JONES, WILLIAM (1806 - 1873), cleric and man of letters

Born, it is said, at Newborough (Anglesey). He received baptism at Liverpool, 2 September 1821, at the hands of Daniel Jones (1788 - 1862), and soon began to preach; from 1823 till 1827 he was in the Baptist college at Bradford, and afterwards for a short time at Glasgow University. He was ordained minister at Llangefni, Christmas 1828, but removed to Holywell in 1830. There, he set on foot a scheme for a Baptist Academy in North Wales, but was ill-supported by his fellow- Baptists - later on, influential Baptists like R. D. Roberts of Llwynhendy averred that this lukewarmness had been a serious mistake. However, Jones kept on writing in defence of his scheme and travelling to collect money for it. On such a journey, he visited Cardigan, where the minister of Bethania church, John Herring had just died, and at the end of 1832 was called to the pastorate by a majority of its members. But the minority, alleging among other things that Jones upheld 'open communion,' revolted, and were expelled - in the upshot, the Association disowned the church and excommunicated the pastor (1833). Jones now became an Anglican, and spent eighteen months at S. David's College, Lampeter; he was ordained by the bishop of Rochester in 1835 and priested at S. Davids in 1836. He was curate at Llandovery (1835-7) and at Llanbeulan in Anglesey (1837-42), and vicar of Nevin with Carngiwch (1842-62). At Nevin, he did not get on well - his report to the 1846-7 Commissioners on Education (see the Commission's Report, iii, 42) drastically condemned his parishioners' morals. In October 1862 he was made rector of Llanenddwyn with Llanddwywe (i.e. Dyffryn Ardudwy, Meironnydd) - and soon afterwards proclaimed that 'the Nevin folk were angels in comparison with those of Llanddwywe.' He died 3 June 1873, and was buried at Llanddwywe. Jones was an able man, but was commonly thought unwise. He published: Portrait of the True Philosopher, 1831; The Character of the Welsh as a Nation, in the Present Age, 1841 (with a Welsh version); The Causes of Adversity and Prosperity, 1842; The Present State of France, 1848; Patriotism of the Present Age, 1849; Traethawd ar Swyddogaeth Barn a Darfelydd mewn Cyfansoddiadau Rhyddieithol a Barddonol (including a pryddest on the Resurrection) 1853; Pregethau 1862.

Author

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

Sources

• Hanes y Bedyddwyr yn Nghymru, iv, 57-8
• David Jones, Hanes y Bedyddwyr yn Neheubarth Cymru (1839), 95
• E. Cefni Jones, Hanes Coleg y Bedyddwyr yng Ngogledd Cymru, 1862–1927 (1928), 28-31
• Bangor Manuscript at University College North Wales Library, Bangor 6453 in U.C.N.W. library

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20734663

Published date: 1959

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