A language pioneer
Pembrokeshire will welcome the National Eisteddfod in 2026 – only the fifth time that the festival has visited the county. Richard Davies recalls an 18th century pioneer honoured at an earlier event, whose name lives on.
When the Eisteddfod was held in Haverfordwest in 1972, a ceremony was held at St Mary’s Church, Puncheston, to unveil a memorial in honour of a Welshman who did so much for the language in his day. The man in question was the Reverend William Gambold, rector of Puncheston with Llanychaer between 1709 and 1728.
So, what do we know about him? From the memorial in the church and his entry in the Dictionary of Welsh Biography, we learn that he was a native of Cardigan and was born there on August 10 1672. He matriculated at St Mary Hall, Oxford, in 1693, but there is no evidence that he graduated. While at Oxford, he assisted fellow scholar Edward Lhuyd with his additions to Gibson’s edition of Camden’s Britannia.
Later, Gambold returned to west Wales and became rector of Puncheston with Llanychaer on December 1 1709, but he may have been a curate there prior to this date as there is mention of him keeping school at Llanychaer in 1707. According to his son, he was a most devoted parish priest!
But the reason we remember William Gambold today is his efforts on behalf of the language. When he was only in his thirties, Gambold had shown an interest in producing a Welsh dictionary and it is believed that he began working on it in 1707. Following an accident that disabled him from his parochial work, finishing the dictionary became his main occupation, and by 1722, his labours had borne fruit.
Unfortunately, he was unable to secure the money to publish the book, but the document has survived and is now in the National Library of Wales. Despite failing to publish his dictionary, he did succeed in publishing A Grammar of the Welsh Language in 1727.
William Gambold died on September 13 1728. His memorial was unveiled in 1972 by John Gambold of Coatesville, Indiana, and the family maintains its links with the church in Puncheston to this day.