PARRY, EDWARD (1723 - 1786), Methodist exhorter, poet and hymn-writer

Born in 1723 at Llys Bychan, Llansannan, Denbighshire. He was a carpenter by trade, contemporary with Thomas Edwards (Twm o'r Nant) and one of Twm's most gifted actors. He was twice married and lived first at Cefn Byr and then at Tan-y-fron In 1747 he gave up acting in the interludes and welcomed the revivalists to his house. In 1749 he began to exhort but, when the split occurred between Howel Harris and Daniel Rowland, his zeal cooled and he returned to the fold of the Established Church. In 1761 he left Tan-y-fron and went to live at Bryn Bugad, where he rejoined the Methodists. When the South Wales exhorters resumed their visits to North Wales, Edward Parry, because of his zeal and ability, became the most outstanding local exhorter and was invited to evangelise in London. In 1773 he built a chapel on his land at Tan-y-fron. In 1764 he published, with Twm o'r Nant and David James of Llansannan, Y Perl Gwerthfawr , and in 1767 Agoriad i Athrawiaeth y Ddau Gyfamod (2nd imp. in 1781). In 1774 a pamphlet of twelve pages, comprising an elegy and a few hymns, was published at Trevecka 'for Edward Parry.' In 1789 Ychydig Hymnau was published; this includes two hymns that have become famous. He died 16 September 1786, at the age of 63, and was buried in Llansannan churchyard.

Author

• Edward Davies

Sources

• Goleuad Cymru (Caerleon 1820-1830), 1827, 446, 464, 490, 516, 558
• Methodistiaeth Cymru (1851–6), i, 143-6, iii, 113-25
• Enwogion y Ffydd (1880)
• J. Thickens, Emynau a'u Hawduriaid (1945)
• E. P. Jones, Methodistiaeth Galfinaidd Dinbych, 1735–1909 (1936), 24

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20732970

Published date: 1959

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