WILLIAMS, DAVID (1717 - 1792), Methodist exhorter, afterwards Independent minister

Born at Is-coed, Llandyfaelog, Carmarthenshire, son of William Dafydd. Richard William Dafydd, the exhorter, was his brother. As a young man he came to Glamorgan to work for Christopher Bassett, junior of Aberthaw, and began to exhort in the Methodist societies c. 1742. It is not certain whether he was the David Williams who was appointed a ' private exhorter ' at the Watford Association, 1743, but it is known that he subsequently preached a great deal in North Wales. ' He was a kindly man,' says John Evans of Bala, ' and the freshness of the dew was on his sermons '; Robert Jones of Rhos-lan adds that he was an able theologian. He went to live at Llyswyrny (' Lisworney ') village, near Cowbridge, where he was in charge of the small local societies and where he married Elizabeth, daughter of Evan Prichard of Collennau. On the advice of Daniel Rowland, it is said, he was ordained minister at Aberthyn, in the same manner as Morgan John Lewis and Thomas William. That was probably during the Methodist Disruption (1750-62). For all that, he maintained his connection with the Methodists, attended their Associations and societies, and preached to them regularly. At Aberthyn he was troubled in turn by Antinomianism, Sandemanianism, and Sabellianism. He died 5 May 1792 aged 75, and was the first to be buried by David Jones of Llan-gan (1736 - 1810) in the Salem, Pen-coed, burial ground.

Author

• Reverend Gomer Morgan Roberts, (1904 - 1993)

Sources

• Y Drysorfa, ii, 134
• Robert Jones (Rhoslan), Drych yr Amseroedd (Trefriw 1820), 174
• H. Bevan, Ychydig hanes neu goffadwriaeth am amryw bethau neillduol a gymmerasant le ymhlith corph y Methodistiaid Calfinaidd yn ac o'u dechreuad, sef oddiar yr amser y daeth Mr. Howel Harries i bregethu yn ei droion cyntaf i amryw barthau o Sir Forganwg a'i chyffiniau (Abertawe 1838), 7, 22
• Edward Morgan, Home Light, or, Brief memoirs and letters of the Rev. R. Bassett, Vicar of Colwinstone, and E. Bassett, Esq., Glamorganshire (Carnarvon 1860), 70
• Methodistiaeth Cymru (1851–6), iii, 20
• Hanes Eglwysi Annibynnol Cymru, ii, 227
• J. Morgan Jones and W. Morgan, Y Tadau Methodistaidd (1895-1897), i, 232-3

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20821114

Published date: 1959

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