GRIFFITHS, HENRY (1812 - 1891), Independent minister and college tutor

Son of James Griffiths (1782 - 1858), who was at that time minister at Machynlleth, but Henry was born at his mother's home, Llanferan, near S. Davids (Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru, iii, 27). From Neuaddlwyd (Y Geninen, 1886, 113) he went to University College, London, where he was greatly influenced by Augustus de Morgan, who strengthened his inclination to mathematics and philosophy. After pastorates in the Isle of Wight and at Stroud, he was appointed in 1842 senior tutor of Brecon Independent College. As a teacher, his standards were exacting, and he was not prone to suffer fools gladly, but his best students thought very highly of him (see Y Dysgedydd, 1891, 405). In politics, he was a Radical, and in particular a strong supporter of the 'voluntaryist' movement in education; he read a paper at the voluntaryist conference at Llandovery in April 1845, and was secretary of the voluntaryist training college at Brecon (see under Evan Davies, 1826 - 1872). He presented a memorandum to the education commission of 1846-7, which is printed in vol. ii of its report; was the author of several books on religion and philosophy, and in 1848 published a pamphlet, Education in Wales. At the end of 1853 he resigned his tutorship and returned to the ministry in England, at Liverpool, Bowdon, and New Barnet. He died at Bushey Heath, 14 August 1891; he was buried at Cowes. His contact with Wales had practically ceased for many years. His son, principal Ernest Howard Griffiths, is separately noticed. It may be as well to add that there was another HENRY GRIFFITHS (1825 - 1886) at Brecon, namely the minister of Glamorgan Street Independent chapel from 1849 to 1873, afterwards representative in South Wales of the British and Foreign Bible Society (see Album Aberhonddu, 151).

Author

• Emeritus Professor Robert Thomas Jenkins, (1881 - 1969)

Sources

• Scattered references, of which the most important are named above

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20733146

Published date: 1959

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