Gwallter Mechain
Gwallter Mechain ("Walter of Mechain"), was a Welsh poet, editor, translator, antiquary and Anglican clergyman. Davies was born at Y Wern, near Tomen y Castell, Llanfechain, Montgomeryshire. He was educated at the village school and was to become a cooper, but with the help of the poet Owain Myfyr went to All Souls College, Oxford, graduating in 1795.
Also recorded as Walter Davies
Gwallter Mechain

Hugh Hughes · This image is available from the National Library of Wales You can view this image in its original context on the NLW Catalogue This image is also available at Art UK: entry walter-davies-gwallter-me · Public domain
- Name
- Gwallter Mechain
- Birth Name
- Walter Davies
- Born
- 15 July 1761
- Birthplace
- Llanfechain, Montgomeryshire, Wales
- Died
- 5 December 1849
- Occupation
- Anglican clergyman, poet and antiquary
- Education
- St Alban Hall · Trinity College · All Souls College
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Gwallter Mechain ("Walter of Mechain"), was a Welsh poet, editor, translator, antiquary and Anglican clergyman. Davies was born at Y Wern, near Tomen y Castell, Llanfechain, Montgomeryshire. He was educated at the village school and was to become a cooper, but with the help of the poet Owain Myfyr went to All Souls College, Oxford, graduating in 1795.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
No house-authored Note is published until its assertions and sources pass the VALÉORINE evidence contract. The documentary article remains available in full while that enrichment is being consolidated.
Documentary enrichment in progress · no unsupported statement published
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Gwallter Mechain. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
not yet certified
- Identity
- unresolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q13635559 · wikipedia · Gwallter Mechain
In this article
Biography
Biography
He took Holy Orders and became a Church of England curate in the parish of Meifod, Montgomeryshire, moving in 1799 to Ysbyty Ifan, Denbighshire where he met and married his wife Mary. He went on to study at Trinity College, Cambridge, gaining his MA in 1803. He was awarded the living of Llanwyddelan, Montgomeryshire and became rector of Manafon, Montgomeryshire where he remained for 30 years and did most of his literary work. In 1797 he had begun a survey of the agriculture and economy of North Wales, which was published in two volumes in 1810 and 1813. This was followed in 1815 by a report on South Wales in collaboration with Iolo Morganwg (Edward Williams). He contributed to Samuel Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Wales (1833). In 1837, he moved to the parish of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, where he died in 1849 and lies buried in the parish churchyard. Davies was closely associated with the London Welsh, especially the Gwyneddigion Society, and the revival of the Cymmrodorion Society in 1820. He was a keen supporter of eisteddfodau, where he won many prizes, and he played an important role in establishing provincial eisteddfodic societies.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Gwallter Mechain • Birth Name — Walter Davies • Born — 15 July 1761 • Birthplace — Llanfechain, Montgomeryshire, Wales • Died — 5 December 1849 • Occupation — Anglican clergyman, poet and antiquary • Language — Welsh Walter Davies (15 July 1761 – 5 December 1849), commonly known by his bardic name Gwallter Mechain ("Walter of Mechain"), was a Welsh poet, editor, translator, antiquary and Anglican clergyman. Davies was born at Y Wern, near Tomen y Castell, Llanfechain, Montgomeryshire. He was educated at the village school and was to become a cooper, but with the help of the poet Owain Myfyr went to All Souls College, Oxford, graduating in 1795. He took Holy Orders and became a Church of England curate in the parish of Meifod, Montgomeryshire, moving in 1799 to Ysbyty Ifan, Denbighshire where he met and married his wife Mary. He went on to study at Trinity College, Cambridge, gaining his MA in 1803. He was awarded the living of Llanwyddelan, Montgomeryshire and became rector of Manafon, Montgomeryshire where he remained for 30 years and did most of his literary work. In 1797 he had begun a survey of the agriculture and economy of North Wales, which was published in two volumes in 1810 and 1813. This was followed in 1815 by a report on South Wales in collaboration with Iolo Morganwg (Edward Williams). He contributed to Samuel Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Wales (1833). In 1837, he moved to the parish of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, where he died in 1849 and lies buried in the parish churchyard. Davies was closely associated with the London Welsh, especially the Gwyneddigion Society, and the revival of the Cymmrodorion Society in 1820. He was a keen supporter of eisteddfodau, where he won many prizes, and he played an important role in establishing provincial eisteddfodic societies.
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 29 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
38,582 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Guy Wetmore CarrylAuthor
- Guzal SitdikovaAuthor
- Güzin DinoAuthor
- Gwalchmai ap MeilyrAuthor
- Gwen DavisAuthor
- Gwen IfillAuthor
- Gwen ShamblinAuthor
- Gwenaëlle AubryAuthor
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Gwallter Mechain?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.