JONES, HUGH WILLIAM (1802 - 1873), Baptist minister and editor

Born 9 April 1802 at Cwrt, Penrhyn-coch, Cardiganshire, son of John and Elizabeth Jones. His parents were Anglican, and he was intended for Anglican orders, but after much internal conflict be threw in his lot with the Baptists, and (along with his mother) was baptized 25 March 1821. As the Baptist Academy at Abergavenny was full, he went to Bradford Academy, and was there for four years. He was ordained 10 April 1828, pastor of Ebenezer, Blaenavon, Monmouth, and was subsequently at Tredegar (August to December 1831), Charles Street, Newport (1832-5), and Tabernacle, Carmarthen (1835-72).

As a preacher he varied, though at times he could be very powerful. Indeed, his influence came largely from his work on the platform and in the press; he was a stalwart Radical who rose to much importance in the political life of Carmarthenshire. At the end of 1837 he purchased the periodical Seren Gomer, and was its publisher till the end of 1850, when it was sold to a company of Baptist ministers; he also collaborated with the former editor, Samuel Evans (1793 - 1856), in editing it. He wrote much himself in the periodical, and in particular defended the views of his former neighbour at Tredegar, John Philip Davies.

He died 1 June 1873. He had been twice married; his first wife was a daughter of Titus Lewis, his second the widowed daughter-in-law of Joshua Watkins.

Author

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

Sources

• Y Gwyddoniadur Cymreig (1889-96), 2nd ed., x, 649-51
• T. M. Jones, Llenyddiaeth fy Ngwlad: sef hanes y newyddiadur a'r cylchgrawn Cymreig yn Nghymru, America, ac Awstralia, yn nghyd a'u dylanwad ar fywyd cenedl y Cymry (Treffynnon 1893), 84
• scattered information elsewhere

Further Reading

• R. D. Roberts, Bywgraffiad i'r diweddar Barch. H.W. Jones, Tabernacl, Caerfyrddin (Llanelli 1876)

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20733209

Published date: 1959

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