JONES, BENJAMIN (1756 - 1823), Independent minister
Date of birth: 1756
Date of death: 1823
Gender: Male
Occupation: Independent minister
Area of activity: Religion
Author: Richard Griffith Owen
Born at Tre-cyrn-fawr, Llanwinio, Carmarthenshire, 29 September 1756. His parents were well-to-do church-goers whose intention it was that he should take holy orders. He was given his early education by a clergyman at Llanddewi-Velfrey school, Pembrokeshire. He came under the influence of Richard Morgan of Henllan and John Griffith of Glandwr who persuaded him to become an Independent; he joined the church at Henllan, where he began to preach at the age of 18. In 1775 he went to the Abergavenny Academy and in 1779 was ordained minister of Pencader church. In 1784 he moved to Anglesey to take charge of the churches of Rhos-y-meirch and Capel Mawr; in 1789 he went to Pen-lan, Pwllheli.
His ministry in Anglesey gave him the opportunity of starting a number of new churches, e.g. at Talwrn, Amlwch, and Beaumaris, but after his move to Pwllheli he does not appear to have had the same interest in opening new churches in the surrounding country-side. He was considered an able theologian and a man of wise counsel. He and his family were closely connected with the schism at Llanuwchllyn in the days of Michael Jones (1787 - 1853). It was under his ministry that, on Easter Sunday 1796, at Pen-dref chapel, Llanfyllin, Ann Griffiths, the famous hymn-writer, was converted.
About 1805 he published Ffynhonnau Iachawdwriaeth as a counterblast to John Wesley's essay on Election. He also published an able booklet, Athrawiaeth y Drindod mewn Tair Pregeth, to counteract the views expressed by Peter Williams about the Bible and particularly the Sabellianism of his book, Dirgelwch Duwioldeb, 1792 (see Cofiant John Jones, Tal-y-sarn, 302-3). He died 17 February 1823 and was buried in Pen-lan cemetery, Pwllheli.
Author
- Reverend Richard Griffith Owen, (1890 - 1973)
- Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru, iii, 169
- R. T. Jenkins, Hanes Cynulleidfa Hen Gapel Llanuwchllyn (1937), 101, 105, 112, 147, 176
- Owen Thomas, Cofiant y Parchedig John Jones, Talsarn: mewn cysylltiad a hanes duwinyddiaeth a phregethu Cymru (Wrexham 1874), 302-3
- Album Aberhonddu … o'r flwyddyn 1755 hyd 1880 (1898), 21-2
Sources
- T. Lewis, 'Cofiant Y Diweddar Barch. Benjamin Jones, Pwllheli, Swydd Gaerynarfon,' Y Dysgedydd Crefyddol, Cyf.V rhif.7, Gorffennaf 1826, tt.193-197
Further Reading
Published date: 1959
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
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