Kitty Idwal Jones
Alice Catherine Idwal Jones | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1898  |
| Died | 1984 (aged 85–86) |
| Other names | Kitty |
| Spouse(s) | Idwal Jones |
Alice Catherine "Kitty" Idwal Jones (née Lewis; 1898–1984) was a Welsh writer and missionary.
Born in London but also raised in Flintshire, Kitty was fluent in Welsh. As a young woman, she did volunteer and missionary work in India and Wales. In 1933, she married Idwal Jones. She was heavily involved in the Welsh Folk-Song Society and acted as President for the Caerwys Eisteddfod in 1968.
Early life
[edit]Alice Catherine Lewis was born in London in 1898 to Sir John Herbert Lewis and his second wife, Ruth. She was known as Kitty.[1] Her family split their time between two homes, one in London and the other, Penucha, in Flintshire. She was raised as a Welsh-speaker.[2]
She studied at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth from 1916 to 1918, as well as at Birmingham and Grenoble.[3][4]
Career
[edit]Missionary and volunteering work
[edit]Between 1922 and 1925, Kitty did missionary work with the Khasi people in Lushai, India. She returned home after her father suffered an accident.[1][3]
During the Depression, she volunteered to help those affected.[3]
In 1930, she visited America to collect contributions for the Welsh Student Loan Fund Committee.[3]
Writing and cultural work
[edit]In 1946, she moved to the family home, Plas Penucha, Caerwys, after her mother's death. She was involved in organising and acted as president of the Caerwys Eisteddfod when it celebrated 400 years of local eisteddfodau in 1968.[1][2][3][4]
She was a patron of Welsh literature and culture and participated in local and national Eisteddfodau. Like her mother and brother, she was heavily involved in the work of Cymdeithas Alawon Gwerin Cymru (transl. Welsh Folk-Song Society), as well as being a member of other literary and historical societies. She wrote articles on the composer Morfydd Llwyn Owen and about collecting folk songs. She was a strong supporter of Welsh devolution and a member of Plaid Cymru.[2][3][4]
Personal life
[edit]On 29 June 1933, she married Idwal Jones (1901–1965), who was a professor of education at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth and University College, Swansea. They had a son and two daughters.[1][3][5]
Legacy
[edit]The North East Wales Archives holds an archive of Kitty's personal documents and objects at its Hawarden Branch, including her birth certificate, several of her diaries, and the shoe buckles she used as part of her ceremonial dress at the Caerwys Eisteddfod.[6]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "SIR JOHN HERBERT LEWIS PAPERS". North East Wales Archives - Hawarden Branch. Retrieved 24 July 2026 – via Jisc Archives Hub.
- 1 2 3 "An 'English' lady among the Welsh folk: Ruth Herbert Lewis and the Welsh Folk-Song Society (2004)". Cardiff University. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Jones, Kitty Idwal, 1898-1984". National Library of Wales Archives and Manuscripts. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 "A card for Mothers Day". Flintshire County Council. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2026.
- ↑ "JONES, IDWAL (1899 - 1966), educationist and university professor". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
- ↑ "PERSONAL PAPERS OF KITTY LEWIS / MRS IDWAL JONES". North East Wales Archives - Hawarden Branch. Retrieved 24 July 2026 – via Jisc Archives Hub.