RICHARDS, DAVID THOMAS GLYNDWR (1879 - 1956), Independent minister and principal of Coleg Myrddin, Carmarthen

Born 6 June 1879 at Nantyffyllon, Maesteg, Glamorganshire, son of William and Martha Richards. He was educated at the Old College School, Carmarthen and the Carmarthen Presbyterian College (1902-1905, 1909-12), University College, Cardiff (1905-09). He won a Hibbert Scholarship to study in Cardiff, where he graduated with honours in Hebrew and gained a Berman Scholarship to complete his B.D. degree at Carmarthen. In 1912 he was ordained, without pastoral care of a church, in Saron, Nantyffyllon. In the same year he became a tutor at the Old College School, thereafter becoming principal in succession to Joseph Harry. In June 1916 he went to France under the auspices of the Y.M.C.A. He returned to Carmarthen in October 1917 to take up a teaching post at the grammar school. In 1919 the Old College School was reopened (it had been closed for a period during World War I) under the name Coleg Myrddin and he was the principal until the closure of the college in 1946. In addition to his work at the college he was also the minister of Burry Port English Congregational church (1919-21), Nebo, Llanpumsaint (1921-1931), Elim, Ffynnon-ddrain, Carmarthen (1931-54).

He was an able teacher, learned in the classics, and ' Ysgol Glyndwr ', as it was called, was instrumental in preparing some hundreds of young men from different denominations to gain entry to the theological colleges, apart from many others who were trained in commercial subjects which prepared them for secular employment. Coleg Myrddin can be regarded as the last of the small Independent academies. He took a firm stance in support of tem perance and the cause of peace in Carmarthen town. There was a fair amount of debate in the local and national press when he expressed opposition to boxing matches, which were staged in the town in the 1930s. He addressed the young people at the meetings of the Union of Welsh Independents at Llandeilo 1933 on ' Temperance in the light of the New Testament '. He contributed articles to the Tyst on his journey in South Africa (see the issues of 29 October, 5 and 12 November 1936) and a sermon for the publication Ffordd Tangnefedd (pp. 93-101). He married in 1913, Elizabeth Parry of Carmarthen. He died on 17 July 1956.

Author

• Dewi Aled Eirug Davies, (1922 - 1997)

Sources

• Y Tyst, 26 July 1956

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20821112

Published date: 2001

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