SAMUEL, EDWARD (1674 - 1748), cleric, poet, and author

Born in Cwt-y-Defaid in the parish of Penmorfa, Caernarfonshire. He came to the notice of Humphrey Humphreys, bishop of Bangor, who helped with his education and advised him to prepare for orders. He went to Oxford, matriculating from Oriel College, 19 May 1693, as 'pauper puer'; Thomas, A History of the Diocese of St. Asaph, describes him as B.A. He became rector of Betws Gwerfil Goch, 4 November 1702, but exchanged it, 21 January 1721, for that of Llangar, where he remained until his death on 8 April 1748. Two sons became clergymen - EDWARD SAMUEL (1710 - 1762), rector of Llanddulas (1735-47), and his father's immediate successor at Llangar, and WILLIAM SAMUEL (1713 - 1765), rector of Nantglyn, 1743-65, and father of Dr. David Samwell.

Edward Samuel wrote some poems in free metre; for examples see (a) Blodeu-gerdd Cymry , 1759; (b) Llu o Ganiadau, neu Gasgliad o Garolau a Cherddi … o Gasgliad W. Jones, Bettws Gwerfil Goch (Oswestry, 1798); (c) Eos Ceiriog, 1823; and (d) B.M. Add. MS. 14961. Sermons by him were published (Pregeth ynghylch gofalon bydol a bregethwyd yn Eglwys Llangywer, yr ail dydd o fis Mai, 1720. Ar gladdedigaeth Mr. Robert Wynne, diweddar Vicar Gwyddelwern , 1731 and Adgyfodiad ein Harglwydd Jesu Grist, wedi ei brofi Mewn pregeth a bregethwyd ar Ddydd Sul y Pasg , 1766), but his most important original work in prose was Bucheddau'r Apostolion a'r Efengylwyr (Shrewsbury, Thomas Jones , 1704, and other eds.). The following works translated by him were also published - (a) Gwirionedd y Grefydd Gristionogol (1716, etc.) - from the original by Hugo Grotius; (b) Holl Ddyledswydd Dyn (Shrewsbury, 1718); (c) Prif ddledswyddau Christion : sef angenrhaid a mawrlles gweddi gyffredin a mynych gymmuno (Shrewsbury, John Rhydderch, 1722/3; 1793 ed. printed at Chester) - from the original by William Beveridge, bishop of St Asaph; the first of the two works, published together, was dedicated to judge Robert Price, Giler, Denbighshire, and the second to Watkin Williams Wynne [sic], Wynstay [sic], and (d) Athrawiaeth yr Eglwys (Caerlleon, Roger Adams, 1731), being versions of two separate works, the one by Peter Nourse, and the other by William Wake, archbishop of Canterbury. A facsimile of a letter written by Samuel (1 March 1703/4) to Edward Lhuyd can be seen in Richard Ellis, Facsimiles of Letters of Oxford Welshmen.

Author

• Sir William Llewelyn Davies, (1887 - 1952)

Sources

• To the sources named in the text add
• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
• T. R. Roberts, Eminent Welshmen: a short biographical dictionary of Welshmen... from the earliest times to the present (1908)
• Foster, Alumni Oxonienses: the members of the University of Oxford
• H. Blackwell, NLW MS 9273A: A Dictionary of Welsh Biography
• NLW MSS 14104 (an essay submitted to the national eisteddfod at Corwen, 1919)
• Hugh Owen (ed.), Additional Letters of the Morrises of Anglesey (1735-86) (London 1947-9)
• H. B. Thomas, A History of the Diocese of St. Asaph (1874), i, 44, ii, 138

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: Edward Samuel

Additional Links

• VIAF: 73729517
• Wikidata: Q18535939

Published date: 1959

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