Born 24 August 1814 at Llwydcoed, near Llanybyther, Carmarthenshire, son of David and Eleanor Davies. He received some education, and followed his father's trade as a wood-turner. At an early age he moved with his parents to Rhydcymerau. He began to preach in 1834, and was ordained in 1880. He was twice married, (a) to Margaret of Coed Iarll, Briton Ferry, Glamorganshire, and (b) to Mary Evans, of Tir-Ifan-Ddu, whose father was step-brother to Thomas Evans (Tomos Glyn Cothi, 1764 - 1833). He lived from 1860 to the end of his days at Cwmcyfyng, near Capel Isaac, where he died 2 January 1891.
Although he had but little schooling, he was interested in languages, and read the Bible daily in the original languages. He was remarkable for his dramatic style of preaching, and his ready retorts and witty sayings remain as part of the lore of the countryside. Many of his idiosyncrasies arose to a certain extent from his deafness, and after his death they provided much of the contents of his biography.
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.