MORGAN, ABEL (1673 - 1722), Baptist minister

Born at Allt-goch, Cwrtnewydd, in the parish of Llanwenog, Cardiganshire, in 1673, son of Morgan Rhydderch (who was elected deacon at Rhydwilym, 1668, and ordained to the office, 1669), brother of Enoch Morgan (1676 - 1740) (minister of the Welsh Tract Church, Delaware, U.S.A.), and nephew of Siôn Rhydderch, printer, Shrewsbury. He moved at an early age to the Abergavenny district and became a member of the Baptist church at Llanwenarth. He started to preach in 1692 and received a call to Blaenau Gwent in 1696 (or 1697) but he does not appear to have been ordained there until 1700. In September 1711 he decided to emigrate to America, but encountered severe weather during the voyage and did not arrive in Pennsylvania until February 1712, having in the meantime lost his wife Priscilla Powell of Abergavenny and his son. He held the pastorate of Pennepeck church until his death 16 December 1722, and was buried at Mount Moriah, Philadelphia. He married (2) Martha Burrows; and (3) Judith (or Martha) Joading, a widow, and daughter of Thomas Griffiths (1645 - 1725), first minister of the Welsh Tract. A son and daughter were born of the first marriage, and three sons and one daughter of the third.

He is best remembered for his posthumously published Cyd-gordiad Egwyddorawl o'r Scrythurau (Philadelphia, 1730), the first Biblical concordance in Welsh and the second Welsh book printed in the U.S.A.

Author

• Benjamin George Owens

Sources

• The National Library of Wales Journal, ii, 116-7, iii, 19-22
• H. Blackwell, NLW MSS 9267A: A Dictionary of Welsh Biography
• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
• Josiah Thomas Jones, Geiriadur Bywgraffyddol o Enwogion Cymru (Aberdâr 1867-70), ii, 276-7

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: Abel Morgan

Additional Links

• VIAF: 3961195
• Wikidata: Q18534114

Published date: 1959

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