John Owen Jones

John Owen Jones (1 January 1861 – 2 March 1899), commonly known by his bardic name of Ap Ffarmwr ("farmer's son"), was a Welsh campaigning journalist.

Jones was born at Ty'n y Morfa, Trefdraeth, Anglesey.Following his father's death, his mother remarried and the family moved to Dwyran, where he was educated at the local Board school.On leaving school at fourteen, he was apprenticed to a draper, but his wide reading and further part-time education enabled him to win a place at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, and he went on to Owens College in Manchester.

Jones began his journalistic career by working as a London correspondent for Welsh newspapers, but soon returned to Wales to set up a school in his home town, continuing to work as a journalist.He campaigned on behalf of agricultural labourers in north Wales, and his articles on the subject of their working conditions led to a conference at Llangefni on Easter Monday 1890, where agreement was reached with employers on a shorter working day.Jones campaigned only on behalf of male employees, and female workers continued to have to work the longer hours.

In 1893, labourers made a presentation to Jones in recognition of his efforts, and he was asked to lead them in forming a trade union.The attempt was unsuccessful, and Jones moved to Merthyr Tydfil, where he became editor of the Merthyr Times.In 1897, he moved to Nottingham, where he died.

• Cofiant Gladstone (1899)