MORRIS, THOMAS (1786 - 1846), Baptist minister

Born 10 February 1786 in the parish of Llandeilo-fawr. Owing to the Arminianism of the congregation at Llandyfân, where he had become a member, he transferred to Cwmifor where, in 1803, he began to preach. He was married in 1809. He became minister of Penrhiw-goch (1810-7) where he added to the chapel and formed churches at Melingwm and Porth-y-rhyd. From 1817 to 1831 he was at Charles Street, Newport, Monmouth, where he not only enlarged the chapel but was responsible for building the chapels at Nash and Pye Corner, near Bassaleg, as well as the English chapel at Newport itself. After that he was at Bristol where he bought Pithay chapel; at Moorfields, London, which he repaired; at Pontypool, where he built the Tabernacle; at Cowbridge, where he completed the building of the Caersalem Newydd chapel; at Corntown and Pyle (1842-3); and again at Newport, ministering to a small body of worshippers which seceded from Charles Street, for whom he built a chapel. He had originally served his apprenticeship as a carpenter and, in the course of his ministry, built or enlarged twelve chapels and collected the money to pay off their debts; when the tenth was completed he was nicknamed 'Ten chapel Tom.' At Porth-y-rhyd and Pye Corner he kept schools. He was a prominent figure at the Baptist assemblies. His publications included sermons, tracts, and an English book, London and Country Scenes, etc.; special mention should be made of his sermon (24 November 1839) Cyngor Damewn Amserau Drwg, preached at the time of the Chartist troubles and published in 1840. He died 4 November 1846. His biography was written by Ll. Jenkins and T. Thomas in 1847.

Author

• Reverend William Joseph Rhys, (1880 - 1967)

Sources

• Seren Gomer, 21 May 1926
• Y Greal sef Cylchgrawn Misol at wasanaeth y Bedyddwyr, November and December 1903
• R. T. Jenkins, Hanes Cymru yn y Bedwaredd Ganrif ar Bymtheg, Volume 1, 1789-1843 (Cardiff 1933), 132-3
• Catalogue of Printed Literature in the Welsh Department, Cardiff Free Libraries (1898)

Darllen Pellach

• Llewelyn Jenkins and Timothy Thomas, Cofiant o'r diweddar Barch. Thomas Morris [1786-1846], gweinidog yr efengyl yn y Casnewydd-ar-Wysg: at yr hyn y chwanegwyd amryw bregethau wedi eu dewis o'i ysgrifenadau ei hun (Caerdydd 1847)

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20734509

Published date: 1959

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