Author: Davies, John
Biography:
DAVIES, John (fl 1833-5)
His is such a common name, especially among the Welsh, that it is easier to say who he was not than who he was. He appeared as joint author, with Thomas Fricker (q.v.), of the first edition of A Wreath of Wild Flowers (London 1833) but not the second (Stamford 1838), and of the second edition of Fireside Lays and Legends (London 1835)--as well presumably as of the first, of which no extant copy is recorded. Neither volume has been available for examination so it is impossible to know how much of the medley of prose and verse can be attributed to him. The British Library identifies him as "Writer of Tales" and it might be that he was not responsible for much of the poetry, but at least one reviewer quotes a poem by each author, so he was responsible for some. The same reviewer describes the authors as young men just starting their literary careers. He was not Sir John Davies (1569-1626), nor the Rev. John Davies who was dead by 1831, nor the Rev. John Davies DD (1795-1861), nor the Welsh poet known as "Brychan" (1784?-1864). (Bell's New Weekly Messenger 11 Jan. 1835)