Here he began to publish a musical encyclopaedia, which was ahead of the times, and therefore failed of sufficient patronage. At 30 he became private secretary to Thomas Gee, the well-known publisher of Denbigh. In his 27th year his father’s church, at Elim, noticing his success as a speaker on musical subjects, invited him to enter the ministry, which he did, commencing at that church. While there he conceived the idea of compiling and publishing a collection of choral pieces under the title, “Y Drysorfa Gorawl” (The Choral Treasury), which was the fore-runner of all choral work in Wales. The following year he became a coal shipper at Cardiff. At the age of 24 he married Miss Rebecca, daughter of William Evans, of Pontypridd. Soon after attaining his majority he became a lecturer on musical subjects and was heard in many of the principal cities of Wales.

He moved to Cardiff where in 1858 he published Y Drysorfa Gorawl, which contained anthems and choral pieces this was a useful collection, but it involved the author in financial loss.Īt the age of 20 he began his career as musical adjudicator, in which capacity he has served frequently thereafter. He began also to be in demand as eisteddfod adjudicator. In 1850 he began to send his compositions to eisteddfodau at an eisteddfod held at Bethesda, Merthyr Tydfil, he won the prize (against twenty-two other competitors) for an anthem on the words ‘Wele fy ngwas a lwydda.’ under the adjudication of Tanymarian (Edward Jones Stephen December 1822-1885), leuan Gwyllt, leuan Ddu, Gwilym Gwent and other great masters of music in Wales. When only 16 he became presenter at Sardis, Pontypridd, of which his father was then the minister. He received his first lessons in music from Rosser Beynon. Thomas Gruffydd Jones was apprenticed as carpenter but his chief delight lay in music which he had inherited from his mother. His mother died at Cefn Cribwr, aged 77 years. His father was ordained at Bethel, Victoria, Monmouthshire, and served besides, the churches of Sardis in Pontypridd, Elim, in Mynydd Cynffyg, and Siloam, in Cefn Cribwr, and died at the advanced age of 82 at Ash Hall, Cowbridge, Montgomeryshire, at the residence of his daughter, Mrs Daniel Owen, proprietor of the Western Mail. He was born on 6th January 1832 at The Forge, Penycae, Monmouth he was the son of Rev Gruffydd and Hannah Jones, his wife Hannah, daughter of Thomas Griffiths, puddling master, Penydarren.

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