DAVIES, DAVID (died 1807), editor of Y Geirgrawn, Independent minister

Name: David Davies
Date of death: 1807
Gender: Male
Occupation: editor of Y Geirgrawn, Independent minister
Area of activity: Literature and Writing; Printing and Publishing; Religion
Author: Robert Thomas Jenkins

A native, it would seem, of Llanybydder, Carmarthenshire. He went to the Academy (then at Swansea) in 1786, but in 1787 was ordained pastor of the churches of Capel Sul (Kidwelly) and Pen-y-graig. In 1790 he moved to Holywell, and was there till 1800. There he brought out a magazine, Y Geirgrawn (nine numbers, February - October 1796), in succession to the Cylchgrawn of Morgan John Rhys. It was pronouncedly Radical in its views (in it, e.g., was printed a Welsh version of the ' Marseillaise'), and Thomas Roberts of Llwyn-'rhudol (1765 - 1841) avers that Davies incurred considerable danger at the hands of the authorities. It may be that these views of his upset his congregation too, for letters in the library of the University College of North Wales (Scorpion MSS.) speak of 'unhappy misunderstandings' which 'went on for years' between Davies and his people, and note that 'the Cause was dwindling very fast.' We know nothing about him between 1800 and 1802, when he removed to Welshpool, and thence (1803) to Stoneway church in Bridgnorth - a church which had a whole series of Welsh pastors. There, he lived in a house called Bridgen Hall, where he also kept school. He was very well thought of at Bridgnorth; he died there in 1807, and was buried within the chapel.

Author

Published date: 1959

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/

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