Kitty Idwal Jones

Alice Catherine "Kitty" Idwal Jones (née Lewis; 1898–1984) was a Welsh writer and missionary.

Born in London but also raised in Flintshire, Kitty was fluent in Welsh. As a young woman, she did volunteer and missionary work in India and Wales. In 1933, she married Idwal Jones. She was heavily involved in the Welsh Folk-Song Society and acted as President for the Caerwys Eisteddfod in 1968.

Early life

Alice Catherine Lewis was born in London in 1898 to Sir John Herbert Lewis and his second wife, Ruth. She was known as Kitty. Her family split their time between two homes, one in London and the other, Penucha, in Flintshire. She was raised as a Welsh-speaker.

She studied at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth from 1916 to 1918, as well as at Birmingham and Grenoble.

Career

Missionary and volunteering work Between 1922 and 1925, Kitty did missionary work with the Khasi people in Lushai, India. She returned home after her father suffered an accident.

Legacy The North East Wales Archives holds an archive of Kitty's personal documents and objects at its Hawarden Branch, including her birth certificate, several of her diaries, and the shoe buckles she used as part of her ceremonial dress at the Caerwys Eisteddfod.