LLOYD, DAVID (1805 - 1863), principal of Carmarthen Presbyterian College and Unitarian minister

Born in 1805 at Llandysul, son of John Lloyd, schoolmaster, and grandson of David Lloyd (1724 - 1779) of Brynllefrith, his mother being the daughter of the Rev. Henry Thomas, parish priest of Bangor Teifi and Henllan. He was educated at his father's school, his uncle Dr. Charles Lloyd's school, the Rev. John Thomas of Pantydefaid's school, Carmarthen Academy (1825-9), and Glasgow University (1829-33; M.A. 1833, LL.D. 1851). According to Oriel Coleg Presbyteraidd Caerfyrddin he was appointed tutor in classics in 1833 and principal in 1835, an appointment which he held until his death in 1863 [with him it becomes customary to replace the old name 'Academy' by 'College']. During his earlier years at Carmarthen he also kept a grammar school, thus carrying on a family tradition, and indeed the tradition of his predecessors at Carmarthen. He was regarded as a man of great natural endowments, a good scholar, and a gentleman. He was the minister of the little Unitarian congregation which used to worship in the old Quaker meeting-house until 1849 when Dr. Lloyd built Parc-y-felfed chapel with its adjoining school premises. He belonged to the old school, or Biblical Unitarians as they were called, and was one of Priestley's followers. He would have nothing to do with the new ideas advanced by Colenso, Parker, Tyler, and Martineau. He himself was conservative in his views and it is alleged that he never changed them from his student days until the end. In 1844 he wrote a sharply worded criticism of Martineau's Endeavours, but his efforts to stem the tide were unavailing. He was fond of a good argument and engaged in hot debate with D. A. Williams, chancellor of the diocese of S. Davids, Hugh William Jones (Baptist) of Carmarthen, bishop Thirlwall, and Gwilym Marles, on the tenets of Theodore Parker. He sought to improve education in the town and worked hard to get a hospital and a public cemetery. When he died, Welsh students lost a stalwart friend and the Unitarian movement in the town suffered an irremediable loss. In 1853 he married Ellen, daughter of Stephen Smith of Swainby, Yorkshire, by whom he had two children, David and Lucy Lloyd Theakston (Lloyd Records and Pedigrees, 1913). He died 13 September 1863 and was buried in the Carmarthen public cemetery.

Author

• Reverend Thomas Oswald Williams, (1888 - 1965)

Sources

• Yr Ymofynnydd, 1901 (217-23), 1895 (242), 1863 (243)
• L. E. Lloyd-Theakston and John Davies, Some family records & pedigrees of the Lloyds of Allt yr Odyn, Castell Hywel, Ffos y Bleiddiaid, Gilfach Wen, Llan Llyr and Waun Ifor (Oxford 1912-1913), 99-107
• G. Eyre Evans, Lloyd Letters (1754–96) (1908), xl - xlix
• Christian Reformer, 1863, 639, 679
• W. D. Jeremy, The Presbyterian Fund and Dr. Williams' Trust (1885), 74
• A History of Carmarthenshire, ii, 242-3
• A roll of the graduates of the University of Glasgow from 31st December, 1727 to 31st December, 1897 With short biographical notes (Glasgow 1898)
• E. Pan Jones, Oriel Coleg Presbyteraidd, Caerfyrddin: yn cynwys hanes yr holl fyfyrwyr fu yn y coleg o 1796 hyd 1899 (Merthyr Tydfil 1909)

Published date: 1959

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