Michael D Jones

Inspired the resettlement of Welsh people in Patagonia.

Born:

1822

Place of Birth:

Bala

Biography:

Disillusioned with the state of Welsh religion and society in the 19th century, Michael D Jones was the force behind the repatriation of over 150 Welsh people to far away Patagonia.

Michael D Jones of Bala was a dedicated Christian and principal of the Bala Theological College for Congregational ministers. Highly critical of the Tory landowners who, in his opinion, treated the Welsh people like serfs, he saw little use in emigrating to the USA or Australia to start afresh as the Welsh language would only be diluted.

He therefore searched for a place where Welsh people could follow their own culture without the influence of others, and was given favourable reviews of the Chubut Valley in Patagonia, a sparsely populated region of Argentina.

So, in 1865 the Mimosa set sail from Liverpool with 153 on board, bound for Patagonia and some years of great hardship. For though there were four ministers amongst the pilgrims, there were only two farmers with the necessary experience to farm the land and therefore sustain the colony. Despite these hardships, the colony did flourish and kept its Welsh character until the end of World War II, and Welsh is still spoken in the region today.

Michael Jones did not visit Patagonia himself, but stayed in Wales to raise money for those abroad and to educate a new generation in the merits of Welsh patriotism, including David Lloyd George.

Carole Pendle from Bristol is a direct descendant of Michael D Jones. More...

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David Williams from Trelew, Patagonia
Just a little thing: the man who was murdered by a band of American bandits was not brother but son of Michel Daniel Jones. His name was Llwyd ap Iwan and his killers are supposed to have been not Butch Cassidy or someone of his band, but Wilson and Evans, another famous American bandits of the time.
Mon Jul 10 09:49:03 2006

Arwel from Congleton
This was the response I got to my posting: David Williams writes from Patagonia: "Joseph Seth Jones was born about 1844 in Penaner, parish of Llanfairtalhaearn, Co. of Denbigh. Son of Charles (a Methodist-Calvinistic prayer) and of Jane Jones. He arrived in the Mimosa in 1865 and left in 1867 in a 'selar' to the Falklands, in which he spent about two or three years, before going back to Wales. He finished his life in Flint as a postman, and never got married, dying in 1912. You can ask about the rest to Mr Elvey MacDonald, the publisher of the diary, and there is a summary of it in one volume of the Falklands Islands Journal in the last years. Cofion cynnes, David, from Trelew, Patagonia."
Wed Oct 8 15:15:08 2003

Arwel from Congleton
I posted this on the BBC North West Wales Forum some time ago: "The following item was taken from the National Library of Wales website: New bilingual (Welsh and Spanish) book, Dyddiadur Mimosa - the diary of Joseph Seth Jones of Denbigh who was on the first voyage to found the Welsh colony in Patagonia in 1865. The book is published by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch jointly with the National Library. I was brought up in the Denbigh area and never knew of this person. I would like to know more." I have a copy of this book!
Wed Oct 8 15:12:56 2003

Iris Myfanwy Lloyd
I´m afraid the notes from Carol Pendle are not quite accurate. For instance: Michael D. Jones had two sons. Mihangel ap Iwan and Llwyd ap Iwan (not Llewelyn). Michael D Jones did not sail in the Mimosa and he only visited the Colony once.
Mon Oct 6 19:21:23 2003

iris
My name is Iris Myfanwy Lloyd and Llwyd ap Iwan, son of Michael D. Jones, was my grandfather. I was born and brought up in Esquel,CH, Patagonia, Argentina. Actually, there are historians working in a revision of the spoken history of the Colony and they found out that my grandfather was killed by American bandits but they were not Butch Cassidy and company, as they had left some years before.
Fri Oct 3 21:29:34 2003

Carole Pendle from Bristol
I was really interested to see the references to the Welsh Colony in Patagonia mentioned on the Antiques Roadshow. I'm a direct descendent of Michael D Jones, who founded the colony in the mid 19th Century, leaving Wales on the ship the Mimosa. We still have relatives living in Esquel, who continue to maintain their Welsh identity. Bruce Chatwin wrote about the colony in his book 'In Patagonia'. There are numerous fascinating stories about the exploits of the original emigrants, including the time when Michael D Jones' brother, who ran a general store fell victim to Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, who were on the run in South America.
Mon Sep 15 12:36:39 2003

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