Cylchgronau Cymru

Chwiliwch trwy dros 450 o deitlau a 1.2 miliwn o dudalennau

paper in the Haverfordwest archives1 briefly sums up its calamitous effects upon the personnel of the Methodist exhorters in West Wales; and the "Oeconomates' Conference" which met at Fulneck on August 15, 1766, was reminded by Haver- fordwest of the "great confusion among the religious people in Wales." Where Moravianism had already found its feet in Wales (as in Pembrokeshire), we can readily understand that many a dismayed Methodist might find a spiritual home among the Brethren. Can we think that in other parts of Wales- and more specifically in North Wales-the Disruption could have reacted in the direction of leanings towards Moravianism ? Various conjectures are possible-local recollections of Gambold's 1743 visit (or, it might be, of William Griffith's visit) letters passing2 between North-Welsh Brethren in 1 As it may be a convenience to have this in print, here it is-from a copy made by M. H. Jones which is in my possession "About the Separation, not only James and John Relly separated. But many other preachers, who had preached and exhorted in this country, namely Mr. Popkins turned to be a Sandimanian preacher, Richard Thomas to be a Presbyterian Minister, Christopher Mends and Wm. Mends dissented, James Ingram who came to this county as a servant and assistant with Howel Harris. Ingram became an Independent minister at Ludlow, where he ended his days and labour. One David John a Welsh exhorter, became a Baptist minister in North Wales. John Evans went off with the Rev. John Gambold. John Harris of St. Cenox refused to be chosen a minister of the Presbiterian church in this town, but chose rather to lay down his commission quietly and wait to see what would be the end. George Gambold and John Sparks joined to have a place to themselves, where the Brethren afterwards assembled." Nearly all the names will be familiar to students of Welsh Methodist history. On John Evans, see my note in the Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies, Vol. VII, pp. 394-5. David John (David Jones), baptised at Moleston in 1752, became minister at Wrexham in 1755. He had already exhorted in Anglesey in his Methodist days, and now began a Baptist mission in the island-see Spinther James, Hanes y Bedyddwyr, Vol. III, p. 202, and David Jones, Hanes y Bedyddwyr yn Neheudir Cymru, p. 293. 2 That such letters did pass is shown by the (undated) example printed (in an English translation) in Benham's Gambold, pp. 187-9; Gambold wrote the Welsh original in the capacity of scribe for a London-Welsh Moravian (Owen Jones) to his brother at Bala.