Thomas Evan Nicholas (Niclas y Glais)

Biography
Thomas Evan Nicholas (6 October 1879) who used the bardic name "Niclas y Glais" (English: '"Nicholas of Glais"'), is a Welsh language poet, preacher, radical, and champion of the disadvantaged of society. e Welsh Congregational Church at Dodgeville, Wisconsin, U.S.A. Between 1904 and 1914 he was minister of Seion Chapel in the village of Glais in the Swansea Valley, where Nicholas Road bears his name.[8] His religious convictions, influenced by Watcyn Wyn and Gwili, were focused on the radical message of the Gospels. He supported the socialism of R. J. Derfel with its emphasis on brotherhood, peace and justice, equality, land nationalisation, and a Parliament for Wales, and opposition to the royal family, the brewers and militarism. Nicholas became a favourite preacher at 'Cyrddau Mawr' (‘Big Meetings’) and a popular public speaker. In his own chapel at Glais he supported Welsh culture, establishing a choir and an eisteddfod. He was a prolific poet : his early poetry had religious themes but by 1908 his poems carried a socialist and radical message. He was known as ‘The People's Poet’. He won over 17 eisteddfod chairs during his time at Glais. The main themes of his poetry were injustice, the battle between the working class and the power of capital, and pacifism. His poetry books and pamphlets - almost all written in Welsh - sold well: Weithwyr Cymru, Cenwch eich hunain i ryddid (‘Workers of Wales, sing yourselves to freedom’) sold over 6000 copies. He also translated The Internationale into Welsh. In 1929 Niclas was elected as leader of the Labour Party. He took the Party towards a more Marxist direction but in contrast to the CPGB by the also Libertarian ideology he was instilling into the Party.