JONES, LEWIS (1702? - 1772), Independent minister

Born somewhere in Cardiganshire. He was at Carmarthen Academy under Perrott (NLW MS 373C and NLW MSS 10327B ), but his years there are not given. According to the Cilgwyn Church Book (cited in Cofiadur, 1923), he was ordained pastor of Llanedy, Carmarthenshire, in September 1734. His removal thence to Bridgend and Betws, Glamorganshire, took place, one would think, at the end of 1739. But Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru, ii, 206, gives him a pastorate at Dre-wen and Llechryd, Cardiganshire, 1739-40. Confronting this with another passage (iv, 167) of the same work, which gives a continuous list of Dre-wen pastors but says nothing about Jones, one conjectures that he was not a pastor there, but that he had begun preaching there (in which case it would probably be his native district), and gave its pastor help in the years preceding his own ordination at Llanedy. However that may be, Jones was for many years very successful at Bridgend. He was an enthusiastic preacher, a zealous Calvinist, and (like his friend Edmund Jones, who refers frequently to him in his letters and diaries) one of the small band of Dissenting ministers who co-operated with Howel Harris in the early years of the Methodist revival - we have one letter of his to Harris (T.L. 313 of February 1741, printed in Cofiadur, 1935, 54); he itinerated throughout Glamorgan. But in 1763 (Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru, ii, 198), trouble arose between him and Samuel Price, his predecessor's son - Philip David naturally blames Jones. In consequence, Jones left Bridgend. It is usually believed that he went to Ross, but Walter J. Evans (in NLW MSS 10327B ) suggests that he was in Devonshire from 1763 till 1765, if not indeed to 1768, before going to Ross, He died at Ross, 8 January 1772, aged 69 according to his tombstone. He was twice married; a daughter of his was married to David Jardine.

Author

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

Sources

• To the sources cited add Josiah Thomas Jones, Geiriadur Bywgraffyddol o Enwogion Cymru (Aberdâr 1867-70), ii, 42-5

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20733785

Published date: 1959

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