REES, DAVID (1818 - 1904), 'Dr. Rees, Bronnant', a preacher with the Calvinistic Methodists in Cardiganshire

Born 4 June 1818 at Blaentrosol, Capel Drindod, Llandyfrïog, Cardiganshire, son of Daniel Rees, shoemaker, and Mary (alias Malen) his wife. The son learnt to practise his father's craft. He began to preach on 21 April 1846 and went to a Unitarian school at Newcastle Emlyn for about three years. In 1857 he moved to the parish of Llanilar, but after his marriage on 6 January 1860, to Anne Rees, Pentre-du, he went to reside at Bronnant where he spent the remainder of his life apart from preaching and lecturing visits to various parts of Wales, and London. He became well known because of the originality (often amounting to oddity) of his sermons, with their wealth of homely and rustic imagery, and because of the 'degrees' of LL.B. and Litt.D., which he managed to secure (1891) from some source in America - his biographer, J. M. Griffiths, names the ' New York Druidic Banchorrion ' as the source of these 'titles' or 'diplomas'; their acquisition served to excite much amusement and discussion in Calvinistic Methodist circles. He wrote some books - for details see the Cofiant named below - he had a local reputation as an amateur antiquary and book-collector. He died 9 December 1904.

Author

• Sir William Llewelyn Davies, (1887 - 1952)

Sources

• J. M. Griffiths, Cofiant a dywediadau y diweddar Barch. David Rees, Ll.B., Litt.D., Bronant (Dolgellau 1910)
• John Evans, Yr ail fyr-gofiant: sef hanes 19 o weinidogion Sir Aberteifi a fuont feirw oddiar ddiwedd 1894 hyd ddiwedd 1907 (Dolgellau 1908)
• The Welsh Gazette, 22 December 1904

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q28361368

Published date: 1959

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