Sir John Rhys

Born in Ponterwyd, Cardiganshire, in 1840, Sir John Rhŷs became one of the leading Celtic scholars of his time. He studied at Bangor Normal College and Jesus College, Oxford, and went on to build a remarkable academic career devoted to Welsh, philology, and the wider Celtic world.

He is best known as the first Professor of Celtic at Oxford, a role that marked an important step in giving Celtic studies formal recognition within the university. His writing ranged across language, mythology, inscriptions, and early British history, and his books helped shape how Celtic culture was studied in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Rhŷs was also honored beyond the lecture hall: he became a fellow of the British Academy and later served on the Privy Council. He died in 1915, but he remains an important figure for readers interested in Welsh scholarship, folklore, and the roots of Celtic studies.