Background
He was born at Tŷ Llwyd near Llanidloes and educated at Manledd primary school, Llanidloes County School, the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and Wesley House, Cambridge, before entering the (Wesleyan) Methodist ministry.
He was born at Tŷ Llwyd near Llanidloes and educated at Manledd primary school, Llanidloes County School, the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and Wesley House, Cambridge, before entering the (Wesleyan) Methodist ministry.
Aberystwyth University.
As a Methodist minister, he served in Commins Coch near Machynlleth (1939 to 1942), Pontrhydygroes in Cardiganshire (1942 to 1945), Aberdare (1945 to 1950), Colwyn Bay (1950 to 1955), Llanrwst (1955 to 1960), Caernarfon (1960 to 1965), Rhyl (1965 to 1970) and Wrexham (1970 to 1975) before retiring to Prestatyn. This experience of the itinerant life of a Methodist minister in both north and south Wales inspired the two heroic poems to the industrial worker which brought him to prominence:
Tilsli wrote the words of several Welsh hymns, including Am ffydd, nefol dad, y deisyfwn ("I beseech Thee for faith, O Heavenly Father")
A son, Gareth Maldwyn Tilsley, was born in 1946.