ROWLANDS, WILLIAM (1807 - 1866), author, editor, minister, and principal founder of the Calvinistic Methodist connexion in the U.S.A.
Date of birth: 1807
Date of death: 1866
Gender: Male
Occupation: author, editor, minister, and principal founder of the Calvinistic Methodist connexion in the U.S.A.
Area of activity: Literature and Writing; Printing and Publishing; Religion
Author: Robert (Bob) Owen
Born 10 October 1807, in Calico Building, London, the son of parents who were natives of Tregaron, Cardiganshire. He was educated at Ystradmeurig school, at a school at Tregaron, and at the grammar school kept by John Jones (Llanbadarn) at Llangeitho. In 1824 he went to the Merthyr Tydfil district to teach in a school; he also taught at Nant-y-glo, Monmouth. He began to preach with the Calvinistic Methodists in 1826 and spent some time in missionary work on the borders of Herefordshire and Monmouthshire. On 20 March 1829 he bought the printing press of Richard Jones, Pontypool; the same year he began to edit and to publish Yr Athraw , a monthly Sunday schools journal. In 1832 he bought a share in a colliery at Blackwood; he also opened a shop there to serve the workmen. He was ordained to the ministry of the Calvinistic Methodists on 9 August 1832. He lost money, sold his business, and, in 1835, became schoolmaster again.
Rowlands went to New York in 1836, living afterwards at various places, including Utica, Scranton, etc., and continuing to preach. It was he who incorporated the first General Assembly of the Calvinistic Methodist churches in the U.S.A.; he also edited the first Welsh monthly journal in that country. He published the following: Angau yn y Crochan (Denbigh, 1834); Dechreuad y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd yn America (Utica, 1842); Y Gyffes Ffydd, 1842; Yr Hyfforddwr, 1842; Y Durtur … Emynau a Chaniadau Dirwestol, 1842; Yr Arweinydd esmwyth i ddysgu darllen Cymraeg (1859, and other editions), The Welsh Calvinistic Methodists: A Sketch of their History, 1854; Casgliad Newydd o Salmau a Hymnau … Eglwysi y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd yn America (1845, and other editions); Darlith ar y Greadigaeth, 1858; and Dammeg y Mab Afradlon, 1860. He edited Y Cyfaill o'r Hen Wlad from January 1838 until 1866, and he also published Y Dyddiadur Americanaidd for 1856, and each year afterwards until 1865. He died 27 October 1866, and was buried in Forest Hill cemetery.
Author
- Robert (Bob) Owen, (1885 - 1962)
- H. Powell, Cofiant y diweddar Barch. William Rowlands, D.D., Utica, Efrog Newydd, yr hwn a fu yn pregethu yr Efengyl yn nghyfundeb y Trefnuddion Calfinaidd am yn agos i 41 o flynyddoedd, ac yn olygydd y 'Cyfaill' am 29 o flynyddoedd. Bu farw Hydref 27, 1866, yn 59 mlwydd oed (New York 1873)
Sources
- Wikidata: Q20751838
Additional Links
Published date: 1959
Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
The Dictionary of Welsh Biography is provided by The National Library of Wales and the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies. It is free to use and does not receive grant support. A donation would help us maintain and improve the site so that we can continue to acknowledge Welsh men and women who have made notable contributions to life in Wales and beyond.
Find out more on our sponsorship page.