JONES, DAVID (1772 - 1854), General Baptist minister

Born in the Ceidrych valley, Llangadock, Carmarthenshire; a mason. He was baptized, at 27, by Moses Williams (died 1819), in 1799. In the West Wales Baptist schism of that year, the Arminian party in Salem church at Llangyfelach (near Swansea) took possession of a small meeting-house at Clydach (Swansea valley) known as ' Capel-y-Cwar,' which members of Salem had built in 1795. In 1804, at Moses Williams's suggestion, David Jones was ordained pastor there - it should be noted that neither man (nor indeed their congregations) ever abandoned Trinitarianism. Jones was in office for fifty years, preaching at the ' Cwar,' at Foxhole (Llansamlet), at Morriston, and at Pontardawe; he also kept school at the 'Cwar' and at Foxhole (W. Samlet Williams, Hanes Llansamlet, 94). He received a grant from the General Baptist Fund (London) from 1818 till his death; and in 1848 reported to London that he had fifty communicants. But the Particular Baptists built a chapel (Bethania) at Clydach in 1841 and incorporated a church there in 1844. Little by little, Arminians would slip over to Bethania, and 'Cwar' was kept going only by personal loyalty to the old pastor. Jones died 24 January 1854, aged 81. The eleven surviving members at 'Cwar' unanimously went over to Bethania.

Author

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

Sources

• W. R. Watkin, Y Bedyddwyr yng Nghlydach, 11-18

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20732846

Published date: 1959

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