HUMPHREYS, JOHN (1767 - 1829), Calvinistic Methodist minister and author

Born 1767 at Pant-y-ddelw, Bodfari, but his people soon removed to Penymynydd, Tremeirchion. From 1798 to 1802 he was at Chester, supervising the Welsh printing done there for Thomas Jones (1756 - 1820) and Thomas Charles. Thence he went to live at Cil-deugoed, Tremeirchion, and afterwards to Croes-wian, Caerwys, where he lived most of his life - he is usually known as 'John Humphreys of Caerwys.' He was ordained in 1816. Towards the end of his life, he removed to Cil-llwyn, Bodfari, where he died, April 1829 - 9 April according to contemporary periodicals, 13 April according to later statements; Seren Gomer, 1829, says he was then ninety-five, but all other evidence says sixty-two; he was buried at Caerwys. He was not a popular preacher, but a diligent author and publisher. He translated (Wrexham, 1813) Samuel Clarke's Biblical Commentary, republished (1802) Cole's Sovereignty of God in Welsh, and was jointly responsible for the first memoir of Thomas Jones, 1820. He was a member of the committee which drew up the Calvinistic Methodist ' Confession of Faith,' and wrote the sketch of the history of Welsh Methodism which is prefixed to it (see Cylchgrawn Cymdeithas Hanes y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd, 1923).

Author

• Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, (1881 - 1969)

Sources

• The fullest source is the 2nd edition of Y Gwyddoniadur Cymreig (1889-96), x, 643-4,
• but consult also the index to D. E. Jenkins, Life of Thomas Charles (Denbigh 1908)

Additional Links

• VIAF: 106889973
• Wikidata: Q20733459

Published date: 1959

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