonymous, “Tregaron: Death and Burial of Mr John Lewis, (Ioan Mynyw),” The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard, November 14, 1873, p. 10, col. 3. Digital Images. National Library of Wales. https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3343602/3343612/93/