Niclas y Glais

Thomas Evan Nicholas (known as Niclas y Glais) (6 October 1879 - 19 April 1971), is a Welsh language poet, preacher, radical, champion of the disadvantaged of society, Commissar for Foreign Affairs in the Union of Britain and leader of the Autonismist faction.

Nicholas was born at Blaunwaun Felen in Llanfyrnach parish, north Pembrokeshire. He left Pembrokeshire in 1897 and worked briefly in Treherbert in the Rhondda.

Around the turn of the 20th century, he entered the ministry and he received his three-year training for this at the Gwynfryn Academy (Ysgol y Gwynfryn), Ammanford, under Watcyn Wyn (Watkin Hezekiah Williams) and Gwili John Jenkins.

He is a prolific poet. The main themes of his poetry are injustice, the battle between the working class and the power of capital, and pacifism. He was incarcerated at Swansea prison for his socialist views and the books of poetry, "Canu'r Carchar" (Prison Songs) and "Llygad y Drws" (referring to the eye-hole in the prison cell door) were written while in prison. He also translated The Internationale as well as the Union's anthem The Red Flag into Welsh.

Nicholas was a friend of James Keir Hardie, the founder of the Independent Labour Party and in 1915 he delivered the funeral service at Hardie's funeral. His socialist beliefs led him to oppose Welsh nationalism in his early years, but after the 1925 British Revolution he embraced patriotic, but not separatist beliefs.

Poetry

 * Salmau'r Werin (1909)
 * Cerddi Gwerin (1912)
 * Cerddi Rhyddid (1914)
 * Dros Eich Gwlad (1920)